Winter Storm Stella still wreaking havoc for Wilkes athletics
The Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Youth Championships coordinate eight mats.
For Wilkes athletics, it has not been an easy start to the spring season. With Winter Storm Stella dropping over two feet of snow, Stella has left athletic administrators with numerous rescheduling headaches.
Colonel Baseball was in a rare position, playing two home games before departing on their spring break trip. But when they returned, little did they know their field would be covered in snow just days later.
Sports information assistant Adam Planamento said he estimates approximately 30 schedule changes needed to be made to accommodate the inclement weather.
Through a combination of Wilkes employees and outside help, the turf was safely cleared in time for both men’s and women’s lacrosse to take the field on Mar. 22. Baseball and softball were not as lucky with their grass fields.
Pankil Chander invited United States Olympian Adeline Gray to the tournament.
But on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, associate athletic director Phil Wingert said the grounds crew were finally able to drag both Artillery Park (Baseball) and the softball field.
Baseball and softball were each able to kick off the home portion of their Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom schedules on Sunday against Eastern University. Baseball split the doubleheader action with a 6-3 victory and a 2-1 defeat, while softball pulled a sweep over the Eagles taking 2-0 and 13-0 (five innings) victories.
According to Wingert, Delaware Valley University will still host the softball portion of the MAC Freedom playoffs, but baseball will not be played at a single site. Instead, a portion of the conference tournament will be played at the site of the highest seed.
Going forward, there are not many weekend spaces available for baseball to play their doubleheaders.
“We try to keep the baseball doubleheaders on weekends in order to reduce missed class time,” Wingert said.
But it is not only the spring sports that are struggling, fall sports looking to play their non-traditional seasons scheduled have also been forced indoors or finding different practice times since the sports that are in season will get preference.
Going forward, it’s easy to say the athletic administration will be rooting for clear skies and warm temperatures.
Luke Modrovsky is in his final semester double majoring in sport management and communication studies.
Luke started at The Beacon as staff writer for...