MONROE - Some schools and baseball teams will go to great lengths to get games in during challenging Wisconsin springs. Monroe High School Activities Director Jeff Newcomer can tell stories about his experience as a baseball player at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Newcomer recalls when Whitewater had two games of a four-game series against Superior in a snowstorm in 2006 moved to the Metrodome in Minneapolis and the Warhawks paid to have all of the Superior players bused to the game. He also recalls the tricks of the trade coaches and officials at Whitewater would revert to get the field prepared during weeks of snow and rain.
"At Whitewater, we would douse the field with gasoline and then lit it to dry out the field," Newcomer said. "We also had a helicopter fly in on the pitcher's mound to dry it out. We will not have either one of those happen in Monroe. It's amazing to see at what lengths schools will go to (to) play games."
Monroe baseball coach Eric Losenegger and Monroe softball coach Joe O'Leksy may want to light the baseball and softball fields on fire to dry them out if it doesn't start warming up soon.
The Monroe baseball team is 0-2 overall and has had five games postponed thus far. The Cheesemakers have been outside for practice just four of 24 practices.
"There is only so much you can do in the gym to keep the kids' attention," Losenegger said. "It doesn't look good for Thursday. The only silver lining is it's the same boat for everybody."
The Monroe baseball field and the softball diamond at Twining Park are water-logged and soggy from a spring sleet and snow hitting the area this week. Games for many spring sports teams have come to a standstill. The Cheesemakers' softball team's game today in Madison was postponed.
Monroe has now had 38 spring sports events postponed this season, Newcomer said.
Newcomer has been working to get all of the postponed games rescheduled and book umpires and officials.
"I have played baseball in some snowstorms and in cold weather," he said. "I don't ever remember a spring like this with so many games postponed this late into the spring."
O'Leksy and a couple of parents of softball players put a tarp on the softball diamond at Twining Park at 6 a.m. Wednesday so when the sleet, snow and freezing rain hit, the field would not soak up any more moisture. The Monroe softball team is 7-0 overall, but four of those games were played during a spring break trip to Florida.
O'Leksy said the softball team was planning on shoveling snow off the field Tuesday, but the field was too mushy and they didn't want to damage it.
Other area coaches question whether the season will be shortened for some baseball and softball conferences in the state. Pecatonica baseball coach Jim Strommen, who is a Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer who has coached for 36 years, said most of the snow has melted off the field at McKellar Park.
Pecatonica is 3-1 overall and in a better position than their northern counterparts this spring.
"It's still too wet from all of the rain," he said. "We just have to deal with it. We have at least had a few games. Up north, they have two feet of snow and haven't even been outside yet. They may not get outside until after May 1 and the seeding meetings (for the tournament) are about a month away. They are meeting with their conferences about whether they should shorten their season."
Strommen said the Six Rivers East Conference has not had any meetings about altering the conference schedule for this season, but if there are many more postponed games that may be a decision down the road.
Six Rivers East baseball teams are scheduled to play doubleheaders every Friday against teams from the Six Rivers West. The WIAA announced that the first game of the doubleheaders could be played as a seven-inning conference game and the second game of the twinbill could be just a five-inning nonconference game.
The Monroe baseball team faces a stretch beginning today where they play 10 games in 11 days, which is almost half the season.
"When we start playing it will go in a hurry," Losenegger said.
The 100-pitch limit for baseball pitchers is in its second year and it could pose another challenge with games piling up.
"That is why you need to develop more pitchers" Strommen said.
Black Hawk Athletic Director and softball coach Curt Leuzinger has had a lot of double duty rescheduling games and coaching.
"You have to reschedule track meets and baseball games and figure out practice plans for softball," he said. "There is only so much you can do in a gym. Hitting into a net is a lot different ballgame than hitting out on the field."
The Black Hawk softball team has had five games postponed and two of them are cancelled and will not be made up.
"We are running out of dates," Leuzinger said. "I want to keep some dates open for conference games."
Newcomer recalls when Whitewater had two games of a four-game series against Superior in a snowstorm in 2006 moved to the Metrodome in Minneapolis and the Warhawks paid to have all of the Superior players bused to the game. He also recalls the tricks of the trade coaches and officials at Whitewater would revert to get the field prepared during weeks of snow and rain.
"At Whitewater, we would douse the field with gasoline and then lit it to dry out the field," Newcomer said. "We also had a helicopter fly in on the pitcher's mound to dry it out. We will not have either one of those happen in Monroe. It's amazing to see at what lengths schools will go to (to) play games."
Monroe baseball coach Eric Losenegger and Monroe softball coach Joe O'Leksy may want to light the baseball and softball fields on fire to dry them out if it doesn't start warming up soon.
The Monroe baseball team is 0-2 overall and has had five games postponed thus far. The Cheesemakers have been outside for practice just four of 24 practices.
"There is only so much you can do in the gym to keep the kids' attention," Losenegger said. "It doesn't look good for Thursday. The only silver lining is it's the same boat for everybody."
The Monroe baseball field and the softball diamond at Twining Park are water-logged and soggy from a spring sleet and snow hitting the area this week. Games for many spring sports teams have come to a standstill. The Cheesemakers' softball team's game today in Madison was postponed.
Monroe has now had 38 spring sports events postponed this season, Newcomer said.
Newcomer has been working to get all of the postponed games rescheduled and book umpires and officials.
"I have played baseball in some snowstorms and in cold weather," he said. "I don't ever remember a spring like this with so many games postponed this late into the spring."
O'Leksy and a couple of parents of softball players put a tarp on the softball diamond at Twining Park at 6 a.m. Wednesday so when the sleet, snow and freezing rain hit, the field would not soak up any more moisture. The Monroe softball team is 7-0 overall, but four of those games were played during a spring break trip to Florida.
O'Leksy said the softball team was planning on shoveling snow off the field Tuesday, but the field was too mushy and they didn't want to damage it.
Other area coaches question whether the season will be shortened for some baseball and softball conferences in the state. Pecatonica baseball coach Jim Strommen, who is a Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer who has coached for 36 years, said most of the snow has melted off the field at McKellar Park.
Pecatonica is 3-1 overall and in a better position than their northern counterparts this spring.
"It's still too wet from all of the rain," he said. "We just have to deal with it. We have at least had a few games. Up north, they have two feet of snow and haven't even been outside yet. They may not get outside until after May 1 and the seeding meetings (for the tournament) are about a month away. They are meeting with their conferences about whether they should shorten their season."
Strommen said the Six Rivers East Conference has not had any meetings about altering the conference schedule for this season, but if there are many more postponed games that may be a decision down the road.
Six Rivers East baseball teams are scheduled to play doubleheaders every Friday against teams from the Six Rivers West. The WIAA announced that the first game of the doubleheaders could be played as a seven-inning conference game and the second game of the twinbill could be just a five-inning nonconference game.
The Monroe baseball team faces a stretch beginning today where they play 10 games in 11 days, which is almost half the season.
"When we start playing it will go in a hurry," Losenegger said.
The 100-pitch limit for baseball pitchers is in its second year and it could pose another challenge with games piling up.
"That is why you need to develop more pitchers" Strommen said.
Black Hawk Athletic Director and softball coach Curt Leuzinger has had a lot of double duty rescheduling games and coaching.
"You have to reschedule track meets and baseball games and figure out practice plans for softball," he said. "There is only so much you can do in a gym. Hitting into a net is a lot different ballgame than hitting out on the field."
The Black Hawk softball team has had five games postponed and two of them are cancelled and will not be made up.
"We are running out of dates," Leuzinger said. "I want to keep some dates open for conference games."
