Play Ball! Owl baseball and softball teams hoping for an early start at home

            KEENE, N.H. 3/22/10- Keene State College baseball and softball teams might actually begin their home schedules on time this spring. 

            The Keene State baseball team is scheduled to play a home game against Springfield College on Wednesday while the home opener for the Owl softball squad is Tuesday, March 30 also against the Pride.

           Unlike past seasons when snow blankets the Owl Athletic Complex fields, just a tarp covered the infield on Monday.  “This is the earliest I’ve seen the fields this good,” said Keene State softball coach Charlie Beach. “If it wasn’t for the rain, we’d probably be out there practicing.”

            “It’s been a few years since we touched the field in March,” said Owl baseball Coach Ken Howe.  “It would be nice to get on it early for a change.”

            Returning from their respective spring week trips, both coaches made tours of their fields Monday morning and were pleased with the conditions. “It’s still a little squishy, but the infield looks to be in pretty good shape,” Howe said.

            Reluctantly giving way to Mother Nature’s last gasp of winter, Keene State softball and baseball teams have played the waiting game over the years.   Since moving to Division III in 1998, the KSC baseball team has played just one March home game.   In football-type conditions, Keene State defeated Springfield in a football-type score of 23-12.   No truth to the rumor that the Owls scored three touchdowns and tacked on a safety in the seventh inning. 

            The Keene State softball team also has had one home March date since joining the Little East.  Back on March 30, 2000, the Owls shutout Springfield 3-0.

            The latest the two teams have played their first home games was in 2007.  The On April 24 the KSC baseball team hosted Western Conn. while the Owl softball squad was home against UMass-Boston.  That season, the baseball team played only five home games and the softball team had six games at the Complex. 

            Now a senior captain, Stephanie Lavado of Wallingford, Conn., remembers the start of that season very well.  “We made it to the NCAA’s but nothing was more frustrating than leaving for our spring trip in the midst of a snow storm,” she said.  “On the way back, we had our flight delayed due to another storm and had to dig out our cars from the foot of snow that had accumulated in the parking lots.”

            While the unseasonably warm weather and recently purchased tarps have certainly helped, the Keene State grounds crew has also done an admirable job getting the fields ready this spring.  Bud Windsor, KSC’s Assistant Director of the Physical Plant/Grounds, praised the work of the school’ new field manager Mike Wade.  

            “Even in the winter, he’s been chopping ice off the field and finding ways to make the water drain,” said Windsor.  “He’s done a lot of things no one ever did in the past.”

            The advantage of getting on the fields early can pay big dividends. After hitting a robust .372 with three home runs and 21 RBIs during the Owl recently completed 7-5 spring trip to Phoenix, Kyle Morrill says he is concerned about maintaining his hitting eye.  “You get into a groove, start seeing the ball well and all a sudden the trip is over and you have four days off,” said the sophomore from Auburn, N.H. “It will be a little colder than Arizona, but hopefully we’ll get Wednesday’s game in.” 

            “It’s funny. Before we left for Florida, we were checking out the weather down there and last week in Florida, we were looking at the weather back in Keene,” said junior shortstop and Lebanon native Katie Bradford, who batted a team-high .385 during the softball team’s 8-4 spring trip.  “After playing outside, we want to stay outside.”

            In addition to play games, both teams need the outdoor practice time to iron out some glitches detected during their trips.  “The extra time getting used to the weather and conditions will help us tremendously,” said Lavado.  “We can’t wait for our first home game.”