So, there I was Sunday afternoon, trying to decide what topic to discuss for this week’s column — that the start of baseball league play was scheduled to begin in the 4A and 3A Greater St. Helens Leagues, or that The Columbian’s spring preview series would begin this week — when I looked out the window and noticed … it was snowing.
It didn’t stick, nor did it last long, but the fact that it was snowing at all on March 18, two days short of the official start of spring, was enough to make me forget that I was writing about spring sports.
Ah, but that’s what kind of spring season it’s been so far, filled with more frustration than fastballs for baseball and softball players.
Hudson’s Bay baseball Ben McGrew learned that knowing how to interpret Doppler radar was as valuable a skill for a high school baseball coach to have as being able to teach proper pitching or hitting form.
While trying to decide whether or not to postpone a game against Mark Morris early Thursday afternoon, McGrew went to his computer and took a look at the local radar.
It didn’t look good, so the game was scrubbed.
Three hours later, with nary a raindrop in sight, McGrew was lamenting that decision on Twitter.
Well, I’m no meteorologist. But weather.com says there’s a chance of showers Monday, then rain, rain and rain the rest of the week.
So I’d like to tell you about how the 4A GSHL is scheduled to open league play Tuesday with Union playing at Evergreen and Skyview at Heritage. Or that the Trico League has four league doubleheaders scheduled on Tuesday.
Or that in the 3A GSHL, Camas is scheduled to face Hudson’s Bay in its league opener on Tuesday or that Columbia River is scheduled to face Kelso on Wednesday.
But I’m not entirely sure any of those games will get played as scheduled.
The 4A GSHL is scheduled to play three rounds of league games this week. I don’t know if they’ll get in any of those games. The 3A GSHL was hoping to get in two rounds.
Instead, I’m going to talk about events I know — or at least am pretty sure — will get played as scheduled.
Camas will face Mountain View at 7 p.m. Monday at McKenzie Stadium in a matchup of two teams that hope to contend for the 3A GSHL title in boys soccer.
The 4A GSHL opened league matches in boys soccer last week. The two teams that opened with league wins — Evergreen and Skyview — will meet Friday with a 5 p.m. match at Kiggins Bowl.
On Saturday, Battle Ground will host the Tiger Invitational track and field meet. Ten of the 11 Clark County programs from the 4A and 3A GSHL are scheduled to appear along with Hockinson, Woodland, Ridgefield, Vancouver Christian and King’s Way Christian among others.
So if you want to get outside and watch some spring sports action, those are events you can count on being competed as scheduled.
Whether or not you get soaked while watch those events … well, we make no guarantees.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached at (360) 735-4538 or tim.martinez@columbian.com.
