Le Moyne College Baseball in Syracuse Weather

The Le Moyne College baseball team won against the University at Buffalo Bulls at Dick Rockwell Field in typical spring Syracuse weather.

Though it was sunny, the wind was cold and strong. A few times during the game the ball looked like a definite home run, but only got caught in the wind for an out instead.

During batting practice, Coach Steve Owens said Tuesday’s weather forced the team to practice elsewhere.

“It’s the first time since January we’ve been inside,” he said.

But Owens said he wasn’t worried about the weather for the double header Wednesday.

“I mean, this is not ideal, but it’s certainly playable.”

Playable, yes, but the slick grass caused a lot of players to slip on the field when going for the ball.

Though many were bundled up in their winter coats and scarves, there were around 200 fans at the first game, which is a lot considering the seating in the small bleachers on either side of the field. Fans sat on the hill just off the field to watch the game as well.

Bill Mahoney is the father of Le Moyne’s third baseman Ryan Mahoney and says he thinks he and his wife have attended every home game this season. When asked if they would have come to the game if it were snowing, he laughed.

“Yes. Reluctantly, but yeah, we’d be here.”

Owens says Le Moyne doesn’t even start to play home games until April and the cold weather is nothing new, especially in Upstate New York.

“Everybody in the Northeast travels for the first five or six weeks of the season anyway,” he said. “I mean, we know we’re going to be on the road during that time, so it’s just part of what you do playing college baseball in the Northeast when the season starts February 18^th.”

The second game started around 3:45 p.m. The Dolphins scored two runs in the third inning and the bulls scored one in the sixth. The final score was Le Moyne 2, UB 1.

With a 24-23 record, Le Moyne will travel to number 10 Florida State Thursday for a stretch of three games throughout the weekend. Coach Owens says it won’t be easy.

“That’ll be the best opponent that we’ve probably played in seven or eight years.”