Giddings community rallies behind baseball team after fire destroys athlete's field house

GIDDINGS, Texas - The Giddings Buffaloes are still swinging after a fire burned the inside of their field house on Wednesday morning, scorching uniforms and equipment within it. Head Coach Adam Bloodworth said an electrical short in the air conditioning unit caused the fire.

The only items the team could salvage were a few baseballs. "Once I got to go inside it was pretty traumatic experience to see that everything that you had was burned down," Bloodworth said.

Without uniforms and gear the team had to postpone Friday’s big district opener against La Grange to Saturday. Coaches are rustling up practice gear while players are focused on the big game.

"I had a glove and some clothes but that was about it but I'm lucky enough to lose just that some players lost a lot more," Caleb Boriack, GHS Senior. "It's the biggest game of the year. This rivalry means a lot to us. We're just going to fight hard and play ball and we should be good."

On Thursday, the boys lined up to try on new cleats.

In less than a day, surrounding schools donated whatever gear they could find. "It's great to see the support and know that if anything happens it just brings people together," said Bloodworth.

The baseball community also stepped up to the plate and cooked more than a hundred hamburgers to sell. People came from all over to lend a hand including their rivals.

Susan Hosch helped organize the plate sale said the parents couldn’t be more grateful. "That's how we are here in this town it's our family baseball is our family,” Hosch said. "I would like to give a shout out to la Grange because heart and soul they have been here they have donated cookies they have to donate and buy hamburgers."

Saturday’s district opener between Giddings and La Grange is at 11 a.m. in La Grange.

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