Rain, rain, go away…

It’s a timeless phrase that all of us have uttered numerous times in our lifetimes. But to local baseball coaching, it can be a logistics obstacle.

In the last two months, the long period of rainy days have already shifted schedules to the point where some teams will play as many as four or five games in a week, scurrying to play that allotment of 20-22 games this season.

Heading into this week’s play, Northampton’s baseball team has postponed eight games. Head coach Mick Sugra knows it hasn’t been an ideal situation.

“It’s been awful,” stressed Sugra, who has coached the Konkrete Kids since 2011. “It’s been hard to keep track of the days. I don’t remember having eight postponements in an entire season.

“It’s a nightmare. Now we’ll have four games in two separate weeks. These situations can really hurt teams that don’t have enough pitching.”

Whitehall head baseball coach Eric Schmitt has a positive spin on the situation.

“I believe dealing with the weather has helped us build morale,” he said. “It was our common enemy. The Freedom game was a real turning point. Those were the worst conditions I ever endured on a baseball field.

“We could have easily thrown in the towel, but we battled to the last out.”

Catasauqua head baseball coach Steve Bradley didn’t see the rain as a deterrent.

“We only lost one game,” he said. “We have played in bad weather, but weather isn’t a factor to why we are 0-8.”

Whitehall softball coach Jeff Vivian has tried to create a positive outlook with Mother Nature.

“The rain has been tough in a couple different ways,” he reflected. “First, coming back from Myrtle where is was 75 and sunny to here where it was 40 and rainy, about eight players ended up with the flu or had flu-like symptoms. So, we weren’t really at 100-percent when we started.

“Second, it gave us some time off, which I think broke the rhythm of some of the younger players. That was evident in the restart; we were off with our timing when it came to hitting. Additionally, we as a staff had to find ways to keep practice from getting stale. It’s tough to practice this sport indoors, so we were in the weight room or on the turf, trying to find some love of the game activities to keep the sport together.”

Now, Vivian is looking for his team to adapt.

“It is really a challenge for the staff to keep everyone’s production up, while keeping things lively,” he added. “Now, we are striving for that rhythm, but not having the practice time with four or five games a week to catch up.

“So, all around, it’s been a challenge and that doesn’t factor the games we played when it was frigid with a driving wind. We are looking forward to some warmer weather and consistent game days.”