Local baseball is in the air
It's officially spring/summer in Laramie for me because local baseball is under way. I say spring/summer because ... well, it's Laramie and it is always a little of both.
The Laramie Rangers opened their home season on a nice note, defeating Gering, Neb., 4-2 and 10-5 on Wednesday. I left Cowboy Field at about 9:30 p.m. beginning my 21st season in covering the Rangers.
My first game covering Laramie Rangers baseball was in 1987 and Dennis Diehl was the manager. Being a relative newcomer to Laramie and not knowing Diehl, let's just say that first summer was an interesting experience. It's been quite a ride since then.
But 22 years later, even though I'm not with the Boomerang, I'm still at Cowboy Field asking youngsters some of the same questions that I probably have asked throughout the years. Knock on wood, one of these days, I'll ask the same question to a Ranger that I asked to his father, a former Ranger.
You'll see a couple of different names this summer on Wyoming Sports.org in the Rangers coverage, as I have taken on a couple of college interns. But I'll be around as much as possible because, let's face it, I can't stay away from the ballpark.
I'm looking forward to an interesting season for the Rangers, who have opened with a nice 6-1 start. It was disappointing to hear that three likely starters decided not to play baseball this season. All three would have been a big part of the lineup. Actually, it isn't really all that surprising because it happens time and again. It's too bad, but that's the way it goes.
Regardless, it's now a chance for three other players to step in and make their mark. So far, things have gone well as Laramie went 4-1 in the season-opening tournament at Gillette, with the lone loss an 8-5 defeat to the defending state champs.
Laramie will stay home for a doubleheader on Saturday (noon) against Douglas. Next week, the Rangers will get a re-match with the Roughriders, hosting Gillette on Friday.
Of course, there's plenty of action at Cowboy Stadium as the Laramie Colts begin their fifth year in the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. Actually, I should say the defending league champion Laramie Colts. It will be interesting to see if the league is once again a Laramie -fort Collins battle. The two programs have two titles each.
The Colts open the season on Friday at Cheyenne before hosting Greeley Sunday at 6:35 p.m. For more on the Colts, listen to Sportsline Live (KOWB, 1290 AM, KCGY, 95.1 FM) Friday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. when David Settle and yours truly talk to manager Ryan Goodwin and players Josh Warren and Daniel Eichelberger.
Warren is a Laramie native and former Ranger. Let's see, how many years have I covered Josh in his athletic achievements, going back to his youth gymnastics days?
I think I'm just going to stop counting these things. I'm getting more gray on my beard as I sit here and think about it.
The Laramie Rangers opened their home season on a nice note, defeating Gering, Neb., 4-2 and 10-5 on Wednesday. I left Cowboy Field at about 9:30 p.m. beginning my 21st season in covering the Rangers.
My first game covering Laramie Rangers baseball was in 1987 and Dennis Diehl was the manager. Being a relative newcomer to Laramie and not knowing Diehl, let's just say that first summer was an interesting experience. It's been quite a ride since then.
But 22 years later, even though I'm not with the Boomerang, I'm still at Cowboy Field asking youngsters some of the same questions that I probably have asked throughout the years. Knock on wood, one of these days, I'll ask the same question to a Ranger that I asked to his father, a former Ranger.
You'll see a couple of different names this summer on Wyoming Sports.org in the Rangers coverage, as I have taken on a couple of college interns. But I'll be around as much as possible because, let's face it, I can't stay away from the ballpark.
I'm looking forward to an interesting season for the Rangers, who have opened with a nice 6-1 start. It was disappointing to hear that three likely starters decided not to play baseball this season. All three would have been a big part of the lineup. Actually, it isn't really all that surprising because it happens time and again. It's too bad, but that's the way it goes.
Regardless, it's now a chance for three other players to step in and make their mark. So far, things have gone well as Laramie went 4-1 in the season-opening tournament at Gillette, with the lone loss an 8-5 defeat to the defending state champs.
Laramie will stay home for a doubleheader on Saturday (noon) against Douglas. Next week, the Rangers will get a re-match with the Roughriders, hosting Gillette on Friday.
Of course, there's plenty of action at Cowboy Stadium as the Laramie Colts begin their fifth year in the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. Actually, I should say the defending league champion Laramie Colts. It will be interesting to see if the league is once again a Laramie -fort Collins battle. The two programs have two titles each.
The Colts open the season on Friday at Cheyenne before hosting Greeley Sunday at 6:35 p.m. For more on the Colts, listen to Sportsline Live (KOWB, 1290 AM, KCGY, 95.1 FM) Friday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. when David Settle and yours truly talk to manager Ryan Goodwin and players Josh Warren and Daniel Eichelberger.
Warren is a Laramie native and former Ranger. Let's see, how many years have I covered Josh in his athletic achievements, going back to his youth gymnastics days?
I think I'm just going to stop counting these things. I'm getting more gray on my beard as I sit here and think about it.
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