The weather man called for 100 percent chance of rain, and as we headed for the mountains Friday morning, his forecast was dead on.

Our conference-opening series against Appalachian State was moved to Hickory, N.C., home of the Hickory Crawdads, because the Mountaineers’ field is still under construction. As any Southern Conference player will tell you, it is always freezing in Boone, so the move to the minor league stadium in Hickory was a welcome one, or so we thought.

When we arrived at the field in Hickory, it was still spitting rain and the field looked more like the one Benny and Smalls played on in “The Sandlot;” not the pristine professional field that we had envisioned. Needless to say, those pre-college tetanus shots came in-handy as we tiptoed through the disheveled dugout.

At this point, it was obvious that if we were going to play, there would be no pre-game BP or infield/outfield. With start of the game still in doubt, we began our impromptu “BP.” With no cages around, we used the rocks from the warning-track for soft toss. What first started out as a joke turned into a full-blown BP, as guys started working backside and 2-strike rounds.

The decision to play was made and the rock-BP paid off as the 24-2 win was App’s worst defeat since we beat them 29-5 two years ago.

Of course, after a whirlwind beginning to an important weekend, I was less than surprised at the night’s turn of events. With my roommate sawing logs, my night of staring at the ceiling was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. When I got up to make sure our door was locked, I saw two guys across the way trying to kick down a motel room door. I guess a fitting end to a bizarre day.

Saturday in Hickory seemed to one-up the craziness that characterized Day 1. We erased a five-run deficit by scoring seven runs over the last three innings, only for App to score two with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. In a first for me, the middle of our rally was interrupted by the umpire, who stopped the game, telling us to, “Stop having so much fun.”

Our fun was coming from “Deuces.”

Most college baseball players know about “Deuces” or “2’s” when there are two strikes, two balls and two outs. Different teams use different techniques. I guess it is something about baseball players and superstitions. The traditional rub the bill of your cap and then take it off when the pitch is thrown is my favorite; call me old fashioned.

When “Deuces” came up in the 7^th, I guess what we call the “Rollercoaster” rubbed the ump the wrong way. After the 2-2 pitch was fouled off we were preparing to ride the “Rollercoaster” again when the ump stopped the game and put an end to the “Rollercoaster.”

But not to fear, our plan B - “Lasers” - has a much better history than the “Rollercoaster.” To be honest, I’m glad the ump stopped us, if we would have done the “Rollercoaster” again Weav probably wouldn’t have gotten the RBI single up the middle.

We ended up losing 9-8 in the 12^th in a game of could-haves and should-haves. They were fat and happy after stealing one from us, and we knew losing Sunday was not an option.

Going into Sunday, we didn’t know what to expect from our pitching. Typically Sunday’s have been a struggle for us, particularly from a pitching standpoint; and our bullpen was already thin after being stretched the day before. After leaving the bases loaded twice with only one out in the first few innings, it looked like it was going to be another nail-bitter.

However, Robert Rodebaugh’s three-run homer in the fourth was all we needed, as we rode Will Romanowicz to a 5-0 win. His complete game was a much-needed confidence boost for our pitch staff and our team.

Anytime you can take 2 out of 3 on the road, you’ll take it, especially from an improving program.

Once again, this week is not going to get any easier. We go to 15^th-ranked Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, a team that has already beaten us once, and then we are in Charleston to play The Citadel.

This past weekend was filled with unexpecteds, but when you play The Citadel you know what you are going to get - a team that plays hard and plays smart. Over the last few years, we have had nothing but close games, and I expect nothing less this weekend.

Drew Davis

(photo courtesy of Elon Media Relations Office)