Rivals from the area compete for a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games

Lynchburg, Virginia – The 35th Commonwealth Games’ five sports competitions took place at Liberty University on Saturday.

One of them had four teams competing for the gold medal in All-Star Baseball.
Players from our area, including some from Rustburg, Lynchburg, and Forest, make up the West team.

These athletes, according to Jefferson Forest High School’s Cayden Janney, are often rivals, but they now have the opportunity to try and win together.

“The people on this team are standout players that you have to face against all the time. So, it’s awesome to just play with everybody,” Janney said.

LCA player Joshua Hall concurred.

“It’s a lot of fun to play with guys I play against,” Hall said.

Players admitted that it occasionally makes them uneasy to have major league and college scouts monitoring.

“It’s definitely a lot of pressure, but I that pressure kind of start this year. Scouts have been coming to the games, but they are just always there, always watching. It’s kind of just a normal thing,” Hall said.

Rustburg High School student Hunter Carlson declared himself prepared for the task.

“It’s pretty cool just to show my talent in front of all these great colleges and just showing them that I could possibly be on their team one day.”

Athletic trainers maintain cooling packs in the dugouts and cold drinks near the stadium to keep players cool, according to Charity Waldron, director of operations and media relations.

She added that the games are fantastic for our community as well as the participants.

“It’s a great economic driver, for the community and the Commonwealth at large. It is an opportunity for athletes of all ages to be active and get out,” Waldron said.

This is only the start. The main events, which include sports like basketball, will take place the next weekend, July 19–21.