KWU Athletics takes on the Cold

By Beau Grant / Co-Sports Editor

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The spring season of athletics approaches at Kansas Wesleyan University. The teams that are getting ready to go are finding ways to adjust to frigid temperatures hitting Salina in January.

This has been one of the worst winters that Salina has ever seen with several inches of snow and temperature highs in the negatives. This might go without saying but, sports that are played outside like baseball, softball, and track and field cannot be practiced on their natural fields because of these conditions.

These teams have found different ways to keep their teams in shape and ready to go for their upcoming seasons. “There have been some tough days, we’ve had some outside practices where it has been barely hot enough to go out,” said Kansas Wesleyan baseball player Thalen Wright.

When the temperatures have been at their worst, the baseball and softball teams have been using local facilities like the Yard and The Salina Fieldhouse.

“I’m from El Paso, Texas where it is always sunny, we can practice baseball year-round, so it’s been a hard adjustment for me in Salina,” said baseball player Nick Fierro.

The Yard is in downtown Salina and is a good place to get work done that doesn’t require a lot of room, like hitting in a cage or throwing short distances. The baseball and softball teams are fortunate enough to have a deal with the yard, so no players must pay out of their pocket to use the facilities.

The Salina Fieldhouse is also in downtown Salina just south of the yard. It is a place that can be used for basketball, football, and of course baseball. This is where the baseball team has been hosting their team practices ever since they got back on campus in early January. The Fieldhouse has a large turf area that can be used for team defense and throwing longer distances.

The track team has also been finding different ways to get ready for their season, they have been utilizing the treadmills in the weight room to get their running in, which is not a perfect substitution, but is better than nothing given the circumstances. The throwers have been lifting hard, and working on their explosive movements so their bodies will be ready when the season comes around.

The first pitch of the baseball season will be thrown in Dallas, Texas, this Saturday when the Coyotes travel to take on ranked opponent Texas Wesleyan. A link to the full schedule can be found here: 2024 Baseball Schedule – Kansas Wesleyan University (kwucoyotes.com)