Chippewas take advantage unseasonable weather
February in Mount Pleasant usually means the Central Michigan baseball team is cooped up inside the Indoor Athletic Complex.
But this February has been anything but usual. Instead of being trapped in the IAC because of snow, the Chippewas have been outside for a part of every practice since Jan. 31, until the recent snowfall Friday, and even held a five-inning scrimmage in Theunissen Stadium last week.
“We’ve been on the football turf but never on our full-size game field,” head coach Steve Jaksa said about practicing outside this soon.
Friday, CMU will travel to Troy, Ala. to start its season against Troy University, so getting outside and being able to play could be the key to a strong start.
“Getting on the field and playing five innings allows you to work on a lot of little things, and we’re very pleased with how it went,” Jaksa said. “It gave us a chance to run bases, throw (pickoffs) and set up situations like tied in the ninth inning with a runner on second.”
Being able to get outside early could help the pitchers more than any other position.
Yes, fielding a ball off the dirt is different than off turf, and fielding a pop fly is different with open sky than a ceiling. But basic pitching mechanics are based around throwing off a raised dirt mound, not a portable turf mound.
“It’s different, we’ve never been able to get out on the actual field, and to get out there and get actual game-like reps is good,” junior pitcher Dietrich Enns said. “It’s nice to see how the ball works on hitters off a dirt mound instead of inside.”
Base running, pick off plays and going through situations are important fundamentals that a team cannot truly work on inside. But another important team aspect that improves is morale.
Team said its morale goes up when the team can finally get outside and play the game they love the way it’s meant to be played, outside.
“It will definitely help us in the long run,” Enns said. “I feel we’ll be more prepared for the season right off the get go; it’s a huge advantage for us to be outside.”
The Chippewas have a tough test against the Trojans to start the season, and being able to play live outside before heading south could be the difference between some wins and losses.
“We know the opponent (Troy) we’re facing is pretty good,” Jaksa said. “They were in the top 25 in the country and made it to a regionals, and they were No. 44 in the country in attendance. And being opening weekend, it will be an environment that won’t be friendly to us.”
