Count Cathedral baseball coach Bob Karn among the (many) local coaches who are eager to see the weather catch up to the calendar and turn to spring.

"Year in and year out we think we are going to be outside by April 4th or 5th every year, at least to practice or play some catch," Karn said. "(The snow) is setting us back at least two weeks or more and at the MAC they have already canceled all games there until at least April 17th because of the amount of snow."

Karn says there are a number of challenges that come along with an extended spring, including not getting a look at new players outdoors in game situations.

"You have a limited evaluation or understanding of a player," Karn said. "Once we move outside, players show you more aspects of the skills that they have.

"We can pitch in the gym, we can use the batting cages but all of those things provide just a limited evaluation."

The Crusaders are looking for a bounce-back season in 2023. Karn says that their pitching and defense should be strengths of his team.

"I think our pitching projects to be a good pitching staff and I think we will defend well," Karn said. "I think we are an average team when it comes to running speed, but it is not speed that determines a good runner- it's the ability to anticipate and intuitively understand what to do... and you can only see that in games."

175 Years of Benton County History

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