March 18, 2019 at 11:27 a.m.
Hodag baseball has strong turnout for pitchers and catchers
Hodag baseball has strong turnout for pitchers and catchers
That was certainly the case for the Rhinelander High School baseball team, which had a good chunk of its team present last week in preparation for the first official days of practice.
"We've had a really good turnout," RHS baseball coach Joe Waksmonski said Thursday. "We've been between 18-20 so far for our first few practices for pitchers and catchers. Guys are really excited. They are really here to learn."
The days weren't full-on practices. The WIAA has placed limits on what can and cannot be covered, how many practices can be held and how long each practice must last. Also, the WIAA states the program is considered out of season, therefore participation was voluntary.
It marked the second year the WIAA allowed pitchers and catchers to report early.
Waksmonski said his squad put the time to good use. For instance, he said, pitchers have worked on a couple of new drills and exercises off the pitchers mound to work on velocity and mechanics.
"A lot of our older players that have been in the program have liked the change of pace so far. The younger guys, it's new to them. They seem to be experiencing a lot of benefits as well," he said. "I think they've been very willing to listen and have been very coachable. As a coach, it feels like we've been off to a good start."
Though some pitchers began throwing earlier in the offseason, Waksmonski said the extra week is beneficial to help get his staff's arms in shape.
"As a pitcher, everyone's going to go through a dead arm period and the earlier you can have that dead arm period, the better off," he said. "You don't want to have that if we're playing games early on in April - which it obviously doesn't look like (that will happen). Assuming you can get that dead arm period out of the way, the better off you'll be and you can build your strength off that."
Official practices got underway Monday and, despite last week's mild temperatures and rain, there's still plenty of snowpack on the ground. While highs are forecast to rebound to the upper 40s and lower 50s again by late week, there's no major warm spell or significant rainfall in the extended forecast, which has Waksmonski prepping for a few more weeks indoors.
"Fortunately and unfortunately, this isn't new territory for us," he said, referencing last spring when the team didn't play a game until April 24, and didn't play at home until May 1. "I think the guys and the coaches are experienced in it. We know what's in front of it. We're not going to be inside for just two weeks. It's going to be a good 4-6 (weeks) period where we're going to be inside. Hopefully we can get some games further south but, here in Rhinelander, we're not going to be outside at least for another month I would say."
The key, Waksmonski said, is getting through the indoor period as well as possible.
"Mentally, it can be tough at times," he said. "But, at the same time, we've got to find ways to get better, and there are ways to get better. As a coaching staff, now that we have that experience in the past, we've been able to find new stuff for our guys to do inside to strengthen arms, to get their bats faster and things along that line."
Weather permitting, the Hodags are scheduled to begin the season April 2 at Merrill, but their best bets might be further south.
The team is supposed to travel to Green Bay for a doubleheader with Notre Dame Academy April 6, and to Clintonville for a three-team invite April 13.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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