By Scott A. Kolb

Post-Bulletin, Austin MN 

Winter weather apparel was in vogue last weekend for fans attending the Riverland Blue Devils baseball games as the northwest wind howled through Dick Seltz Field.

It must have been quite a shock for the Blue Devils after they started the season with 13 games in the balmy climate of southern Florida. No wonder the Blue Devils struggled with their hitting attack, the aluminum bats were partially frozen.

After shivering in the cold last Saturday and hearing stories from the players about how nice it was during their time in Cocoa Beach, my plan for next spring is stow away on the bus and join the gang on the beach.

At least I got to hear a few tales about the "Boys of Summer" playing ball in the sunshine while we ate some cake between games.

Southern outpost

Even the frigid conditions at the Riverland complex last week were far better than what the teams who came to play had experienced on their home fields. Northland Community College and Central Lakes of Brainerd made the trek to the southern part of the state to escape the snow.

Although a wintry blast was forecast for the Austin area, it never materialized and they were able to get in a few games at the complex. The baseball fields in the northern part of state are still apparently buried under the white stuff.

There was even a rumor going around that the college baseball teams from St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota-Duluth were going to come to town and play a few games at Marcusen Park. In the end, the logistics and travel expenses didn't allow that to happen.

This means Lyle/Austin Pacelli coach Steve Baumann and his team will be the first ones to play a game this season at the old ballpark along the banks of the Cedar River. The L/P Athletics play their home opener this afternoon at Marcusen Park.

Stier sighting

Joining the fun last weekend at the Riverland games was former Lyle/Pacelli standout Sam Stier, who is now playing college baseball at Mankato Bethany.

Stier and a couple of his teammates from Bethany joined us for a piece of cake by the dugout as we told tales about his old days in high school. Stier and his teammates were only wearing windbreakers, but they didn't seem to mind after practicing in the snow the day before in Mankato.

I made a remark to some of the fans in the stands about it being good weather for a football game, and a few them groaned from under their blankets. The conversation with Stier soon turned to the gridiron. The former L/P quarterback wanted to know how good Andy Sires and his state champion Houston Hurricanes looked this past season.

Stier reminisced about how L/P had a lead in the first quarter last year at Houston, before losing. I believe the recap of this year's game in Lyle wasn't quite that interesting. I informed him that Sires lit up the Southern Confederacy with his powerful arm this past fall, then the Hurricanes turned to their potent ground game to knock off Verndale in the first round of the state playoffs.

Warmer days ahead

Instead of staying in my favorite spot at the picnic table near the third base dugout, the biting wind forced me to flee for the confines of the press box at Seltz Field. You can't hear the sounds of the game and the cheering crowd when the windows are closed, but at least the drone of the traffic on Interstate 90 was muted somewhat.

The power hitters of the Blue Devils were thwarted by the wind blowing in and their offense was inconsistent. When the wind is blowing out at Seltz Field, then it's entirely within the realm of possibility for one of these guys to hit a passing vehicle on the freeway as they power the ball out of the park.

This isn't just another tall tale from a discouraged beat writer trying to thaw out his fingers in a futile attempt at keeping the scorebook. I saw former Riverland catcher Pat Wolard hit one to the pavement last season, and it's quite possible the ball hitched a ride on a passing semi-truck all the way to the South Dakota border.

Never fear baseball and softball fans, the weather is supposed to moderate later this week. This will give the local sports enthusiast a chance to watch the ducks fly over Marcusen Park instead of being worried about which coat to wear to the game. The spring sports season is never dull.