NORTH TORRANCE, Calif. – For decades, little league baseball players and their families have maintained the homeplate at the Hamilton Adult Education Center’s baseball fields. For one coach, it is also the place where he shares the love of the game with his son.

“Just being out here and tossing the ball back and forth kind of like it’s a dream come true. It’s one of those things you think about when you’re a little kid and growing up I can’t wait to play catch you know if I have a son,” said Raul Perez with the North Torrance Little League.

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Perez is a father, coach, and board member of the North Torrance Little League. He has seen his own little leaguer learn how to play the game, strategize with his team, and work with others.

However, the property is part of the Torrance Unified School District that has been declared a surplus by the district’s Board of Education. The thought of losing this space is a concern for Perez.

“This is baseball and so much more. So many services come through here. So many people that depend on this whether it’s they are learning you know English as a second language or a different career or they are playing baseball,” Perez said.

A presentation shown at a TUSD Board of Education meeting showed student enrollment is expected to decrease into 2026. It also highlighted a 4,000 student enrollment rate for all of TUSD’s Adult Schools combined, leading to the decision to deem the Hamilton Adult Education Center to be a surplus to help generate extra funds for the district.

TUSD declined to comment. But on the North Torrance Little League’s Facebook page, Don Lee, the president of TUSD’s Board of Education left a comment that in part stated “The Board has made no decisions in regards to the future of the Hamilton site and frankly we have no current plans to do so. With that said future Boards could decide to re-purpose the site for the benefit of all the kids of TUSD and as the Board has said from day one if TUSD decides to reuse this site North Torrance Little League and North Torrance Girls Softball will be relocated at a site as good, if not better, in North Torrance.”

A move the Perez family isn’t looking forward to.

“This field means everything to us. It’s a pillar of the community and to not have this field would not only. It’s bigger than me and my boy. This would take a lot from all the kids,” Perez said.

It’s not clear what the future holds for the North Torrance Little League. But it’s a waiting game this family, and many others in the community hope won’t strike them out.