Rain, snow, wind go away so schools can play baseball

Rain, snow, wind, go away so that the schools can play, with the emphasis on the three-school race in District 2-4A baseball having St. Michael’s and Taos trying to get in back-to-back doubleheaders

Inclement weather sneaks in to affect all five spring sports, could set back NMAA state tournament selections   

By Arnie Leshin | April 29, 2017

Snow good, not now, not when it’s almost May, not when it’s a month from the first day of summer, not when the high school teams need to conclude their regular seasons so that the state tournament selections can be made.

Of the five spring sports, baseball, tennis and A-3A track and field are affected the most by this sudden change in the weather that went from sunny skies on Wednesday to nasty Thursday and Friday, with rain, snow showers and wind putting a damper on outside activities.

Baseball yesterday? No way, it was instead athletic directors going back and forth trying to put together doubleheaders that could put a damper on the New Mexico Activities Association’s 3A-6A state tournament selections scheduled for Sunday.

Most important, District 2-4A took a big hit on Thursday with St. Michael’s, Taos and West Las Vegas vying for first place and a berth in the state tournament that makes its first pitch with the 3A first round single elimination on May 3, and 4A, 5A, 6A following on May 5-6 in their best-of-three series. The state championships are set for May 10-13.

WLV has already completed is regular season at 6-5-1 in district and 12-9 overall, so it was focused on the St. Michael’s at Taos that was to be played Thursday. But it was not a day for baseball, it was long hours spent with St. Michael’s athletic director Tom Manning and Taos AD Nicki McCarty on the phone seeking a solution.

Depending on the weather, McCarty was hoping to play the scheduled 11 a.m.-1 p.m. doubleheader today, and if her Anaya Field wasn’t playable, she would try to move the games to Espanola Valley’s diamond.

But all of this is depending on the weather, which doesn’t look good for Friday, which means there could be more panic as the Horsemen are also scheduled for a Saturday doubleheader at home against Las Vegas Robertson, and the Tigers have a DH lined up at Pojoaque Valley. But at this time, the weather forecast doesn’t sound good.

The NMAA has been following the situation. It would be unprecedented to re-schedule the selections for Monday, even Tuesday, but it could happen if the inclement weather continues. Most important, the NMAA says the regular-season must be finished before it makes its selections.

Tennis, too, makes its state tournament seeding/bracket selections on Sunday, with its state championships to be contested May 3-6. There were matches scheduled for today, but not much hope of playing them.

In 2-6A, Santa Fe High is the host, in 2-5A, it’s Capital, in 2/3 1A-4A, it’s to be played at Robertson, with St. Michael’s, Desert Academy, West Las Vegas, Santa Fe Prep joining the Cardinals.

All three are slated to continue on Saturday morning. Again, only the weather conditions can decide this, and only St. Michael’s figures to advance to state.

In softball, it matters only for the schools that are still in play for the state tournament. Santa Fe High, Capital, St. Michael’s and Santa Fe Indian School are not, that is unless one can grab a low seed in what is now a 12-school field instead of the usual 16.

Those bracket/seeding selections will be made on May 7, with the state championships to be played May 10-13.

Track and field has its A-3A districts scheduled for Saturday morning. In 3-3A, it is Desert Academy and Academy of Technology and The Classic

At Pecos, In 2-3A, it is Santa Fe Prep, Espanola McCurdy in the field. There’s also an invitational the same day at Indian School, with Capital, St. Michael’s, Espanola, and Robertson joining the Braves in a slated 9 a.m. start. Here, too, weather permitting.

For the 4A-6A schools in track and field, the districts are next weekend, with the state championships following one week after A-3A is run.

Golf has its state championships at three sites in A-4A, 5A and 6A, and will be played May 8-9. The individual and team selections are made prior to this.

All five springs sports have sponsors that headline the event.

In baseball, it is US Bank, in softball, it is Melloy Nissen, in tennis, it is Casa Del Rio, in golf, Furr’s Buffets, and in track and field, it is Sonic Drive-In.

Most important, rain, snow, wind, go away so these schools can play.