A theft from West Nassau High School has impacted multiple players on the baseball team, many of whom lost their own personal equipment.<\/p>\n
CALLAHAN, Fla. \u2014 Nearly $20,000 worth of baseball equipment was stolen from West Nassau High School’s baseball facility, leaving players without key gear.<\/p>\n
According to the Nassau County Sheriff\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Senior Adam Blackall, who plays catcher and outfield, said he realized something was wrong when he arrived for a team workday that morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see the back room wide open,” Blackall said. “I look for my glove to stretch and throw, and I can\u2019t find it. A couple other guys mentioned they couldn\u2019t find their stuff either.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theft has impacted multiple players on the team, many of whom lost personal items paid for out of pocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a spare glove,\u201d Blackall said. \u201cA lot of the guys are out a couple bats, a couple gloves, it hurts a lot more than just practice time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Sloan, president of the West Nassau Dugout Club, said what\u2019s missing isn\u2019t school property, but equipment belonging to individual players.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t steal from the school. You didn\u2019t steal from some big entity,\u201d Sloan said. \u201cThese are individual kids that you impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sloan said baseball is already an expensive sport, and replacing gear, including bats, helmets, and gloves, can be difficult for families.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaseball\u2019s not a cheap sport to play, so it\u2019s a pretty big impact,\u201d he said. “How do you steal that from kids?”<\/p>\n
The team says they captured surveillance footage showing a small SUV with a dump trailer \u2014 described as having a white hitch \u2014 leaving the scene. Deputies are investigating and encouraging anyone with information to contact the Nassau County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Despite the setback, players say they\u2019re focused on preparing for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just hope they find God, apologize and bring the stuff back for sure,\u201d Blackall said.<\/p>\n
The Nassau County School District confirmed it is cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n