By Sean Fassler

In the Midwest, the Saint Mary Spires are not only fighting against other talented schools but against the harsh weather conditions as well. With baseball being one of the outdoor sports that are sensitive to wet conditions, it has been a crucial two week, on and off course of competition. Their last game was played two weeks ago, and the rest time saw the baseball squad split their first conference weekend series against Bethany 1-1.

Hardball is a sport that relies on consistency and repetition. Being indoors holds the athletes back from getting realistic reads of the ball off the bat and coming in from a pitcher. The Spires new assistant coach, Bruce Peddie, knows what the team is capable of and helps the athletes get in their reps.

“We don’t know when the next scheduled game is so the main focus is to continue working on fundamentals, reviewing bunt defenses, first and thirds, and the things we need to stay on top of and getting as many swings in we can. The most difficult thing is continuing to take ground balls off of McGilley, which we don’t play on that type of surface,” Peddie continues,  “There is not much we can do, but the kids are doing a great job coming in to work on the little things we ask them to.”

Paying attention to detail is a vital tool that baseball players need in this game of inches. The players have handled the adversity quite well with the motivation and energy the coaching staff has given them. “It’s going to be like a second opening day for us.” With the team being caged in an indoor facility for all sports to share, the spires are just hungry to get back out on a field again. To prepare, the team has been getting their homework done first so when there is a spontaneous game to be held, they are ready to go without any distractions. The hard work will soon pay off as the weather seems to lighten up until Friday, where there’s a chance of heavy rain. If there is a game to be played before the wet conditions arrive, the Spires are ready to compete.

Sean Fassler is a Junior studying Digital Communication at the University of Saint Mary.