Cancellations taking a toll on baseball, softball teams

By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Published March 8, 2008

TAMPA - As the rain fell and lightning lit up the night sky Friday, Chamberlain baseball coach Dick Rohrberg held his team schedule in one hand, talking rescheduling with Plant coach Dennis Braun.

Poor weather forced the entire Friday evening slate of games in Hillsborough County to be canceled. Teams held out hope that a storm system would pass. Chamberlain and Plant waited about 45 minutes after game time to postpone the baseball and softball games between the schools, knowing that making up the games will be difficult.

Plant left Chamberlain without a makeup day in baseball or softball. The Chiefs softball team has four games next week - and needed permission to play that many. Rohrberg said the baseball team wouldn't make up its game until the first week of April at the earliest.

Most teams won't be able to make up games next week. With FCAT testing scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, schools can't play evening games Monday through Thursday, and some won't play at all. Hillsborough baseball plays its game at Jesuit at 4 p.m. Monday.

"There are going to be a lot of games we're going to have to play in a row," Wharton baseball coach Scott Hoffman said. "It's going to be tough."

Wharton will likely wait until March 17 to play its postponed game against Freedom. Gaither will play its scheduled game against St. Petersburg in seven days, at 1 p.m. March 15.

"It hurts a little bit when your pitching's thin and you get bunched up like that," Gaither coach Frank Permuy said. "It's hard. When you're spread out, you can get your top guy two starts."

[Last modified March 7, 2008, 23:58:50]