KENTVILLE, N.S. — Unless you have webbed feet or flippers, odds are you’re having an unpleasant spring so far. With rain coming down on the regular, it’s been hard to find those breaks in the clouds where you can get outside and enjoy the sun.
Coach John Ansara of the Kentville Wildcats senior baseball team knows this all too well by now.
Ansara accepted the Wildcats position earlier in 2019, when it was beginning to look like the team may have to forfeit the season.
Now, the team is staffed and ready to play - as soon as it stops raining.
Ansara says the weather has been a worthy adversary all spring, tossing up more than a few curveballs.
“We’ve been trying to get reps in for all the players because we had a wet pre-season, so we didn’t have that much time on the field before the season started,” he says.
“Really, we’re trying to get players as much playing time as possible. We’ve gotta get the experience in and get caught up to everyone else.”
The season began on May 19, with a weekend double-header against defending league champions, the Sydney Sooners. The second of the two games was rained out, and Ansara could tell from their first game that their lack of practice time hurt their performance.
But he isn’t worried about the slow start.
“Our pitcher played really well that game, but they were capitalizing on all their chances and we were unable. We made a few errors that really hurt us, and our defence didn’t come through for us, but the first few games are all about making sure that eventually all parts of our game come together at once.”
Ansara says the team has been working on being more aggressive at the plate and trying to get more runs. Getting hits isn’t the issue, he says, it’s getting the runner home.
“There are a few returning veterans that are about to break out and a lot of young, talented guys that are going to benefit a lot from getting experience. We’re working towards having a really strong team going into the playoffs. That’s our goal - win as many games as we can while getting everyone’s skill levels up and making sure they’re comfortable in their positions.”
The Wildcats generally play two games and get one practice in a week - weather pending. Once the team is able to get into a routine, Ansara firmly believes the wins will start coming.
