Fighting Off the Cold

By Nick Parnell

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

Nick Parnell is a senior lefthander at Pitt who will contribute a journal to CollegeBaseballInsider.com this season. He has made three appearances this season for the Panthers.

Generally, heading to South Carolina is nice break from the frozen tundra that is Pittsburgh.

However, Mother Nature was feeling quite brisk this weekend, and we had to deal with less-than-ideal baseball conditions. We can’t complain too much though: We got all three of our games in this weekend, and nobody slipped on the sheet of ice that is commonly referred to as the right-field warning track.

Playing in the cold is tougher on the body than playing when it is sunny and 80 degrees.

As a left-handed specialist, I was well aware all weekend who my possible adversaries in the lineup were and when they would be heading to the dish. With that information, during two innings prior to when I thought I might be going in, I spent those 30 or so minutes slapping the top of the fence over and over to try to regain some feeling in my numb hands. By the time I had thrown about 10 pitches in the bullpen, I finally had full feeling in all five of my fingers.

Playing in wet and cold South Carolina was not just tough on the pitchers. Watching our outfielders track down balls on Sunday, after a rainy Saturday night, was quite a show. It was like they were running down a Slip-N-Slide with water splashing in all directions every time they took a step. It’s very important that they continue to make plays and get to every ball that is hit in the outfield, but the chance of injury increases drastically when playing in a marshland.

Luckily for us, everyone made it out without any injuries. While it would have been nice to be back in sunny Florida again, pretty much anything is a wonderful break from Pittsburgh in February.

Looking at the forecast, this upcoming weekend should hopefully be drier, but it will still be chilly. This trip is one I have been circling on the calendar since the schedule came out because I get to go back to my hometown of Richmond, Va. We have a three-game series with VCU, and I look forward to telling you all about it next week! Stay warm, and, as always, Hail to Pitt!

(photo courtesy of Pitt Athletic Media Relations)