Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Baseball Practice Update: February 5
2/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 5, 2010
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The collegiate baseball season is still two weeks away, but the Wake Forest baseball team has already battled a formidable foe: Mother Nature.
Due to snow last weekend and rain early in the week, the Demon Deacons have only been able to practice twice outdoors since the start of spring practice on Friday, January 29. Wake Forest, however, has continued preparations for the 2010 season, spending time in both the team's new indoor hitting facility and at Proehlific Park, an indoor facility in Greensboro owned by former Demon Deacon football player, Ricky Proehl.
"It's been great for us to have the indoor facility to use," head coach Tom Walter said. "I know they haven't had that in the past and it's made a big difference in our program because we haven't missed any practice days. Even when the weather has been rainy or on the few days it's been snowy, we were able to get inside and get our work done.
"We've also gone over to Ricky Proehl's place in Greensboro," Walter continued. "They have 80 yards of football turf so we've done a lot of ground ball work, some bunt defense, some pickoffs, some of the things we would normally do on an infield diamond, we've been doing over there."
Even though the weather has not been ideal, Walter and his staff have been happy with what they have seen from the team through a week of practice.
"We're pretty pleased for the most part," Walter said. "Our guys did a good job over winter break. We sent each of them home with a calendar with a laundry list of items that they needed to do. I think, to a man, most guys did what they should have done."
The team had its second outdoor practice of the spring on Thursday after coaches and maintenance crews worked to remove the snow from the field at Wake Forest Baseball Park. Wake Forest will move back indoors on Friday due to anticipated wintry weather in the Winston-Salem area.
Wake Forest is scheduled to practice 11 more times over the next two weeks. The team practices at 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and at 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Wake Forest returns 20 letterwinners from the 2009 team, including six returning position starters. The Deacs bring back 13 pitchers from the '09 team. Wake also features 10 newcomers on the roster. The Demon Deacons finished the 2009 year with a 22-30 overall record.
Wake Forest opens the 2010 season on Friday, February 19, at 4 p.m. (ET) against 2009 NCAA Tournament team, Army. The Deacs play a split doubleheader on Saturday, hosting Dayton at 12 p.m. (ET) and Army at 4 p.m. (ET). The opening weekend wraps up on Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest against Dayton.
