By David Gibb
The Hofstra baseball season is a mere 20 days old, but the team has already failed to take the field for fifty-percent of their games. In addition to suffering a six-game losing streak to begin the season, the Pride has also been dogged by inclement weather. Conditions have already led to the cancellation of five scheduled home games, including this Wednesday’s would-be home opener against the Rider Broncs.
The team had its first run-in with bad weather in Raleigh, NC, after dropping both ends of a tough double-header to North Carolina State on Friday, February 27. The two teams were scheduled to play a third game on Saturday, but rain first pushed it to Sunday before eventually soaking out the contest all together.
The rain apparently followed the Pride from North Carolina to Long Island, as last weekend’s four-game, home-opening series against Dartmouth was entirely spoiled by weather.
Adding insult to meteorological injury, the game scheduled to be played against Fordham on Tuesday the tenth was canceled, but by a mere scheduling conflict, not unplayable conditions at all. The cancellations of the Fordham and Rider games guarantee the Pride a 14-day inactive streak between games.
Therein lies the potential problem: Hofstra’s inability to play a scheduled game for two weeks has put them in a precarious position entering conference play. With all-important CAA games beginning this Friday, the Pride could be at a decided disadvantage, as they have played in only six official games, while their opponent, the Seahawks of UNC Wilmington, have played 12.
Number of games played is not the only reason to fear Wilmington. As they look to open conference play against Hofstra, the Seahawks command an impressive 10-2 record (as of March 10th), a mark which leads the CAA. Also worthy of note is the fact that while the Pride have not yet opened their home schedule thanks to weather and other “conflicts,” the Seahawks have played all 12 of their games at home on Brooks Field in Wilmington. Unlike the road-weary Pride, the Seahawks face four more home games before they hit the road for the first time this season.
After the weekend in Wilmington, the Hofstra baseball team will come home and (fingers crossed) open its home schedule Wednesday the 18th at 3 P.M. against St. John’s. Following the opener, it appears the team may finally have a chance to catch a break, as they will begin a home stand lasting up through the end of March. The extended stretch of play at University Field will see teams from St. John’s, the University of Vermont, Siena College, Northeastern, and Manhattan College visiting the University.