This spring's a scramble

The phones lines are burning up this week as athletic directors and coaches across frostbitten northern Illinois scramble to reschedule canceled games on the fly.

Many baseball, softball and soccer teams have yet to even practice, let alone play on their home fields, due to soggy conditions in the wake of last Friday's snow.

"We've been taking flyballs in the parking lot," Elgin second-year baseball coach David Foerster said Monday. "Thankfully, our school has a lot of parking."

Most baseball and softball teams have lost 10-20 percent of their entire season schedule during spring break week due to the number of weather-related postponements.

"We're doing everything we can to come up with competitive drills to keep the guys sharp, but you can only do so much indoors," 18-year Dundee-Crown baseball coach Fred Bencriscutto said. "We have one of the best indoor facilities around, but being inside all the time is getting old."

Like many other schools, D-C has revised and re-revised its baseball schedule many times this week alone. The Chargers made a date on short notice this week to play at Sterling on Thursday. They will also play a nonconference game at Cary-Grove on Saturday, pending final approval from the athletic directors and weather permitting.

"Our field drains real well, so hopefully we'll be able to get that game in," said Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland, a 21-year veteran whose team is off to a 2-0 start.

Two area baseball teams that shouldn't have a problem getting their game in on Thursday afternoon are Westminster Christian and St. Edward. Both teams are currently enjoying a spring tour through southern Illlinois and will face each other Thursday at noon at Carbondale High School's field.

Closer to home, the FieldTurf artificial surface at Grayslake Central was shoveled Monday in prepraration for the revised Grayslake Central girls soccer tournament, which will take place Wednesday through Friday. The revised schedule has South Elgin taking on Lake Zurich at noon Wednesday while Hampshire is scheduled to play each day.

Burlington Central's baseball team won its opener 11-8 Monday in downstate Mascoutah.

"I know it'll make everyone feel bad, but we enjoyed playing and winning in our short sleeves," third-year Rockets coach Kyle Nelson said Monday.