Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks baseball already in full swing
9/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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But it certainly feels like baseball season. When the Mountain Hawks hit the field, they are all business, playing scrimmages against each other three times per week, and displaying the same intensity in September one might see in April or May.
A shortstop dives face first to stop a ground ball up the middle and flips with just his glove from his stomach to second base for the force out. Baseball season is far away, but don’t tell these players that.
“Everyone is just fighting for their spots,” senior pitcher/infielder Geoff Campbell said. “This is kind of our last chance to show off to the coaches before the season.”
Most sports can have their tryouts before the season begins, but baseball must start to establish its roster in the fall. The cold winter weather in
While the roster is being finalized this week, the rest of the fall will be dedicated to filling in the holes in the every day lineup and pitching staff.
“Once we move to this weekend we start to look for the guys to earn their spots on the field,” head coach Sean Leary said. “We’ll also be looking to implement some of our offensive and defensive plays.”
Throughout the winter, the baseball team will be limited to getting repetitions indoors. Pitchers will still pitch and hitters will still hit, but the other mental parts of the game like baserunning and on-field situations have to be figured out now.
But it’s not all work and no play for the Mountain Hawks. The players say they have enjoyed the scrimmages because it allows them to play the sport they love.
They’ve also been playing some games that are a little less conventional but are fun and instructive as well. On Wednesday, the Mountain Hawks played a game where they had to run on and off the field in 10 seconds before the next half inning would start. The changeovers were so fast the catchers were hitting and running the bases with their equipment still on.
“It was great because we play four games every weekend in the Patriot League,”
The fall schedule will finish up with the Brown and White series, which will be a seven-game intra-squad competition. It allows all the players to compete head to head for starting positions and rotation spots.
The dates and times for the games are as follows:
Game 1 – September 20 (10 a.m.)
Game 2 – September 21 (10 a.m.)
Game 3 – September 27 (10 a.m.)
Game 4 – September 28 (10 a.m.)
Game 5 – October 5 (10 a.m.)
Game 6 – October 6 (4:30 p.m.)
Game 7 – October 8 (4:30 p.m.)
*** All games subject to change
