Play ball, please?
Early spring in the Northeast is rarely kind to athletics, particularly the softball and baseball teams who need grass – not snow or mud – to play.
But this year has been a bit extreme.
After rain cancellations in the last two games of their Florida training trip, softball came north to postpone a home game against Hartwick and an away one at Williams, both due to wet fields. And Wednesday's home game against New Paltz was moved to the visitor's ball field, which presumably was drier. Softball is to host doubleheaders on Friday vs. St. Lawrence, and Saturday vs. Rochester. Weather permitting, of course.
Baseball, which canceled their last two Florida games due to rain, came home to a snow-covered Central Park diamond. They had to travel to Oswego to play as “home team” against St. Lawrence on Saturday, winning both ends of the double header. But on Sunday, also in Oswego, their double header vs. Clarkson was postponed due to rain. Also in the “home away from home” category, baseball was to host Oneonta at Siena on Wednesday, Hartwick at CBA on Friday, and Utica at Colonie High School on Saturday.
Meanwhile, men's tennis started their season with snow shovels instead of racquets. An April 2 home game vs. Skidmore was postponed twice due to snow and water.
Actually, lousy spring weather is no rarity. Sports Information Director George Cuttita recalls a snowy 1993, when softball played 8 of its 13 home games on the lightning-fast turf of Frank Bailey Field. In one game, he recalls, Andrea Pagnozzi '95 drove in nine runs … all on ground balls.