By Staff
COLON - I don't know if this warm stretch of weather is going to last very long, but it sure was enjoyable Tuesday afternoon.
I headed over to the "Magic Capitol of the World" to check out the Cassopolis baseball and softball teams.
Not only was I interested in getting out and covering sports for the first time in a couple of weeks, I was also looking forward to seeing former Dowagiac coach Randy Brooks in his Ranger debut.
While the softball game wasn't spectacular, it was exciting and it was fun to watch.
Neither team had gotten much time outside to work on their game due to weather conditions, so it was tough to tell just how good they might be after a few weeks.
But I can tell you this, Cassopolis will be a much improved softball team from previous seasons.
The Lady Rangers look like they are going to be a good hitting team.
It is hard to tell how well they will play defense based on one game which followed just two days of being outside for practice.
The key to this season for the Lady Rangers will be pitching.
If Brooks and his staff can develop a couple of hurlers over the course of the year, then Cassopolis could have a chance to surprise some people in late May and during the post season.
What was nice to see was the excitement displayed by the girls as they warmed up on Tuesday and then took the field.
They had plenty of questions for the coaching staff throughout the game and seemed genuinely interested in learning how to be better softball players.
I had to laugh at seeing how nervous Brooks was as he prepared for his first season opener away from Dowagiac in 19 years.
Brooks tried to shake off the pre-game jitters, but you could tell he didn't know what to expect from his squad.
What he learned on Tuesday in Colon he will transfer to his girls today in practice and again on Thursday when Cassopolis hosts Centreville in its home opener.
I know one of the things he learned is that his team is willing to do what it takes to win at softball.
Going extra innings and having a freshman deliver the game-winning triple with two outs will go a long way in teaching this team what it takes to be a winner.
If you get a chance on Thursday, head on over to Cassopolis and check out the Lady Rangers and Lady Bulldogs.
It will be worth the trip.