Taking a trip for tryouts, baseball

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The boys baseball team is heading to Omaha, Nebraska for baseball tryouts this spring. Baseball coach Mike Weiss said, “The trip to Omaha is a great opportunity to practice in warmer weather outside on a turf field so that we can get as much accomplished in a short amount of time as possible. We will be able to have 6 practices in 2 days. It’s going to give us a great opportunity to evaluate kids in a short amount of time. It’s very hard to evaluate kids inside for baseball.”

Stephanie Nielsen, Photographer

This season’s baseball tryouts will be held  further away from home than their usual location. Usually held at the Dome or in Florida, this year’s baseball tryouts will be held at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

 Baseball players wanting to join this year’s baseball team are heading to Omaha for tryouts held at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska over spring break. Coaches are looking for many different and specific qualities in players, and with the pleasant weather and top quality facilities, this year’s baseball tryouts give players many opportunities to display their abilities.

 Instead of tryouts being held inside in a gym, the facilities in Omaha have two outdoor turf fields. Being outside for tryouts gives players more opportunities to display their abilities and is easier for coaches to evaluate players. The facilities also give players more room and give a better example of how they would perform in a game or practices.

Baseball coach Mike Weiss said, “The trip to Omaha is a great opportunity to practice in warmer weather outside on a turf field so that we can get as much accomplished in a short amount of time as possible. We will be able to have 6 practices in 2 days. It’s going to give us a great opportunity to evaluate kids in a short amount of time. It’s very hard to evaluate kids inside for baseball.”

 During these tryouts, coaches are looking for many different skills. Some of these skills include fielding, hitting, hitting with power, arm strength and pitching, though coaches are mainly looking for speed.

Weiss said, “In all sports, speed is one of the most important factors. Baseball is a highly skilled sport as well, so were looking for different skills.”

 Though these tryouts take place during spring break, players on vacation still have the opportunity to tryout but under some conditions.

 “Just like every sport has vacation time you have to sacrifice, ours just happens to be spring break. These are required practices, so if you miss practices, you also miss game time,” said Weiss.

 Many players are excited for this trip as well. The trip to Omaha provides great team building skills for the 42 players signed up to go. Some of the activities the players are planned to do are laser tag, paintball, go karting, and meals spent together.

Players are also going to Ameritrade Park Stadium, which is the best college baseball stadium in the United States and is also the annual host of the College World Series. The bus ride down and back is a great time for players to get to know each other and to reconnect with friends from last season.

 Junior Justin Boerner said, “I am very excited and i’m looking forward to tryouts this year. It’s pretty fun to get away from Minnesota for a while.”

 This years baseball tryouts held at Creighton University in Omaha will provide players and coaches new opportunities and decide this years baseball team players.