Rialto Community Celebrates Knights’ Newly Lit Baseball Field After $1.2M ARPA Investment

A crowd of roughly 75 parents, alumni, student-athletes and elected officials celebrated the unveiling of Rialto High School’s newly installed baseball field lights. Following a $1.2 million investment as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Knights, and the broader Rialto community, may now enjoy extended occasions to practice and play what many consider to be America’s favorite pastime. 

The Biden administration passed ARPA in 2021, a $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package, to help the nation recover from the impact of COVID-19, including investments to address public health, state and city shortfalls, and infrastructure and public service improvements. Passed through a budget reconciliation, ARPA greatly expanded aid following the 2020 CARES Act. 

Congressman Pete Aguilar, who represents the 33rd Congressional District of California, supported ARPA, which provided $30 million directly to Rialto. 

For the Knights’ baseball program, the new lights address a long-standing limitation tied to shortened daylight and later school start times. Practices often ended prematurely, leaving players with limited opportunities to train. 

“With the time change and school starting late . . . that leaves basically an hour’s worth of practice time,” said Kevin Gilbert, a longtime coach and former athletic director at Rialto High School. “Now these young men can get to class, finish a complete day [of school] and then know that they have the solid two hours of practice time that they weren’t allowed to have before.”

Gilbert, who has been a part of the program since 2000, described the installation as long overdue. He said conversations about lighting began after neighboring districts made similar upgrades, with momentum building once funding was secured.

Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., who taught and coached at Rialto High School for more than a decade before entering public office, said the project took more than two years to complete due to planning, bidding and state approval requirements. The investment, he explained, was a long-term commitment to the community. 

“This is for generations to come,” Baca said. “This is for families that will enjoy this field, to come out here and support their kids.”

Baca also emphasized the educational value of athletics beyond competition. 

“The advantage is they learn about teamwork, camaraderie . . . and balancing your time,” he said. “You’re going to fail, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to lose, but it builds character. And, hopefully, you can learn from that and grow.”

The ceremony drew several alumni who went on to play professional baseball, including former Major League pitcher Ricky Nolasco and current Colorado Rockies pitcher Victor Vodnik. Both credited Rialto High School with shaping their work ethic and character, specifying the value added by the campus’s lighting investment. 

“The more time you have on the field, the better you’re going to be,” Nolasco said. “You know, nothing comes free. And another thing is to give these kids something to keep them off the streets and build responsibility,” adding that bonding with friends and teammates is part of learning to be accountable. 

Vodnik echoed that sentiment, telling current players that opportunity alone is not enough.

“The lights aren’t what make you better,” he said. “It’s what you do when nobody’s watching. I was talented, but I worked hard. What separated me wasn’t just talent, it was showing up everyday, being consistent and doing the little things right.”

For current student-athletes, the upgrade represents both symbolic recognition, practical relief and competitive equity. 

Senior shortstop Daniel Núñez, who has played baseball since he was three years old, emphasized that the lights validate years of family sacrifice and commitment. 

“My family helped me come to this school,” Núñez said. “They helped me play baseball—fall in love with it.”

Junior pitcher Jason Cota said he often wondered when Rialto would receive the same resources as neighboring schools. 

“Now we can practice longer, get extra reps and really connect as a team,” Cota said. 

Julian Espinoza, a Rialto sophomore who, like his teammates, harbors Major League aspirations, expressed gratitude for those who made the change possible. 

“I want to give all my glory to God,” Espinoza said. “I’m just grateful for him, all my family, my friends, Joe Baca, this team—to everyone. Without any of this, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”

As dusk settled and the crowd gathered near the pitcher’s plate, representatives, alumni and players counted down together before flipping the switch, illuminating the field for the first time.

Cota, ever the eager junior, said, “Let’s play ball.”