AURORA — “Play ball!”
Colorado schoolboys would love to, and actually will Tuesday … finally. Weather permitting.
It has been a long, strange stretch of wet, cold weather that has prolonged the baseball season for Classes 5A-3A, tried the patience of many teams, administrators and families, and resurrected suggestions of extending the season into June.
Mountain Vista coach Ron Quintana said it has been driving him “crazy.”
Green Mountain coach Brad Madden said his “pitching arm’s not handling it as I’ve been throwing batting practice for about three weeks straight inside. I don’t think we’ve been outside other than for a game before districts. It has been miserable.”
Down to four teams in each of the upper three classes, the Championship Series will be played Tuesday and Wednesday.
At least, that’s the hope.
Madden’s Rams, the defending 4A champions, have played once in the past 10 days because of the seemingly never-ending rain storms.
Eaton coach Jim Danley, who has led the Reds since 1972, knows what it’s like dealing with antsy schoolboys.
“We’re just trying to remain unflappable and keep patient,” Danley said. “But being patient for high school boys sounds like a difficult task. … This brings about cabin fever you thought you left in March.”
Danley’s Reds have been able to get out and practice, although many others haven’t.
Chatfield has been enjoying floor hockey in the gymnasium. Mountain Vista has played whiffle ball.
“I don’t know, it has been difficult, been different,” Golden Eagles catcher Brady Subart said. “We’re not used to it. We’re used to just playing. Then again, it’s the same for all of the other teams, so you just have to adjust.
“It’s intense, and we’re just trying to keep it loose and have a little fun.”
However, there hasn’t been that much fun. Technically, upper classes will only be a few days past the originally scheduled dates for the final rounds, but the snowstorm a couple of weekends ago as well as 21 days of rain since May 1 have also pushed most practices inside. Most teams have only played five games this month.
Colorado may be green, but it’s also soaked.
“It looks like Kentucky out here more than eastern Colorado,” Danley said. “We’ve done a lot of live hitting in the gym. But we’ve run out of innovative workouts. We’re just trying to slog through it all.”
The promise of playing after a few days of postponement, then having the next round postponed again, has been maddening, said Rock Canyon sophomore catcher Logan O’Neill.
“You know, it’s definitely frustrating because we all think tomorrow’s the day and we’re excited,” he said. “Mentally, you’re prepared, then it gets pushed back for three or four or more days. Then you practice, then you have the same thing.”
He likened it to “getting your driver’s license. You try to get it done, you have to wait, then it’s exciting when you get it.”
Said Subart: “Typical Colorado weather.”
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
Baseball
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
CLASS 5A
Tuesday
At All-City Field
Grandview vs. Mountain Vista, noon
Chatfiels vs. Rock Canyon, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Winners, noon; 3 p.m. if necessary
CLASS 4A
Tuesday
At All-Star Park, Lakewood
D’Evelyn vs. Green Mountain, noon
Lewis-Palme vs.Ponderosa, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Winners, noon; 2:30 p.m. if necessary
CLASS 4A
Tuesday
At Butch Butler Field, Greeley
University vs. Brush, 1 p.m.
Sterling vs. Eaton, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Winners, 3 p.m.; 5:30 p.m. if necessary
