KC McGinnis

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For ESPN: Iowa high school baseball reopens amid the pandemic

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Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...e tested positive for COVID-19.

1 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: A lighthouse overlooks Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. Iowa was the first state in the U.S. to re-open sanctioned high school sports since the coronavirus pandemic shut down most sports in March, with baseball and softball practices starting on June 1 ahead of a June 15 season opener. Memorial Park, the practice field for St. Mary’s division 1A baseball team, is just a mile from a Tyson meat packing plant where 555 employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...ead of a June 15 season opener.

2 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Coach Alex Schwing applies hand sanitizer as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. Iowa was the first state in the U.S. to re-open sanctioned high school sports since the coronavirus pandemic shut down most sports in March, with baseball and softball practices starting on June 1 ahead of a June 15 season opener.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...e tasted positive for COVID-19.

3 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Alex Adams and Francisco Gonzalez Vasquez look on as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. The players try to adhere to social distancing and sanitization standards, as several have friends or family members who have tasted positive for COVID-19.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

4 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Mason Laven cheers on his teammates as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices as Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

5 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Helmets lay in a field as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rs to use throughout practices.

6 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Francisco Gonzalez Vasquez chooses a bat while the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices as Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. The team’s coach. Alex Schwing, sanitizes each bat and helmet before practices, and sets out hand sanitizer for players to use throughout practices.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...ive cases were announced there.

7 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Francisco Gonzalez Vasquez poses for a portrait after the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practiced as Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. Gonzalez’s mother works at a Tyson meat packing plant in Storm Lake where 555 employees were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19. Gonzalez worked part-time at the plant until positive cases were announced there.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...of complications from COVID-19.

8 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Assistant Coach Eric Broich adjusts tape on Francisco Gonzalez Vasquez’s arm as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. Gonzalez, the team captain, and Alex Schwing, the team’s coach, both have Type 1 Diabetes, which puts them at a higher risk of complications from COVID-19.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

9 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Coach Alex Schwing poses for a portrait after the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practiced as Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

10 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

11 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Francisco Gonzalez Vasquez pitches while the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

12 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Lane Carlson cheers on fellow members of the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...nal hose, as in normal seasons.

13 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Teammates take a break in the shade as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices as Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. The players are no longer allowed to use the dugout, and they bring their own water jugs instead of using a communal hose, as in normal seasons.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

14 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Players keep their distance as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...their distance from each other.

15 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: The Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020. While the team has taken precautions like restricting access to the dugout and ending the use of a shared water hose for hydration, coach Alex Schwing frequently has to remind his players to keep their distance from each other.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

16 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Members of the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team do a socially-distanced huddle after practice at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 202...rm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

17 of 17 © 2025 KC McGinnis

Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020: Mason Laven reaches for his glove as the Storm Lake St. Mary’s high school baseball team practices at Memorial Park in Storm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

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Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_ve tested positive for COVID-19.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_head of a June 15 season opener.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_ve tasted positive for COVID-19.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_ers to use throughout practices.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_tive cases were announced there.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_ of complications from COVID-19.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_unal hose, as in normal seasons.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_ their distance from each other.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Thumbnail of Storm Lake, Iowa - June 12, 2020_orm Lake, Iowa on June 12, 2020.

Public Project

For ESPN: Iowa high school baseball reopens amid the pandemic

Copyright KC McGinnis 2025

Date of Work Jun 2020 - Jun 2020

Updated Jun 2020

Location Iowa

Topics Aerial, Baseball, Editorial, Epidemics, Pandemics, Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, School/College, Sports, Spotlight, Teens, Youth

On June 1, Iowa allowed high school sports including baseball and softball to resume their summer schedules — the first state in the nation to re-open sanctioned high school athletics. I visited the practice of St. Mary's division 1A baseball team in Storm Lake, where just weeks ago 555 employees at a local Tyson plant were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19. The plant is just a mile from the St. Mary's practice field along the lakeshore, and the team captain's mother works at the plant. The captain, Fransisco Gonzalez Vasquez, and the team's coach, Alex Schwing, both have Type 1 Diabetes, which puts them at a higher risk for complications from COVID-19.

Schwing is doing his best to enact precautions for himself and his team, including frequent hand sanitizing and social distancing, but no one knows what the season will bring. Read the full story and watch the video at the link above.

'Hydrate and Sanitize!' That's the call as high school sports return in Iowa
Hundreds of softball and baseball teams played opening-day games Monday in Iowa -- the first state to play a sanctioned high school sports season as the United States nervously reopens during the coronavirus pandemic.
Espn.com

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