Wet weather forces area schools to get creative

The final month of the high school sports schedule is setting up to be a busy one. After one of the wettest springs in recent years, teams are fighting to get in not only competitive non-league games that could help for the postseason run, but critical league games that will determine conference champions. About 100 combined baseball games, softball games, tennis matches and track meets in the Register coverage area that were postponed due to inclement weather have yet to find makeup dates and in all likelihood will not be played. That doesn't include likely the same amount of games that were postponed and have makeup dates or have already been played. "One of the most imposing challenges is attempting to maneuver a pitching rotation, especially when we have four or five conference games in a week," SMCC baseball coach Ryan Myers said. "When the goal is to compete for a conference championship, we want to give every River Division team our best shot and, unfortunately, that is simply not possible with the way the conference schedule is playing out due to postponements." After playing twice in the first four days of the season, the Panthers have played only 12 games total as the calendar has tipped into May. Myers said the trend of installing at least turf on the infield could be the future of high school sports in Ohio. "We have three guys throwing really for us right now," Myers said. "Then after throwing 100-plus pitches, they're asked to go play demanding positions in the field the next day. At some point, with all of the mandatory conference games and a very short OHSAA spring sports season, it becomes a real concern for player safety." SMCC's baseball team sits a game back of Division VII No. 1 Tiffin Calvert in the league standings. The Panthers are scheduled to host Lakota on Monday and travel to Tiffin on Friday. Despite being near the top of the league standings, SMCC has played only seven of its 15 scheduled league contests. The Panthers' softball team has played seven of 13 scheduled conference games. "With the weather we've had, it's been a very challenging year for spring sports, especially baseball and softball," SMCC athletic director Steve Ruthsatz said. "We've had to cancel or reschedule several games due to the weather or poor field conditions. Quite a few nonconference games were canceled and we just hope to get all of our SBC River games in over the next two weeks." Margaretta athletic director Drew Grahl has felt the effects of changes. Just this past week, the Polar Bears were scheduled to travel to Vermilion for a key baseball conference game. Vermilion wasn't able to get its field ready after repeated days of rain. It wasn't until the middle of the day when Margaretta had to make sure its field was ready to host the game at Lions Park with first pitch scheduled at 4:45. With the home win, the Margaretta baseball team remained tied atop the league standings with Edison with a 7-1 record. "Maintenance director Lucas Poggiali and transportation director Chris Leibacher are always willing to do whatever we need to do to help us play and that does not go unnoticed," Grahl said. "We have played lots of games this year that have required us to be creative, and if it wouldn't have been for these two departments the games would not have happened." Grahl noted that teams can play up to 27 games in the regular season, but it comes in just a 49-day window before sectionals begin. Both the baseball and softball programs at Margaretta have played 17 games. The only conference makeup game the Polar Bears have on their slate is a softball contest May 9 at Vermilion. The softball tournament draw took place Sunday. "In both sports, we should have at least 23 games in prior to sectional play, which leaves us a few games to reschedule so there are not long breaks in between tournament games," Grahl said. "The theory is that playing actual games instead of practicing each day when we have three or four days in between tournament games keeps our kids sharper. "So, from that perspective, we are pretty happy with where we are at with baseball and softball scheduling this year. We still have some flexibility going in to the tournament." The Margaretta softball team is tied atop the league standings with Edison at 6-1. Grahl said a big change will come next year. Members of the current SBC Bay Division, the Polar Bears will break off with other schools in a new-look SBC. Currently, Margaretta plays 10 league games, but that will change. "Next year, the SBC will transition into a more traditional 16-game league format for baseball and softball," Grahl said. "We will definitely need to stay on top of our baseball and softball schedules moving forward and ADs will need to be creative so we can play all of our league games in a timely fashion." Changes have been fast and furious in the SBC Lake Division, too. The Bellevue baseball team had two games stopped earlier this season due to weather that were later changed to finals, giving the Redmen a pair of league losses. "This spring has been a challenge in terms of weather without a doubt," Redmen AD Cody Cramer said. "I feel bad for the players, coaches and families the most. They are having to be ready for constant change on a daily and weekly basis and are losing out on opportunities to play. I give credit to them for their flexibility and understanding." Perkins didn't play a home game until April 11. The Pirates are scheduled to host Bellevue on Monday before traveling to Norwalk on Wednesday. Two wins would essentially lock up the league title for Perkins. "It has been a tough, wet spring so far and seems especially more rainy on conference game nights," Pirates AD Brad Watson said. "We have had to move a nonconference game to get a conference game in and thankfully we work with a great group of understanding ADs when those situations do arise." Just this past week, Perkins played a non-conference home game against Wauseon that ended in a tie due to darkness. After defeating Sandusky on Thursday, the Pirates went to Bowling Green State University to play Eastwood on turf. Perkins won the Saturday game, but temperatures were in the 40s for the 10:30 a.m. first pitch. The tournament draw for baseball is May 10. "It's getting to a point where we are running out of days to get some of these games in, which is tough as you want your student-athletes to have the opportunities to compete," Watson said. "It is also challenging with busing, but we have a great group in the transportation department at Perkins to get our teams where they need to be. "We are very fortunate to have them with all of the rescheduled games so far this season." Monday's schedule Baseball Bellevue at Perkins Columbian at Norwalk Lakota at SMCC Monroeville at New London Old Fort at Danbury Sandusky at Clyde St. Paul at Crestview Vermilion at Port Clinton Willard at Edison Softball Bellevue at Norwalk (resumption from 4/22) Columbian at Perkins Edison at Port Clinton Lakota at SMCC Monroeville at New London Sandusky at Margaretta St. Paul at Crestview Vermilion at Cleveland St. Joseph Tennis Clyde at Huron Norwalk at Willard SMCC at Edison