MOBILE, Ala. – As the nation continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the country's most prestigious collegiate summer baseball leagues — along with a pair of University of South Alabama baseball student-athletes — has plans to begin its season in less than two months.

Sophomores Santi Montiel and Ethan Wilson are both scheduled to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, Montiel with the Bourne Braves and Wilson with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. And according to the most recent statement from the CCBL, which came on Monday, the league hopes to start the season as scheduled on Saturday, June 13.

Wilson and Montiel aren't betting on the summer season being cancelled — at least not yet. Each has continued to work out as frequently as possible. Montiel, who struggled to find a place near his hometown of Alpharetta, Ga., said his workout routine consists of hitting and throwing four days a week, and lifting three days a week. Wilson's routine is one that is unbothered in his small Alabama hometown.

"It's been really good," Wilson said. "We have a facility in Andalusia, and I've actually been able to work out and hit on my own when I want to. I feel like I kind of have an advantage over a lot of guys, just because the guys who live in the bigger cities where it (the outbreak) is more serious have a lot more to worry about. Obviously, the coronavirus is a huge deal, but I haven't really heard of anyone having it down here. And my parents are cool with me leaving the house to go hit and work out. It's honestly been nice, just because I have an outlet to hit and work out at."

The CCBL would certainly provide some normalcy in the sports world in an uncertain time, but with that would come some uncertainties — travel logistics for players, as well as safety precautions to protect players, coaches, support staff and fans at games, which are just some of the issues the league may have to address before opening its season.

"I have the mindset of it is what it is right now. If we get to play, then great; I am going to be super excited to go up there and play against some of the best baseball players in the country," Wilson said. "But if we don't, then I will just stay at home and keep working. This virus is a lot bigger than baseball right now, so just keeping everybody safe and healthy is the number-one priority."

"Getting invited to go play up there is huge; it's the best of the best," Montiel said. "It's going to be fun to be around those guys and see what it's about, if we get to play."

"If the (Cape Cod) league is starting, then obviously there have been drastic steps toward getting back to normal, which we all want," South Alabama head coach Mark Calvi said. "The league isn't going to start unless, federally, they are told — bigger things are going on in the country than the Cape Cod (Baseball) League. If the Cape is going off, that means we are actively moving toward getting back to a normal lifestyle. I'm hoping and praying they get a chance to go play, just for the bigger picture; it means we're getting back to where we need to be."

It has now been over a month since South Alabama's season, as well as all NCAA athletics, came to an end for the remainder of the academic year due to COVID-19. The Jaguars finished 8-10 on a schedule that featured four top-25 opponents, including two inside the top 10 in No. 4 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Arkansas. In fact, the Jaguars' final five games of the season were all against top-25 opponents.

Statistically speaking, South Alabama went through some ups and downs in the first month of the season — despite finishing nearly .500 over that stretch — making the fact that the season was canceled entering the Sun Belt Conference opener even more disappointing.

"It was devastating," Wilson said. "I can remember the feeling I had on the bus after Coach Calvi told us what was going on. It was confusion at the time and I didn't really know what to think then. But when you finally comprehend what was going on, it's terrible for the seniors — of course, they are coming back and that's great news — but with the way our schedule was the first 18 games we played, I thought we played pretty well and we weren't at our best at the time. 

"I think as the season would have progressed, we would have gotten better each week. That is disappointing, but the good thing is that next year we are going to have basically the same team and the guys are just going to get better. I think next year will be one of the better teams South has had in a long time."

As the Jaguars approached their March 13 Sun Belt Conference opener at Georgia State, both Montiel and Wilson were heating up at the plate. Montiel had hit safely in three straight games, including a double with a walk and a run scored at No. 19 LSU, and Wilson had hit safely in four of five contests, batting .304 with two home runs, five RBIs, four runs scored, two stolen bases and .869 OPS over that span. Defensively, Montiel committed just two errors in 66 total chances for a .970 fielding percentage in 2020, and Wilson was not charged with an error in 30 chances in left field.

"It was disappointing," Montiel said of the season's end. "We probably had one of the hardest schedules in the country the first month of the season. I feel like we were close to where we wanted to be coming out of that and going into conference play. We were starting to come together as a team, and I think we would have been going into conference play with a lot of confidence."

Montiel and Wilson are scheduled to be the first Jaguars to compete in the CCBL since Brendan Donovan, Drew LaBounty and Travis Swaggerty each played in the league in the summer of 2017. If the schedule remains as is, Wilson and Montiel will square off against each other in the season opener with Hyannis playing at Bourne Saturday, June 13, at 5 p.m. (CT). The CCBL provides weekly updates to the league schedule at CapeCodBaseball.org. 

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Dugout Club - the baseball-specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit JaguarAthleticFund.com.