Nearly $20K in student baseball equipment stolen from West Nassau High: ‘How do you steal that from kids?’

A theft from West Nassau High School has impacted multiple players on the baseball team, many of whom lost their own personal equipment.

CALLAHAN, Fla. — Nearly $20,000 worth of baseball equipment was stolen from West Nassau High School’s baseball facility, leaving players without key gear.

According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the school on Jan. 3 after a report of missing items. Investigators said someone broke into the baseball facility the night before, taking bats, gloves and a trailer used for field maintenance. The total loss is estimated at $19,370.

Senior Adam Blackall, who plays catcher and outfield, said he realized something was wrong when he arrived for a team workday that morning.

“I see the back room wide open,” Blackall said. “I look for my glove to stretch and throw, and I can’t find it. A couple other guys mentioned they couldn’t find their stuff either.”

The theft has impacted multiple players on the team, many of whom lost personal items paid for out of pocket.

“I don’t have a spare glove,” Blackall said. “A lot of the guys are out a couple bats, a couple gloves, it hurts a lot more than just practice time.”

Stephen Sloan, president of the West Nassau Dugout Club, said what’s missing isn’t school property, but equipment belonging to individual players.

“You didn’t steal from the school. You didn’t steal from some big entity,” Sloan said. “These are individual kids that you impacted.”

Sloan said baseball is already an expensive sport, and replacing gear, including bats, helmets, and gloves, can be difficult for families.

“Baseball’s not a cheap sport to play, so it’s a pretty big impact,” he said. “How do you steal that from kids?”

The team says they captured surveillance footage showing a small SUV with a dump trailer — described as having a white hitch — leaving the scene. Deputies are investigating and encouraging anyone with information to contact the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

“If that’s found in any yard or up for sale or any baseball equipment on Facebook Marketplace that looks used or anything along those lines, that would help for sure,” Blackall said.

Despite the setback, players say they’re focused on preparing for the upcoming season.

“I just hope they find God, apologize and bring the stuff back for sure,” Blackall said.

The Nassau County School District confirmed it is cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.

A GoFundMe has been created for donations to help out the team.