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Most Maine high school teams will be working out indoors for now, but that's nothing unusual.

By RACHEL LENZI, Staff Write March 24, 2008

There's only one way the Yarmouth High baseball team will be on its home field for the first day of practice. And by scientific estimations, it's not happening anytime soon.

"Being outside isn't a possibility until global warming fully kicks in," said Marc Halsted, the Clippers' second-year coach.

Halsted wasn't kidding.

The baseball field at Yarmouth is covered in snow, like most other athletic fields in the area. After nearly 100 inches of snowfall this winter, area baseball and softball coaches have resigned themselves that they'll be practicing inside today -- the first day pitchers and catchers at Maine high schools are allowed to practice.

"This is my eighth year of coaching and this will be my eighth consecutive year inside on the first day," said Halsted, who coached at Hampden Academy before taking over Yarmouth's baseball and hockey teams. "I plan on dozens more inside."

The Maine Principals' Association allows baseball and softball to begin practice a week earlier than other spring sports. In baseball, eight pitchers and two catchers can begin practices, while in softball, a total of 10 pitchers and catchers can begin practice.

Rich Buzzell, the athletic director at Marshwood in South Berwick, agreed that indoor practices are a foregone conclusion when it comes to the first few days of spring sports, not just because of field conditions, but also to avoid the risk of arm injuries.

"I think it's better from a temperature standpoint, too, because not many people want to be out in the cold, working their arms in (temperatures below 40 degrees)," Buzzell said. "The first week focuses on conditioning and strength."

Thornton Academy baseball coach Greg Paradis said the earliest his team has been on the field was in 2005, when the Trojans were outside 10 days after the start of spring practices. Any earlier, he believes, could be counterproductive for his team, which focuses on arm care, stretching and cardiovascular work during the first week of practice.

"Even with eight pitchers and two catchers, if we could go outdoors, I think it's easier to stay indoors," Paradis said. "Everything is central with the gym, the weight room and the training room, and even if someone said, 'it's fine, you can go outdoors,' I'm not so sure I'd want to. I don't think we'd get a ton done as we could indoors."

Halsted anticipates his pitchers will begin practice having thrown in the offseason, but said he will start by having his pitchers throw no more than 15 pitches on the first day of practice.

When it's time to move outside, Yarmouth will also use a corner of school real estate that's traditionally reserved for lacrosse -- the school's turf field.

"We don't have a lot of time on it, but you do the best you can within an 80-by-80 space and 45 minutes," Halsted said.

The fields at Marshwood are almost clear of snow, except for some random patches, and Buzzell expects the baseball and softball teams to be on the fields March 31 when practices begin for all spring sports.

But Marshwood also has a bit of expertise in field maintenance. Baseball coach Eric Fernandes is a landscaper by trade and has worked on the Marshwood baseball field in the days leading up to the start of spring sports.

"He's been out there, working on the field and scraping the surface," Buzzell said. "That's his baby."

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at:
rlenzi@pressherald.com