MEADVILLE —
March came in like a lion all right. But the beast has overstayed its welcome, with April approaching and the outdoors still looking a lot like Christmas.
Not the best conditions for throwing fastballs or digging out grounders (although sliding into home would still work ... pretty well, in fact).
However, there are a few area baseball and softball teams that were thinking ahead as they booked trips to sunnier climes to start the 2013 season.
“We’re glad to be going somewhere,” said Saegertown’s head softball coach Mark McKissock. He and his Panthers will be flying out to Cocoa Beach, Fla., on March 27, where they will pack in four games and one scrimmage in five days while the Panthers’ JV squad will also play five.
“We want to get innings, no doubt about it,” said McKissock. “Beyond that, we aren’t going to do a whole lot of traveling or sightseeing. We’re there to play softball and to get to know each other as a team and bond as a team.”
Getting familiar will also be one of the main goals for the Meadville baseball team and its first-year head coach Bruce Stewart. Today, he and the Bulldogs will hit the highway for Gaffney, S.C., where they will play three games over three days while the JV squad will also get in a pair.
“Yeah, I’ve only seen a couple of my players actually play ball,” said Stewart. “I’m looking forward to getting outside with them. We’ve been in the gym for so long.”
It’s not just the on-field ability of his team that Stewart is hoping he’ll learn more about during the trip. He’s also hoping to glean just who his players actually are as people.
“It will definitely be nice to get to hang out with these kids besides two hours of practice,” he said. “We’ll get to know them a little better. These kinds of trips can really help the camaraderie of a team.”
So, Stewart a first-year head coach. And Meadville — which finished 10-9 and made a playoff appearance last year — is going to be a fairly young squad. So this team-building process will be an important aspect of the trip.
The bonding process is also important for the Saegertown baseball team. But these Panthers know each other pretty well by this point, graduating just one senior after last season’s 23-2 finish, which included a District 10 championship and a run to the state quarterfinals.
So when the Panthers hit the road to Gaffney, S.C. today, they are also looking to give themselves a test on the playing field.
“We’re playing South Park and (Taylor) Allderdice,” said Saegertown coach Tim Crum, whose team is scheduled to play four games over three days beginning with South Park and Taylor Allderdice on Saturday in Hickory, N.C. “We project those two to be two of the better teams we will play, not taking anything away from Meadville or Hickory.”
Saegertown plays Hickory (out of Hermitage) on Sunday and Meadville on Monday.
“We want good competition,” Crum said. “We want to be put in pressure situations and see how we handle it. We want to execute, pitch well, be efficient from the mound. We’ve spent a lot of time together and have seen a ton of pitches already through open gyms. Now it’s time to put that into a live situation and see how effective we can be.”
These trips down south weren’t just thrown together at the last minute. In some cases, the trips spent a year or more in the planning phase.
“We were thinking about it last year. It just didn’t come together,” said McKissock. “We’ve always wanted to go somewhere, but the first two years we concentrated on just getting our feet on the ground. We did think about it last year, but couldn’t put it together. At the end of last year we got the parents together and said, ‘This is what we are thinking.’”
After that came the process of raising funds for the trip.
“The community has supported us tremendously and the parents worked their butts off … and the kids too,” McKissock said.
Crum said it will cost the baseball team close to $7,000 to make its trip south. All of that money is raised through the boosters.
“We have a great boosters group,” Crum said. “All are very willing and involved. The district is not asked to pay anything.”
Local Sports
Locals prepare for season down south
- Local Sports
-
-
TRACK AND FIELD: Sternby focused on the little details heading into state meet
The 100-meter dash. Of any athletic endeavor, the 100-meter probably goes by the quickest — around 10 to 13 seconds from start to finish. The difference between winning and losing can sometimes be measured by a blink of an eye.
Yet, there is a lot that goes on in that 10 to 13 seconds. A runner has a lot of T’s to carefully cross and I’s to precisely dot to be on the winning side of one of those eye-blink moments. -
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Cats, 'Dogs to battle it out for D-10 crown
Meadville is still playing like a team on fire. Saegertown is putting together a stingy defense to go along with its big hitters. And those two forces of nature will collide today at 7 p.m. at Meadville’s House of Thrills in the District 10 Class AA boys volleyball championship match.
-
Northcott stellar as Cardinals upend Eagles
Welcome to the Ryan Express II, Kennedy Catholic.
Resembling the original Ryan Express (Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan), Cochranton ace hurler Ryan Northcott handcuffed the Golden Eagles with a three-hit 1-0 shutout Wednesday night in the opening round of the District 10 Class A baseball playoffs on the beautiful Northwestern High School baseball diamond. -
H.S. SOFTBALL: Panthers set to begin defense of District 10 title
The Saegertown softball team has some big-time goals this postseason.
But the Lady Panthers are fully aware of what can happen if you look too far ahead and have the utmost respect for each and every team they may encounter, beginning with Reynolds. -
NBA PLAYOFFS: LeBron saves Heat at buzzer
LeBron James caught the inbounds pass, changed direction and immediately attacked the rim.
There was no one in his way.
There was no stopping him, either.
James made a layup as time expired in overtime, capping a 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort as the Miami Heat found a way to outlast the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wildly back-and-forth Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night. There were 18 ties and 17 lead changes, the last two of those coming in the final 2.2 seconds. -
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Cabrera, Tigers down Indians 11-7 on rainy night
Justin Verlander overcame a rocky start and rain delay to get his fifth win and Miguel Cabrera hit another homer as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 11-7 on Wednesday night, sweeping the two-game series between the AL Central’s top teams.
-
D-10 BASEBALL: Back-to-back homers highlight Panthers’ rain-shortened win
The Saegertown Swat Club can hurt an opponent in a hurry.
Just ask Franklin. -
D-10 SOFTBALL: Solid effort not enough in Tigers’ loss to Fairview
The Maplewood softball team nearly got that complete seven-inning effort it’s been striving for all season long. But it still wasn’t enough to keep up with undefeated Fairview, which bounced the ’Wood from the District 10 Class AA quarterfinals with an 8-1 verdict on Tuesday at Penn State-Behrend.
-
D-10 VOLLEYBALL: Short-handed ’Dogs advance to semifinals
All Meadville has heard since early Sunday when it learned three members of its team would not be suiting up for the District 10 Class AA boys volleyball tournament due to disciplinary actions is “not now.”
-
H.S. BASEBALL: Panthers start road to third straight district title
Many expect the Saegertown baseball team to win this year’s District 10 Class AA title. And coming off of two consecutive championships, and with many of the players from those two teams still in uniform; it’s easy to see why.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
TRACK AND FIELD: Sternby focused on the little details heading into state meet
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
