EVANS: Weather played pivotal role in Kent State series
Weather can sometimes be a factor when you play baseball.
But when you play baseball in Mount Pleasant the weather seems to always be a factor.
In Sunday’s win over Kent State the CMU baseball team proved that the early season struggles are behind them while also proving they can play in bad weather.
The sun came out during Sunday’s game for the first time all season. If I am giving off the impression that the weather was nice on Sunday I apologize because snow flakes were present.
It was below 40 degrees with winds howling at speeds over 40 miles per hour. It was ridiculous and, quite frankly, is starting to get old with the baseball team. The first two games of the weekend series were not much different but with less sun and no snow flakes.
Right from the start of the series both teams knew the weather would be a factor, and the wind gusts played its role all weekend long.
Multiple balls hit in the air caused trouble for fielders. Outfielders struggled to judge fly balls and infielders looked like they had never played baseball before trying to catch pop-ups.
It was kind of comical but at the same time you felt for the players. The wind changed the game. On Sunday it changed the game in a bigger way than just a couple of tough fly balls.
Trailing 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning Kent State third basemen Travis Shaw stepped to the plate. Shaw had already hit a home run earlier in the game that flew out of Theunissen Stadium.
Shaw waited and turned on a pitch that made its way toward left field. The ball kept carrying and carrying, and then carried some more until finally the ball found metal. Shaw, with the wind blowing out to left all game long, rang one off of the left field foul poll giving Kent State a 4-3 lead.
On Friday, In the first game of the series, the wind was blowing hard out to right field and by Sunday it was blowing in the opposite direction.
Gusts of wind blowing dirt in faces and pitches moving in just a matter of 60 feet, 6 inches are just a few examples of what the weekend baseball series had to offer.
The weather doesn’t surprise the more experienced people of Mount Pleasant and as the baseball team continues to win it seems to be less of a concern.
But I wonder if CMU will get to have a home baseball game with some nice weather.
Weather above 45 degrees? As the third week of April approaches one can only hope so.
