Eskymo Baseball Weekend Cancelled By Weather
ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School baseball team will have a solid mixture of upperclassmen and newcomers in the 2016 season. But thanks to Mother Nature, it will be a while before the guys play a game. The Eskymos were scheduled to play in a tournament at Appleton, Wis., this weekend. And while Appleton North High School (pictured above) escaped the two batches of snow that hit Delta County this week, predicted high temperatures in the 30's forced the cancellation of this weekend's games. The Eskymos have been practicing inside the Hannahville turf room in Wells in preparation for the season, whenever it starts. "We're gonna have four seniors back, and three juniors," Escanaba Coach Kirk Schwalbach said. "Also, four sophomores and four freshmen. So, we're gonna be young. There will be some time for kids to learn, and get them where they need to be by the end of the year, hopefully." As with all spring sports teams, this foul weather has made it tough for the Eskymos to get ready for the season. Practicing indoors is no substitute for a real baseball field. "It's hard because you want to get outside and work on situational stuff in preparation for your first games," Schwalbach said. "And in springtime, there are so many distractions, with Spring Break and senior basketball cops games." "To get out on the field is huge, but obviously, we can't yet," Schwalbach continued. "You can only do so much in the Turf, or in the gym. Thank God we have the Turf room, because there are some things that we can do." Escanaba finished 16-8-1 in 2015, with one of the toughest schedules in Division Two. The Eskymos lost to Petoskey in the district semininals. This year's districts are scheduled for Sault Ste. Marie. Seniors Logan Lamb, Jack Valentine, Brandon Punzel, and Hunter LaMarch will lead the Eskymos in the experience department this season. Amongst the returning underclassmen with baseball experience are Parker LaMarch, C.J. Barron, Justin Popelka, and Johnny Schlenvogt. Coaches Tony Punzel and Kyle VanDrese return. Schwalbach says that despite the current weather, his team will be competitive. "You do what you can and work with what you've got," Schwalbach said. "The kids will get there by the end of the year. We'll be fine." The Eskymo 2016 roster:
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