Whitman, B-CC make the big leagues

Teams take the field at Nationals Park

Players from both schools were to become the first high school teams to play a game on the Washington Nationals’ home field, which opened earlier this year.

‘‘It’s a great experience and opportunity for them,” said B-CC Coach Jonas Singer. ‘‘Playing at that stadium, against your arch-rival; it doesn’t really get better than that.”

The opportunity arose because Singer and a Whitman parent, Hugh Kelly, volunteer alongside Nationals Communications Director Barbra Silva at a community service group that focuses on inner-city baseball. After Silva said the team was interested in hosting a few high school games, the three decided to try to have the game between the two Bethesda schools at the stadium.

As part of the deal, each school agreed to purchase 1,000 $10 tickets for future Nationals games, to sell as school fundraisers.

Tuesday’s game was prepared to feature the whole shebang: vendors were to be on duty slinging foodstuffs, players were slated to take batting practice and infield drills, and the teams couldn’t wait to spend their downtime in the field’s dugouts.

Joe Cassidy, the Whitman coach, said the game was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While high school football players in Montgomery County play their state championship games at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, the baseball championships are held at Ripken Stadium, a minor league baseball field in Aberdeen.

‘‘I get to throw to my kids on a major league field,” he said. ‘‘I get to coach my kids on a major league field. This is every player’s dream.”

The trick, both coaches said, was keeping the players focused on the only real task of the day: winning.

B-CC was 9-6 and Whitman was 8-6 heading into Tuesday’s match-up.

‘‘The first goal is to win,” Singer said. ‘‘We’ve been talking about it for a month now, though, saying we don’t want to play poorly heading into a platform like this.”

The game was played after The Gazette deadline.

For the players, getting an opportunity to play on a major league field would fulfill many a childhood fantasy.

‘‘When coach told us I was in disbelief,” said Brian Gobish, a Whitman senior. ‘‘We get to be professionals for a day; it’s unbelievable.”

For the Bethesda-Chevy Chase players, the thrill of playing at Nationals Park was a surprise.

‘‘Coach told us one day that the May 7 game was canceled, and we were all pretty disappointed,” said Jake Boross, a 17-year-old junior for the Barons. ‘‘Then he told us it was rescheduled for May 6 at the Nationals’ stadium, and we all went crazy.”

For one Whitman player, the difference between playing at a high school and at Nationals Park is simple.

‘‘No bad hops,” said Michael Lee, a senior pitcher.

The evening was going to be especially meaningful for the Whitman seniors. Since it was technically a Whitman home game, it was also Senior Night.

‘‘Entering high school I never thought I’d play my last regular season game at a professional stadium,” Gobish said. ‘‘It’s once in a lifetime.”