December 22, 2024
COLLEGE REPORT

Weather forecast foils Husson baseball game FieldTurf performing well at Winkin Complex

The saying goes something like this: If you don’t like the weather in Maine, just wait a few minutes.

Unfortunately for Husson College head baseball coach John Kolasinski, the reverse is true as well.

After opening its home season at John Winkin Baseball Complex Saturday, Husson’s baseball team had to postpone its home game against Colby College of Waterville on Tuesday due to snow and cold.

Of course, when the time for the umpire to yell “Play ball” came around 3 p.m. Tuesday, it was somewhat sunny and fairly warm. Oh, and the snow was nowhere to be found.

“The sun was not supposed to come out this afternoon, it was supposed to diminish,” Kolasinski said, a tinge of exasperation evident in his voice. “So I go out there this afternoon and it’s great … We could have played the game.

“It still would have been awful cold to play out there today, but we could have played. The dilemma you run into is at 11 a.m. you have to make a decision because they need to get their guys out of class and get the bus and get packed up.”

Kolaskinski is keeping his fingers crossed for Wednesday’s home game against Bates College (3 p.m.) of Lewiston and weekend doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday against Fisher College of Boston.

“I just talked to the Fisher coach today and he said they’re getting snow showers in Boston this afternoon,” Kolasinski said. “I guess it’s snowing in Bristol too, so now we’ve got the tarps on the field, which we’ve put out pretty much every night. We’d like to leave it off to help dry the field off.”

Even with the wacky weather, winter’s extended reach, and the reluctance of spring to fully bloom in Maine, Kolasinski has lost only one game off his schedule.

“We’re only three games, maybe four behind, and we’ve rescheduled St. Joseph’s and Colby, so we’ve only lost one game [against Dominican College of Orangeburg, N.Y.],” he said. “Course, it also means we’ll play 31 games in 33 days.”

But even that’s OK with Kolaskinsi because it provides him a chance to get everyone on his roster more playing time.

The installation of the artificial FieldTurf last year is the reason Husson won’t lose many games to weather. Kolaskinski says it’s performing as well as he hoped and is even providing some unexpected benefits.

“It’s a slow surface because it’s softer. We threw two guys out at the plate Saturday. The hops on outfield throws are true and we like that even more. I think it gives us a home field advantage until other teams get used to it.”

It also drains much quicker than the old field with six inches of turf lying on top of 18 inches of crushed stone.

“It gives us the option of playing home sooner and not having to worry about travelling as much,” Kolasinski said. “Once the snow is gone, we’re going to be able to play. It’s basically a frost-proof field.”

Blue ribbons for White Mules

Colby College’s Karima Ummah set a school record and won the triple jump at the same time during Saturday’s University of La Verne Classic in La Verne, Calif.

The junior from Litchfield also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships with a leap of 39 feet, 1/2 inch and was also second in both the high jump (5-4) and 100 hurdles (15.44 seconds).

Other provisional qualifiers from Colby include Elizabeth Frederick of North Attleboro, Mass., and sophomore Xavier Garcia of Stoneham, Mass. Garcia won the triple jump with a school-record leap of 47-41/2 and Frederick won the pole vault with a height of 11-3 and finished third in the long jump.

Other first-place finishers for the White Mules were Hillary Easter of Jay in the 1,500-meter run; Meredith Millen of Freedom, N.H., in the 800; and Karina Johnson of Tolland, Conn., in the 5,000; Peyton McElyea of Pacific Grove, Calif., in the 3,000; and Jason Foster of Moretown, Vt., in the hammer throw. These student-athletes did not qualify for the NCAA Championships.


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