All has not been lost concerning high school baseball in northwest Georgia over what was supposed to be the first two weeks of the season.
While dozens of games and hundreds of practices have been washed and/or snowed away, at least something good has come out the strangest start to a prep season in recent memory.
"It's been wild, but this might help us get the start of the season pushed back to March 1 like it used to be," said Ridgeland coach Scott Harden, who leads one of several programs yet to play a game. "If we did that we can have more games with Tennessee teams, which would make scheduling easier and it would be great for the fans, too."
That, however, is about the only good news as area coaches try to keep players sharp as the opportunity to play nonregion games shrinks by the day. While most of the games are being rescheduled, many will have to be shoehorned into already crowded weeks. Coaches are seeking creative avenues to get games in.
"I just want to play a game," sighed Gordon Lee's Mike Dunfee, who has had the season's first five games postponed. "We will play at Ringgold tomorrow, hopefully, and Saturday we'll play Sonoraville at home if the field is playable. If not, we're going to McEachern to play around 4. It's enough to drive you crazy because you practiced for four weeks and had a scrimmage and were ready for the season. We're definitely stir crazy."
Dunfee, whose team has eight games scheduled in the next 11 days, is even checking on playing some of the games at the new Lakepoint Sports Complex just north of Atlanta, which would, of course, cost money and create more travel time. However, Dunfee says having a complete season is the first priority.
"Lakeside is pretty booked on weekends with colleges, but we've got to do something to get games in, so we might do some weekday games there," he said. "You hate it because you don't want to shortchange these kids out of games. It feels like they're getting cheated out of their season."
Ringgold managed to get in four games last weekend in the Atlanta area, but a lack of practice time was evident to coach Brent Tucker. Heavy bullpen and batting-cage sessions have kept the players busy, but they can only do so much.
"We've done every drill and been as creative as we can, but yesterday was the first day we were able to get a full practice in outdoors in three weeks," Tucker said Thursday. "The game speed is so different. I see teams in south Georgia have played eight and nine games -- it must be nice. We start region play next week, and some teams have already started, so it's tough on teams around here."
Ringgold has scheduled games today with Gordon Lee and Heritage, and Tucker said they will be played if at all possible, if for no other reason than to restore some normalcy.
"We're going to play tomorrow, even though we have bad conditions in the outfield," he said. "I think, for coaches and players alike, if we have to spend one more day indoors we're going to lose our minds."
Ridgeland also plans to get its first action with a home game against Coahulla Creek set for Saturday. The Panthers, who have tried to stay sharp with indoor work, almost went another route.
"We were almost serious about getting a whiffle ball game with LFO just to get some competition," Harden said with a laugh. "It's kept us on our toes trying to keep sharp. We're probably going to play a bunch of doubleheaders to catch up, but most of us are in the same situation."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.