Cyclones hit the gym for 1st day of baseball practice

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Believe it or not, Monday marked the first day of spring sports practice for area high schools.

Among the teams starting workouts is the Watertown baseball team.

Coach Riley Moonan and his assistants are putting this year’s edition of the Cyclones through their paces inside the Case Middle School gym.

Indoor practices will be the norm until the diamond dries out. It’s always a waiting game this time of the year before being able to head outside.

Patience is the key.

“It’s a difficult thing we have to overcome, but we have this beautiful cage that we bring down here in the Case gym,” Moonan said, “so that helps us out a lot.

“If it’s decent out, I’ll take the outfielders outside on the asphalt and we’ll utilize that, but it’s not just us going through this. Every team up here has the some issues, so, it’s t something that we just have to work through. I tell them that all the time.

“I know its boring, buy you’ve got to be pretty consistent with what we do. Can’t get lazy in here. Eventually when we are out there in the spring it will show if you got lazy in the gym. You know, we try to keep it loose in here, keep kids entertained and involved, do a couple of different things.

“A couple of fun drills at the end of practice, whether it’s a bunting drill or a hitting drill, if we hit to the opposite field, or pull the ball whenever we are in the safe.”

Monday’s local scores

Men’s college lacrosse

Utica 14, SUNY Canton 8

Women’s college lacrosse

Clarkson 18, Western New England 15

College baseball

Mount St. Joseph 13, SUNY Canton 7

College softball

Curry 11, SUNY Canton 6

Keene State 15, SUNY Canton 0

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