Softball and Colorado weather do not mix well.
Colorado State’s home opening game against the University of Northern Colorado was canceled Tuesday after it started to snow during the announcement of the lineups. The teams were able to play the top half of the first inning, but the two head coaches met at the plate with the umpires in the bottom of the first and decided to delay the game. Sophomore Amber Nelson had just walked to load the bases with no outs for the Rams.
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Head coach Jen Fisher said that the game could be made up when UNC comes back up to Fort Collins on April 11 and the two teams would play a double header that day, but an official schedule is yet to be determined.
After a 20 minute weather delay the game was postponed due to poor playing conditions. In true Colorado fashion the snow stopped and the sun was back out 30 minutes after the postponed announcement, but the snow had stuck to the outfield, making it too dangerous for the teams to be out there.
All day leading up to the game it was around 40 degrees with no snow, which meets the temperature requirement of at least feels like 32 degrees for first pitch. It was poor timing for a team that has endured their fair share of weather postponements and cancelations. Last season the Rams were able to play only one conference series on the scheduled date and it was the last series of the year.
But the Rams will not let the annoyance of Mother Nature get them down as they still danced and had fun in the snow as they placed the tarp down over the field.
“They are so used to this that they just have to have fun with it,” head coach Jen Fisher said about the team’s playful attitude towards the bad weather. “We had a good warm up, good batting practice and a good first inning.”
The Rams will not have to wait long to truly open up Ram Field as they host the Colorado State Classic I this weekend March 3-5. They welcome in Idaho State, Buffalo and Penn State to the three day tournament. The Rams’ first matchup will be against Penn State on March 3 at 1:30 pm MT. The forecast calls for temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s with no real chance of precipitation, something the Rams have been waiting on for a long time.
Collegian sports reporter Austin White can be reached by email at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @ajwrules44
