Rainouts put Annandale on double-time schedule

Annandale baseball coach Ron Starke joked that his team was embarking on a "Minnesota Twins" schedule starting this week.

Sorry, Ron, but you're underselling it. The Twins just had three off days in an eight-day stretch. Annandale doesn't expect to have such a luxury in the next couple of weeks.

Because of horrendous spring weather, the Cardinals entered this week having played only four games all season. Starting Monday and ending May 20, they were set to embark -- weather permitting -- on a stretch of 15 games in 16 days. That includes two Sundays, meaning Annandale had on its schedule more games than playable days (with three doubleheaders and two real "off" days in the mix).

Teams in all sports have been greatly affected. But a glance at other metro baseball teams that typically had played at least seven or eight games heading into the week shows Annandale has been among the hardest hit.

It's left Starke and his players frustrated over cancellations, elated when they do get to take the field and, frankly, curious to see just how good they are even though the section playoffs start in only 2 1/2 weeks.

Rainouts haven't just washed away games -- they've wiped out practices. And with only two open days until the end of the season, there will be little time to work on the little things.

"There are so many fundamentals you'd like to work on," Starke said. "Right now, you're just trying to tread water. You hope to find time to correct things, but you have a practice and then it rains."

Starke pointed to sloppy play in Monday's 14-6 victory over Dassel-Cokato as an example. Annandale players hadn't been on the field since Thursday. Still, it felt good to play Game 5 of their season.

"You get so fired up for a game, and then we wait a week because of rainouts," Starke said. "It was so fun [Monday] just to be outside on the green grass. The kids were so excited."

Assuming the weather improves, the lack of practice dates won't be the only issue for Annandale (4-2). Pitching becomes thin with games practically every day. When asked how his team will navigate its mound issues, Starke said, "We don't know." He predicted plenty of runs will be scored as teams are forced to use inexperienced pitchers.

If more games are washed out in the next couple of weeks, Annandale might not be able to play all its conference games in the Wright County. Conference athletic directors -- Starke pulls double duty at Annandale as the AD there -- are scheduled to meet today to figure out how champions will be determined in the event of a truncated schedule.

"It's been an interesting spring," Starke said. "All the veteran ADs say they haven't seen anything like it in quite a while."

Fittingly, as Starke spoke early Tuesday afternoon, he reported rain clouds had started moving into Annandale. Starke monitored the radar all day; while other metro teams canceled games, the Cardinals played through and defeated Litchfield 10-4.

Etc.

• Weather permitting, metro boys' tennis enthusiasts will be treated to perhaps the best regular-season match of the season today when Edina plays host to Mounds View at 4 p.m. Edina is rated No. 1 in the Star Tribune's metro poll, while Mounds View is No. 2. Mounds View boasts the No. 1-rated metro player in Wyatt McCoy; Edina's Hamish Weerasinghe is No. 4.

• Steve Rohloff recently resigned as coach of the Montevideo boys' basketball team.