*Jack Gitterman is a member of the Stevenson University baseball team*
College baseball in February is a battle against more than the opposing team, it’s a fight against mother nature. Stevenson baseball has been lucky to get four games in, but weather-related cancellations have been agonizing to navigate.
High winds, absurd temperature changes, indoor practices and cancellations have hit the Mustangs this month. In just two weeks, the team has been forced to cancel and or postone six games already. Last year there were four. In two years, ten February games were not played on the day they were scheduled for. There’s no excuses allowed though. The team still has to get their work in.
The Mustangs have utilized multiple different facilities around Stevenson since the semester began. At times, the team will schlep all the way to Stevenson’s Greenspring campus to use the indoor gym and drop-down batting cage. Occasionally, the Mustangs can get outside on the field hockey turf. These practices are frigid with whipping wind and temperatures that freeze your hands. Also, at the new Owings Mills East campus, the team can hit in the new warehouse that the team has labeled “The Barn.”
“I could see how switching facilities constantly and chaotic schedules could be hard for some of the younger guys who are finding it hard enough already to adjust to college ball,” said fourth-year catcher Matt Perri.
Perri, a New York native and JUCO alumnus, has been through every kind of crazy schedule and set up in college baseball. But for some members of the team they’ve never experienced anything like this. Some first-years come from high schools with strict schedules that rarely change. Now, they’re not only trying to earn a role on the team but also adjusting to a completely unpredictable routine.
These facilities do the job, but nothing compares to being on the grass and dirt of your own field. With limited spacing indoors, running full team practices is a challenge. Coaches are forced to carefully schedule out the practice so that pitchers don’t overcrowd hitters and vice versa. Not to mention that the team must reserve the space as they compete for time with other teams and club teams.
The Mustangs have been living on turf fields in February and even played a “home” game twenty minutes away at Blandair Park.
The cold weather also challenges a player’s mindset. Baseball is already an extremely mental game. It’s difficult to stay locked in on practice or games when you can’t feel your limbs and high winds cut through you.
Playing college baseball in February proves that you have to truly love the game. Playing in the cold will test you in every way possible. Battling through it while doing your job for the team takes some grit. Throws sting a little extra, swing vibrations ring your hands up, and the days feel long.
“I’d say baseball is the sport you have to be the most adaptable in. And it’s the most unpredictable in terms of weather. The biggest thing is just being ready to go at all times and being willing to be adaptable” said fourth-year captain and third baseman, Brandon Perillo.
Perillo knows you have to keep showing up and competing. The team has a goal in mind that makes the days worth it. Each game and practice is more than just a test of skill; it’s a test of resilience. Sometimes it feels like there’s two opponents on the day: the opposing team and the unpredictable mid-atlantic weather.
If you don’t have a real passion for the game, February will wear you down. But for those who do, who embrace the grind, these early-season battles become just another hurdle. One that makes the wins in April and May even more rewarding.
Some players push through, holding onto the promise of better weather and bigger opportunities ahead. Others start to question if the struggle is worth it. There are days when the cold, the cancellations, and the constant adjustments make it feel like the elements are winning.
