By Sara Beth Williams–
A local baseball and softball club that calls Citrus Heights home will mark its third decade of playing ball next year.
NBO Baseball Club offers wooden-bat baseball for middle school, high school and college players, and plays home games at Westwood Park in Citrus Heights. Club Director Todd Conroy said the organization is similar to travel ball, in that the baseball club accepts everyone, regardless of gender or city boundaries.
“One thing that’s important about our club is that we have multiple age groups where they practice and play together in certain games,” Conroy said, adding that the club doesn’t conduct try-outs, but allows everyone who registers to play. In the past, the organization tried to build teams of players younger than middle-school aged, but Conroy said he prefers having a model focused on development, where college-age players help teach younger players.
To celebrate the upcoming thirtieth year, Conroy said he plans to bring back original “retro” uniform colors of teal and black from the early days of the organization, with the addition of a thirtieth year patch. Current uniform colors include blue and red.
The ball club regularly plays in four high school tournaments, according to Conroy, and accepts high school players from all over Sacramento and Placer counties, including high schoolers from home school and charter school programs. Teams will travel to play any teams that want to play, Conroy said, with tournaments in Roseville, Fairfield, Yuba City, and a tournament in Reno every July.
The program operates out of Westwood Park from May to August and shares the field at times with football or soccer programs through Sunrise Recreation and Park District in different seasons of the year. Conroy said the organization is solely responsible for infield maintenance and have made improvements to the field over the years, including installing artificial turf in some areas, and replacing LED lights.
Conroy said the organization is “community oriented” and often hosts movie nights on the baseball field in the summer. An annual golf tournament is also held, according to the organization’s website.
“We have legacies. Guys that help coach for me now, whose sons play for me,” Conroy said, adding that several players have also gone on to play college ball, and many now coach high school or college baseball.
NBO is currently beginning its fall season, according to its website, and also offers lessons during the spring, summer and fall. The club breaks for the month of August.
More information can be found on the club’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/NboBaseballClub.
