Monday morning brought about mixed feelings for many high school baseball and softball players across the state.

While many were hoping the snow storm would lead to school being cancelled, they were conflicted by the reality that no school would mean they would have to wait one more day to start their spring sports season.

Athletes at Messalonskee and Oak Hill high schools were among those who went on with business as usual despite the snow. That meant their pitchers and catchers were able to report for the unofficial beginning of the season. Full squads, and athletes in lacrosse and track and field, officially start practice next Monday.

Messalonskee’s Kirsten Pelletier and Taylor Easler have been playing pitch and catch since middle school and were the battery that led Messalonskee to the Class A state softball title last June. Even though Easler spent the winter playing basketball for the Eagles while Pelletier was working on expanding her pitching repertoire two to three times a week, neither was worried about reestablishing their chemistry.

“It’s like riding a bicycle,” Easler said. “It doesn’t take much to get back into it.”

“They’re more like sisters than players,” Messalonskee coach Leo Bouchard added. “It won’t take long.”

Oak Hill’s baseball team has only a limited time to create something close to a similar bond among its pitchers and catchers. Jake Bannister, a four-year starter behind the plate and occasional pitcher, graduated last spring. Coach Matthew Bray will be watching his catchers as much as his pitching staff, which senior ace Jonah Martin leads.

“It’s for kids to come out and condition their arm before the season so we don’t have any injuries,” Martin said. “It’s mostly just getting everything stretched out for the season and not trying to do too much.”

“It lets us get a good look at the kids coming out, see who’s got what,” senior Adam Mooney said.

This year, coaches can also get a little bit of a head start on evaluating their pitching and catching talent thanks to a rule change by the Maine Principals’ Association. In years past, teams were limited to having 10 players (eight pitchers and two catchers for baseball, any combination for softball) work out the first week. Those restrictions were lifted so there is no longer a limit to how many players can participate. But practice activities are limited to pitching drills.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Bray said. “We’re a small program, but we’re still big enough that I don’t get a ton of time working with the freshmen and sophomores. This gives me a chance to see these guys for a full week and work with them on things we do at the high school level that they don’t do at the middle school level.”

Oak Hill had 20 players at its afternoon workout, which started in the gym before moving outside, long after the snowfall had ceased.

Bouchard had eight players at Messalonskee’s practice, about the same number that he’s had in recent years.

“Everybody in the gym is either a pitcher or a catcher,” Bouchard said.

“This is going to give those girls that don’t have an opportunity to throw inside that opportunity,” he added. “It at least gives them that extra week of breaking in, getting throwing and getting stuff down before the season starts.”

Many Maine high school pitchers report to the first practice already in good throwing condition thanks to the availability of indoor practice facilities that didn’t exist or were just getting started when their fathers and mothers played.

“It’s good to be able to work on stuff and keep your arm strong,” Pelletier said. “I feel like I’m ready (for the season to start).”

“That’s made a big difference,” Bray said. “I think Maine baseball is still tough, though. We still have to have more of an effort to get people involved in summer baseball, to be involved in fall baseball if they’re not playing (fall) sports. As we’ve seen numbers decline, it’s a way to keep kids playing year-round and keep them interested.”

Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638

rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @RAWmaterial33

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