A standing room only crowd at the Culver City High School’s baseball field celebrated the naming the field, the Rick Prieto Field last Saturday. Family, friends, former players, teachers, administrators and Culver City baseball fans were all on hand to pay tribute to the man who put his heart and soul into Culver City High School baseball for 30 years, former coach Rick Prieto.
The baseball program was known for having one of the best-looking baseball fields in the state. Several speakers talked about Prieto’s dedication to the program. In the end, the day was about Rick Prieto. “Well, what it tells me is that during a short period of time I did something good,” said Prieto. “To look out there and see all the former players, community members, families, neighbors and people and players I grew up with are here today to celebrate with me tells me that I did do something good.”
Prieto continued to say, “But more importantly I hope I did something good for them because they have been the inspiration for me being a coach. I have been blessed to have so many baseball players come through the program and see them go out there and do good things academically beyond the sport of baseball and become family men. It makes me so proud to see that they went out there and accomplished good things.”
Prieto was not only known for being a good baseball coach, but he was also well known for maintaining one of the best-looking baseball fields in the state. Although Prieto retired from coaching a few years ago, he is still involved with the maintenance of the field along with the current head coach Devaughn Wallace. “I am very proud of having one of the nicest fields in the South Bay and the Westside. It’s a team effort. I have always asked the maintenance crew and ground keepers if they would allow me to help them take care of the field. It is also very therapeutic for me. It takes teamwork that allows this field to be what it is today.” said Prieto.
To put the icing on the Prieto cake, the Culver City varsity baseball team beat El Segundo 2-1 to cap off a perfect day for Centaur baseball. The 3-6-1 Centaurs have two road games against Leuzinger (3:30), on March 17, and Windward (3:15) on March 18 before they return home on March 19 to play on the Rick Prieto Field against Leuzinger at 3:30 p.m.
