Marysville High School’s Tate Virts rips the ball while working in the Monarchs’ indoor batting cage on Wednesday. The snow that hit the area Tuesday night forced the Monarchs indoors for Wednesday afternoon’s practice.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Let’s face it… baseball and snow simply don’t mix.
The late March blast of Old Man Winter that dropped an accumulating blanket of white on Union County Tuesday night forced the Marysville High School varsity baseball squad indoors on Wednesday.
The weather canceled classes for the day, which allowed the team to practice earlier in the afternoon.
The team spent an hour or so getting in its work at the plate in the Ed Starling hitting facility at the high school diamond.
“I had watched the radar all day Tuesday hoping it (the snow) would miss,” said Monarch head coach Mark Brunswick.
“It did not miss.”
The snow was accompanied by a windy, 30-ish degree temperature, which was another reason to drive the team indoors.
“We had to get something (practice time) in today,” said Brunswick. “We couldn’t go outdoors, so we hit inside.”
MHS batters worked on various situational at-bats from hit-and-run, sacrifice bunting and hitting with two strikes.
They were exposed to Brunswick’s right-handed throws and the lefty offerings from assistant coach Zane Bayless. They stood behind protective screens as the ball went whizzing past them.
Coaches spent time urging batters to adjust their swings to better fit the situation.
Other commands included keeping their feet quiet in the batter’s box, hands above the ball and staying balanced.
The Monarchs are hoping for the better weather today that has been promised by forecasters.
Temperatures are expected to be a bit more mild in the 40s.
MHS is scheduled to conduct its final preseason scrimmage on its home diamond against West Liberty-Salem this afternoon.
Whether the field will be dry enough to accommodate the scrimmage remained to be seen Wednesday afternoon.
The Monarchs will be heading for a warmer climate when they begin the regular season next week with their annual spring break excursion to Myrtle Beach.