Berea, Ohio - Okay, so the Wildcats and their coaches had to shovel some snow around home plate and down the first-base line.
And yes, some snow from earlier in the week still rested in fair territory just over the foul line in the shaded area of right field and in front of the backstop behind home plate.
Nothing, however, was going to dampen the spirits of the Varsity Wildcats and their scrimmage opponent, the Lake Catholic Cougars, as both baseball programs were just happy to be outside late Saturday morning and early afternoon competing against someone other than their teammates.
Of course it didn't hurt that Mother Nature, after wiping out Saint Ignatius' first two scheduled tune-ups, allowed a bright sun and a blue sky to offset temperatures that were estimated to be in the high 30s.
"The kids said it well, they got more comfortable as the day went on," said Saint Ignatius' highly successful Head Coach Brad Ganor, who will lead his Wildcats against defending Division I State Champion Massillon Jackson in the season opener on Tuesday at 5 PM in the Polar Bears' impressive baseball facility. "I am glad that we got a scrimmage in before we played a real game. Coming out of the gym onto the field to play games is always hard to do."
While the score wasn't being officially kept, Saint Ignatius won the offensive battle and, as veteran Assistant Coach Mark Terlep emphasized, received a strong game defensively from its infield.
One of those defensive highlights was a smooth 6-4-3 double play that was keyed by sophomore shortstop Michael McNamara and junior second baseman A.J. Gaich.
McNamara definitely brings a maturity beyond his years to the diamond and Gaich is a solid all-around performer who plays the game the right way, my friends. A.J. left a lasting impression on this seasoned reporter.
Later in the scrimmage, McNamara and Gaich displayed their versatility by switching positions and not missing a beat.
"Our pitchers did a good job for the first time throwing outdoors," Coach Ganor said. "We have some guys who have pretty good stuff."
The Wildcats and the Cougars of Lake Catholic worked on situational execution throughout the scrimmage. There is nothing like working on your game against the Cougars' Hall of Fame Head Coach Dennis Woods. Woods, now in his 50th season coaching baseball, has more than 700 career victories. Coach Woods guided the Glenville Tarblooders to a state final four appearance in 1973.
Among some of Saint Ignatius' other highlights were a nice rundown by junior third baseman and Nebraska recruit Michael Holdsworth, an effort that drew a "Way to go Holdsy" from Coach Terlep, some heads-up base running from junior Luke Cooper, who scored from third on a ball that bounced just a few feet away from the catcher, and a big inning offensively that saw Cooper come up with a double, Gaich lay down a prefect bunt that resulted in a base hit, McNamara draw a bases-loaded walk and Holdsworth drive the ball to right-center field.
Also swinging their bats with authority were senior Jordan Asimes and junior Leo Eyink.
BEARING DOWN: The Polar Bears of Jackson have won 59 of their last 62 games. After Tuesday' trip to Jackson, Saint Ignatius will host the Mayfield Wildcats on Wednesday and the North Royalton Bears on Thursday. Both of those 5 PM first pitches will take place on Fisher Field at Baldwin Wallace University.
Saint Ignatius and North Royalton met in back-to-back District showdowns in 2014 and 2015. North Royalton prevailed in 2014 and went on to finish as the state runner-up to Massillon Jackson. The 'Cats came out on top in a 2015 District Semifinal en route to a trip to the state final four.
DIFFERENT PATHS: If Saint Ignatius and St. Edward meet in OHSAA postseason play this spring it won't be in the Strongsville District. The Eagles are bound for the Lorain District this year. An annual regular-season matchup between the West Side rivals is slated for April 17th at Baldwin Wallace University.
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend and we will see you at Massillon Jackson on Tuesday.