Baseball teammates of Gio Mediati wear special jerseys with their fallen teammate’s name and number (5) in his honor during a doubleheader dedicated to Mediati last Friday. Photo Provided/Tyler Main
A memorial service for Gio Mediati, 15, who drowned on June 13, hours after completing his freshman year at Creswell High School, will be held at the CHS baseball field at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 29.
It’s a fitting site for Gio, who, as a freshman, pitched more varsity innings than anyone but departing senior Dean Howard, earning Second Team All-League honors.
Honoring Gio’s love of the game and their connection to him, his teammates hosted Cottage Grove for a doubleheader and barbecue dedicated to Gio on June 21, with every Bulldog wearing Gio’s name and number: ”Mediati 5”.
The uniforms were specially made, ”in honor of him,” said Head Coach Tyler Main.
One Cottage Grove player who had been a Babe Ruth baseball teammate of Gio’s also chose to wear a T-shirt bearing Mediati’s name and number.
The Dawgs won both games, making some amazing plays in tribute to their fallen teammate.
Howard, who’d graduated two weeks before, returned to play in the doubleheader and hit a home run.
”Before the home run was hit, Dean asked another younger player if he had ever seen Gio hit a home run before,” Main said. ”The player’s response was that he didn’t recall he had, ever. Dean replied, ‘Well, he’s about to!’
”I told Dean, like every other time he gets up, ‘Line drive – that’s what we’re looking for here, Bud, line drive. The next thing I see is the first pitch of that at-bat going on a straight liner over the fence,” Main said.
As he crossed home plate, Howard pointed skyward as if to say, ‘Gio, this one’s for you,’ and the large crowd went wild. ”That was the loudest I have ever heard the crowd be in my time playing and coaching here at Creswell,” Main said.
Pitching the first game, Dallton Dewey threw 11 strikeouts, which matched Gio’s Babe Ruth number.
”Gio was definitely there and supporting his brothers,” Main said.
Gio’s father Rick, mom Laura and younger brother Giuseppe (who pitched a little in the game) were in attendance, surrounded by friends, the families of teammates and community members.
”It was a great day overall, not only on the baseball side of it but as a team, a community and our baseball family,” Main said. ”The community showed so much love and support for our team. ”It is truly an honor to coach these boys, and this just shows how tight our baseball family is and the community is.”
At Saturday’s memorial service, some chairs will be available, but people may also bring their own lawn chairs. Some food and drinks will be available. Gio loved Pepsi and loved baseball, so the family invites people to wear attire representing those passions.
Parking will be available at the high school and elementary school; gates on both sides will be open. (Note that the baseball infield will be roped off; people are asked to remain off the infield.)
