With a wet spring, how are Mid-Valley teams adjusting?

It's no secret it rains a lot in the Beaver State and across the Pacific Northwest. Spring is no exception, with conditions usually worse before they get better.

Baseball, softball and tennis teams have been hit hardest with teams having to take practices indoors and make up canceled games.

South Salem head baseball coach Max Price said the team along with softball have been able to practice on the school's turf football field. He added the only time the baseball team has played on an actual ballfield this season has been four games.

"This is the worst spring we've had at least from what I can remember since 2017 in terms of actually getting onto a baseball field and practicing," Price said.

In December, South Salem's baseball field, Gilmore Field, was "destroyed" by two teens in a truck, leaving the Saxons with no home field.

Price has been able to work with hitters inside a batting cage inside the school's gym.

"The hardest part for our pitchers has been facing actual hitters," Price said. "When you're out on a baseball field and you have a pitcher throwing to live hitters, it feels very much like a baseball game."

What does the weather forecast look like for April?

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center released its newest outlook for April, with precipitation in Oregon expected to be above normal.

In parts of the state there's between a 33-40% or 40-50% probability of above normal precipitation.

As of Friday, Salem has received a total of 13.14 inches of rain since Jan. 1, compared to 12.10 inches it had this time last year. The record for this time period is 15.82 inches.

According to Salem's annual climatological report from 2022, last April was the seventh wettest on record since 1892. The total rainfall of 5.36 inches was over 2 inches above normal. The year prior, April was much drier than normal.

The latest CPC outlook shows temperatures for April leaning colder than normal or a 60-70% chance that temperatures are likely going to be below normal.

"In a way all that means is say your normal daily high temperature is 50 degrees and it turns out to be 49 for April 1, that means it's below normal," David Bishop, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told the Statesman Journal. "There is just a higher probability that day monthly temperatures are going to be below normal."

How are Salem area teams combatting the bad weather?

James Heyen, head coach of South Salem's boys tennis program, said they've had four of their seven scheduled matches postponed due to rain as of Friday. Heyen added the team has had roughly 10 practices on-court since the season started in early March.

"It means we will have to really work to fit them (matches) in later in the season," Heyen told the Statesman Journal. "Very frustrating, for certain."

When it rains, the team will typically have access to the school's gym where they will work on tennis-specific conditioning and footwork drills.

On some occasions, Heyen said he'll have the team play pickleball which he said is good for hand/eye coordination and quickness.

While some high school tennis teams in Salem play matches outdoors at two facilities — Salem Tennis and Swim Club or Illahe Hills Country Club — they generally do not have access to the indoor courts.

"There are simply too few courts to fill the demand, unfortunately," Heyen said. "STSC remains generous with hosting the district tournament, but there's no way they could accommodate all the Salem high schools with their regular season matches."

The defending 4A state champion Cascade softball team had its fourth day outside when it faced Marist Catholic on March 22, although the game was postponed an hour due to thunder.

"We take a lot of hitting reps in the cage and nets indoors," head coach Marty Jeppsen told the Statesman Journal prior to the game. "Luckily, we have the use of our auxiliary gym, so it's actually just wide enough that we could fit a full diamond in there so we could at least do infield in there. Can't do much outfield stuff, but we could at least do infield.

"We work and talk about our base running and different infield plays and techniques, fine tuning those kinds of things."

So far, the Cougars have had nonleague games against Summit and Crook County on March 28-29 and Cottage Grove on Friday canceled due to bad weather.

Kennedy head baseball coach Kevin Moffatt said he's been frustrated with the weather, adding the team had only had one practice outside as of mid-March.

The Trojans nonleague game at Bandon on Friday was canceled.

"I'm pleasantly happy where we are as opposed to not having gone outside much, but all the teams are on the same boat," Moffatt said. "If there was a surprise, our pitchers are throwing strikes considering they haven't had much mound work."

Edith Noriega is a sports reporter for the Statesman Journal. You may reach her at ENoriega@salem.gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Noriega_Edith.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: wet spring weather Mid-Valley teams Salem baseball softball