By Scott A. Kolb
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN 

It's a good thing the Riverland women's softball team started the season with nine games last week indoors, because the advent of the outdoor season might be on hold.

The scheduled opener outside, which had been set for this afternoon at the field behind Riverland College, has been called off due to sloppy conditions.

There has been no announcement for a reschedule date in the non-conference doubleheader with Iowa Lakes Community College. The Lady Blue Devils of Riverland are scheduled to travel to Estherville, Iowa, on Friday for a road doubleheader against Iowa Lakes CC, so today's postponed twinbill might not be rescheduled.

After going 6-3 in nine games over a three-day span last week at the Irish Dome in the suburban Twin Cities, the Riverland women were beat up a bit from playing on artificial turf. The lull this week will give the Lady Devils a chance to get all of their top hitters healthy for the upcoming conference schedule.

The light week ahead will also give the Riverland pitching staff a chance to rest. Kaylee Newman, the top pitcher for the Lady Devils, recorded two wins last Friday at the dome, and also appeared in all three games that day.

"We're a little banged-up after all those games on the artificial surface, but it was great to get the season started last week," Riverland coach Dave Lillemon said. "Hopefully, we can get a couple of games in later this week and get things going outside."

The softball opener in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference, South Division, is scheduled for next Monday afternoon at home in Austin against Dakota County

• Playing a total of 13 games in the span of a week during their recent spring training trip to Florida, the Riverland Blue Devils will now face a waiting game to see when the outdoor portion of the schedule gets started. There is no indoor game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis this season, so the Blue Devils are on a holding pattern.

The Blue Devils (10-3) are scheduled to open the outdoor season this weekend with a series of games in St. Cloud. Just days after returning from the balmy weather in the south, the Blue Devils might be shoveling snow this weekend to get the fields ready for the season.

Riverland coach Scott Koenigs has a deep pitching staff and he might need all those arms with a slew of doubleheaders on the schedule in early April.

The home opener for Riverland baseball is scheduled for a week from Wednesday against Anoka-Ramsey at Dick Seltz Field.