Viking players from the 2023 team wait at the dugout
fence before the playing of the National Anthem
at the Alumni Game Sat., Feb. 18.
(Photos by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
Full of anticipation and preseason moxie to get the 2023 season launched, the La Jolla Vikings baseball team received a stop sign the day before the scheduled Feb. 25 opener--weather forecasts predicted that the area would receive heavy rain through the day Saturday and until 3 a.m. the next morning.
"We have to adjust our pitching rotation, and push everyone back a start," said Vikings coach Gary Frank in answer to a question about the impact of the rainout of the game scheduled for the new all-weather turf field.
"This adjusts their (scheduled starters') daily preparations and changes the days they get their side bullpen work done."
The other facet has to do with the "preseason moxie" described above, that leads adolescents to deal with the ups-and-downs of a season.
Said Frank, "We have to manage the team's emotions. They have been gearing up all off-season with their focus on today (Feb. 25) being the start of the season.
"All the excitement and anticipation of opening day has been taken away from them by Mother Nature, and now they have to adjust and refocus on starting the season on Tuesday (Feb. 28) at Morse.
"Fortunately, for our team, the boys are very adept at adjusting on the fly," because of the situation of handling the field and its access in relationship to Muirlands Middle School.
Continued Frank, "On the bright side, the rain gives all of the boys a couple days to rest and recuperate after a lot of hard work over the first two weeks of practice."
Viking coach Gary Frank (center right, background)
gestures as he addresses his 2022 team
May 18, 2022 before a 4-1 CIF first-round loss
at Mt. Carmel.
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