Share

Tweet

Jac Coyne's Santa Barbara Blog

by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

That's a Wrap

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 3:50 p.m.

Before I get to the scores, I've got to clear up the race for No. 2 behind Colorado. I had a brain cramp and forgot about Santa Clara. They are the clear No. 2.

Georgia stunned UCSB in overtime, 9-8, on a goal with about 20 seconds left. It was 6-6 after regulation. That score is going to give the ranking committee serious headaches.

Cal Poly manhandled CSU, finishing with a 9-2 victory.

I've got to catch a plane, so I'm going to wrap up this blog. I'll have some thoughts about the tournament and a couple of other stories during the course of the week.

Thanks for checking in and enjoy the rest of the season.

Low Scoring Affairs

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 2:56 p.m. PST

A couple of defensive struggles so far.

UCSB and Georgia have been going end-to-end, but the scoring chances aren't great. The Gouchos hold a 3-2 lead at the break.

Most of the play has happened in front of the Cal Poly cage, but poor shot selection for the Rams and strong goalie play has allowed the Mustangs to hold onto a 3-1 lead at the half. CSU needs one more goal to go in and they can start making some progress. It just feels like there's a wall in front of the goal right now.

Last Call

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 2:18 p.m. PST

The last set of games with national implications is about to go off.

Both Colorado State and Cal Poly will be trying to get back on the winning side of the ledger before the tournament ends. If UCSB can bounce Georgia in the other game, the Gauchos could stake a legitimate claim to the No. 2 ranking behind Colorado.

I'll check back with halftime scores.

Taking One for the Team

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 1:35 p.m. PST

Colorado co-head coach Jessica Tomlinson took one for the team on Sunday afternoon.

After the Buffs scored with under 10 seconds left to pick up a dramatic, 10-9 victory over UCLA, Tomlinson had to kneel down against the fence lining the field. After the final whistle blew, she walked to the training room with her eyes watering and a trickle of blood coming out of her nostril.

Tomlinson's coaching partner, Kaitlin Moore, had almost given her a celebratory knock-out.

"After the goal, she went this way and I went that way and her elbow smashed into my nose," said Tomlinson, fully recovered and in good spirits.

"Sometimes the height difference doesn't work out so well," laughed Moore, who is about six inches taller than Tomlinson.

While one of the coaches may be bloody, CU leaves Santa Barbara unscathed. With four one-goal victories and a two-goal triumph, the Buffs are 5-0 heading back to the Rockies.

It didn't look good early on as UCLA built a 6-2 halftime lead, but CU overwhelmed the Bruins in the second half, tying the game at seven and then taking a late, 8-7 lead. UCLA managed to tie the game before the two teams traded quick goals, setting up the game-winner on a partial fast break.

One Colorado team is rising while another is falling.

Colorado State lost its second consecutive game, this time a 9-7 setback to UC Santa Barbara. With the game tied at 7-7 early in the second half, the Gauchos managed to score a goal before stalling out a huge chunk of the game.

The Rams broke the stall and had four solid chances on the UCSB cage, but Gaucho goalie Jenni Centner made several key stops (12 in all). UCSB scored a goal with a couple of seconds left for the final. Colorado State gets a brief respite before taking on Cal Poly at 2:15 p.m.

A Couple of Scores

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 12:30 p.m. PST

Early second half: UC Santa Barbara 7, Colorado State 7

Halftime: UCLA 6, Colorado 2

A Head Scratcher

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 12:15 p.m. PST

One of the odd games from last night was Chico State taking it to Miami (Ohio), 12-6. The Redhawks had really been impressing people, especially with the win over Georgia, so getting thumped by Chico seemed odd. 

A second hand source told me that the Chico coach felt like they played nearly a flawless game and that was the difference. What makes the result even odder is Pepperdine handled Chico, 10-5, this morning.

Two key games have just started: Colorado-UCLA and CSU-UCSB. I'm heading back out to see how they're going.

Lindenwood managed to finish off the tournament with a nice win, 13-4, over UC San Diego. The Lions had a 5:15 p.m. flight out of LAX to get back to Missouri, so they've left the building.

Buffs Looking Tuff

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 9:30 a.m. PST

At this point, it looks like Colorado will be the No. 1 team when the dust settles on the Shootout. The Buffs do have one game left - a 11:45 a.m. contest against UCLA -- and CU will be slight favorites, but after taking down Cal Poly in the morning session, 10-8, Colorado is looking strong.

The Buffs were up by scores of 8-4 and 9-5 in the second half before the Mustangs made a late surge.

Michigan led UCLA big, 7-2, but the Bruins charged back to make a game of it. The Wolverine defense stiffened to seal up the 8-7 victory. One coach thinks UM will be the No. 2 team when the next poll comes out, even though the Wolverines went 2-2 here at the beach. I'm not sold on that. Even if CSU goes 1-1 this afternoon, I think they'll be No. 2.

I wouldn't want to be a pollster because there are a lot of results to wade through, some of which don't lead to easy rankings.

I just want to double back on an earlier post - I think it was from Friday - talking about the yellow card rule. I wrote that a three-minute non-releasable penalty seems kind of harsh for an accidental blow to the head, especially considering that's the max fine in the men's game.

After closer examination, the yellow card isn't that much of a penalty because a team doesn't have to play a woman-down on the defensive end of the field. The hole caused by the penalty is in the midfield, impacting the transition game, if anything. So it's pretty clear that the yellow card rule wasn't designed to be a massive penalty, but more of an incentive to be more careful with the stickwork near the head.

Off to the Fields

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 8:25 a.m. PST

I finished off a story on Cal Poly  this morning, and I'm now off to the fields in hopes of catching the second half of the first round of games.

It's partly cloudly, but the sun is trying to break through. I think it's going to be in a losing effort. I'll give an update of the early games when I get to the field.

The Last Hurrah

Sunday, Feb. 15 | posted at 6:25 a.m. PST

It's an early day of action with things kicking off at 8 a.m. on Sunday. It's still dark here, so it'll be a little bit before I can get a read on the weather.

This will be an interesting day for the defending champs. They play No. 4 UCSB at 11:45 a.m., get an hour break, and then they have to play No. 2 Cal Poly at 2:15 p.m. I'll be tracking those games closely to see how the Rams react.

I asked Paul Ramsey, UCSB's coach and the tournament scheduler, why CSU had to play two brutal games so close together. He said when they signed up for the tournament, the Rams requested the most difficult schedule they could have.

Be careful what you wish for.

Regardless how the games go, no team in the country will have a more challenging day than CSU has today.

UCLA posted an impressive, 10-5 victory over BYU last night and Santa Clara keeps rolling along, this time hammering Minnesota-Duluth, 19-1. The biggest stunner of the evening was Chico State doubling up Miami (Ohio), 12-6. I would have guessed the scores being flipped in that one.

I'll provide an update once the sun wakes up.

Putting Saturday to Bed
< br> Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 10:45 p.m. PST

I'll update the scoreboard as the rest of tonight's scores trickle in, but I'm logging off the blog for the evening. After wandering around the fields from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., my feet are killing me. And, in a karmic boomerang, I actually got a sun burn on my face. Serves me right for all the complaining about the weather.

All reports I've received have it raining tomorrow for most of the day. It'll allow me to break out my Iowa Hawkeye rain gear. Marrying a Midwestern gal has its perks.

The final day of the Shootout kicks off at 8 a.m. PST with a couple of power match-ups: Michigan/UCLA and Colorado/Cal Poly.

Have a nice night.

Controversy!

Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 6:15 p.m. PST

We've got our first controversy here at the Santa Barbara Shootout. Adam Weinstein, the Georgia head coach, will be filing a petition with the WDIA board protesting the result of Friday evening's game with Miami (Ohio). The complaint stems from the fact that the officials did not grant Weinstein his second timeout - a WDIA rule - which he tried to take with two minutes left and the Dawgs leading by two goals.

The TO was not granted and Miami responded with three unanswered goals, including one with seven seconds remaining to take the 8-7 victory. If Weinstein's petition is granted, the game will be turned into an exhibition and not count toward the selection criteria for the WDIA national tournament.

While Weinstein has a legitimate beef, it will be a tough decision for the committee because it could penalize Miami for something they had no control over. An unfortunate circumstance, in any event.

Cal Poly fell behind Lindenwood, 6-0, to start the game but raced back to beat the Lions, 11-9. More details to come. I'll try to keep the scoreboard updated in the meantime.

Down Goes the Champs

Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 4:10 p.m. PST

After trailing 6-1 after one half, Colorado State came out in the second and gave Santa Clara it's biggest punch, but the Broncos were able to absord the blow and post the 8-6 upset victory over the defending national champs.

As I walked over to Brendan O'Brien, SC's coach, after the game, he just looked at me and said, "I told you." No, he didn't predict a win prior to the game, he just told me that his goalie, Renee Eligio, "plays like a guy" (meant as a compliment; don't get testy) and can dominate a game.

She did just that, making several huge saves along the way to the win. O'Brien gave her the game ball in the team huddle afterwards.

The Rams were obviously disappointed, but didn't seem that heartbroken. Remember: CSU lost one game at the Shootout last year...and that was it for the season.

On the other field, UCSB rallied from a 4-2 deficit at halftime (I thought it was one goal, but it was actually two) to beat BYU, 10-8. Paul Ramsey, the UCSB head coach, remarked that the Cougars have an improved defense and a good goalie, and should be a threat all season.

I got a chance to speak with Herbie Huff, the Occidental coach. They play the next round and I hope to have stories up on Cal Poly and Oxy before the evening is over. I'm going to stay until the end of the BYU/UCLA game, which starts at 5:45 p.m. PST, and then start churning out some stories and more blog updates.

Upsets Brewin'?

Saturday, February 14 | posted at 2:55 p.m. PST

It's halftime of the 2 p.m. games and there is a pair of interesting scores. After trailing 5-2 early on, Brigham Young has rallied to take a one-goal lead on UCSB. In slightly more stunning news, Colorado State trails Santa Clara, 6-1 at the break.

I know, I know. I kind of hyped a potential Rams upset not too long ago, but this one is serious. While Renee Eligio, Santa Clara's All-American goalie, is playing decent, most of the action is down on the CSU side of the field. The Broncos are handling the Rams defense with quick passes. CSU is having most of its trouble with crease rolls from behind the cage. They can't stop it, even with a double team.

One of the 12:45 p.m. games proved to be the most action-packed of the Shootout as Texas out-gunned USC, 20-13. The other game in that round - Michigan v. Cal Poly - was also a great contest, with Cal Poly pulling out the 7-6 victory.

The Mustangs are definitely played with an edge this afternoon. Their coach, Mike Windall, said they haven't been outside in two weeks because of weather, so the players had plenty of energy. They got an outstanding effort from their goalie, who essentially proved to be the difference (other than two goals taken back because of shooting space).

With the way some of these scores are shaking out, the US Lacrosse WDIA national championships in Scottsdale, Ariz., are going to be something to see. I'll check back soon with results of the potential upsets.

Colorado State Rallies, Then Holds On

Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 1:30 p.m. PST

After falling behind, 2-0, Colorado State rattled off seven consecutive markers to take a 7-2 lead, and then held on to beat UCLA, 8-6. The game might have been a lot closer, but two late UCLA goals were disallowed for -- from what I can tell -- dangerous propelling. I spoke with Bruins coach Nick Liebman after the game and he said it's a fine line between dangerous propelling and shooting space, and UCLA was on the wrong end each time.

Sorry about the lack of names in these write-ups, but there are no programs (understandable since a 51-team program would put a hit on the budget) and just numbers are added to the score sheet.

I had a long conversation with Jen Dunbar, Michigan's head coach about a variety of issues, and, predictably, the issue of going varsity came up (Dunbar says everyone asks her about that). Her response was that if Michigan added a Division I NCAA program, it wouldn't affect her at all.

"I wouldn't be the varsity coach and there would still be a club team at Michigan," she said.

And she's right. While Michigan's MCLA team is varsity-ready right now, UM women would probably have to follow the model used by Florida -- adding a varsity structure about two years before the first game and then establishing a break from the club entity at some point.

I've got some story ideas, which I'll work on a little later. Right now there are still some good games going on. Cal Poly is currently playing Michigan and CP looks really good.

I'll keep the scoreboard updated as much as possible.

Saturday In Progress

Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 11:50 a.m. PST

It's a Chamber of Commerce day here in Santa Barbara. Sunny and abut 60. I've found a computer right by the field, so I'll be updating the scores on our scoreboard as soon as I can get in and do it.

Colorado continues to live a charmed life, rallying from a one-goal deficit late to beat Texas, 10-9. I was talking to USC head coach Gabe Valenzuela as the CU-UT game was going on and said the Longhorns might be the team to watch this tournament. He may have just been trying to pump up the competition since the Trojans play UT later this afternoon.

Miami (Ohio) continues to roll. UCSD was overmatched against the Redhawks, which won 12-5.

I'm going to get back out to the field because UCLA is facing off with Colorado State and the defending champs are on the ropes early. I'll give an update when that one goes final.

The Longest Day

Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 9:15 a.m. PST

With games going from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. This is going to be a long one. I just posted a story on the Michigan coaching staff working with both the state champion high school program as well as the Wolverines.

I'll check in soon, hopefully around noon.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.

Saturday's Ready to Begin

Saturday, Feb. 14 | posted at 6:50 a.m. PST

The sun has just cleared the horizon here in Santa Barbara and it looks like it'll be a pretty decent day. The local news is calling for sunny skies with a high of 58 degrees. I'll take it.

It appears I jumped the gun in lauding the Georgia team last night. Miami (Ohio) rallied in the second half to down the Dawgs, 8-7. UGA will have to wait until 4 p.m. this afternoon to get back on the field when they play Oregon, which went 2-0 last night.

Check out the scoreboard on our women's club page for last night's scores. 

Some other thoughts from Friday:

- The yellow card rule has confused several coaches here. With the showing of a yellow card, which usually comes with an accidental blow to the head, the player must go to the sidelines for three minutes. The penalty is, in men's lacrosse parlance, non-releasable. When comparing it to the men's game, the sentence seems a little harsh. Women get three minutes non-releasable for an accidental hit; in the men's game a three-minute NR is the most severe punishment you can get, and it often comes with an ejection.

- Overall, I've been very impressed with the goalie play. While clearing has been troublesome especially in the face of a hard ride that covers the goalie, the play in the pipes has been fun to watch.

- No. 3 Colorado has been doing just enough to stay undefeated. After beating No. 12 Florida by a goal, the Buffs knocked off Michigan, 8-7, in one of the late games. There's only one stat that matters, and CU is perfect. The Gators dropped to 0-2 after bowing to UCSB, 9-6.

- I'll try to catch up with Santa Clara today. No. 7 SC beat No. 15 Brigham Young last night after BYU stifled No. 8 Lindenwood, 6-1.

Enjoyable First Night

Friday, Feb. 13 | posted at 9 p.m. PST

The rain stayed away for the entire session on Friday and, while a little chilly, there were some good games. In addition to Michigan's upset of UCSB, there was plenty of entertaining - and sometimes surprising - action on Day 1.

In one of the first games of the day, Miami (Ohio) gave No. 1 Colorado State all it could handle. With some deft shooting and a bothersome defense, Miami managed to be tied at 5-5 with the defending national champs midway through the second half. The Rams eventually won, 8-6.

It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that Miami held its own. The Redhawks just missed getting an invitation to the tournament out of the WCLL last year and nearly beat Michigan in the conference tournament. MU's first-year head coach, Jared Ward, said most of the players from last year are back and they certainly were helped by the play of rookie goalie Becca Yoder.

Despite losing two starters - one to a gruesome hamstring pull and the other to knee issues - Florida almost knocked off No. 3 Colorado, but fell 6-5 at the end. The 12th-ranked Gators were slated to play fourth-ranked UCSB in the late round of Friday's action.

Perhaps the most impressive team early on is Georgia. The Dawgs rolled over Minnesota-Duluth, 10-4, in their first game and then were taking it to Miami (Ohio) in their second match-up when I left to post stories.

Adam Weinstein is UGA's coach and has been able to ride the momentum from last year's SWLL championship over Florida after being second fiddle for five years. It will be interesting to see how Georgia does in its game against UCSB on Sunday.

I'll have some more thoughts on Friday tomorrow morning as well as some observations.

The games start as 9 a.m PST and finish up at 9:30 p.m. PST. A long day.

An Exciting Start

Friday, Feb. 13 | posted at 7:05 p.m. PST

We're about a third of the way through the games on Friday night, but I wanted to come back and give an update before things got too late on the East Coast. I don't have wi-fi access at the fields, but I might be able to use one of the office computers in the Rec Center tomorrow to provide more updates.

For the most part the first round of games have been very exciting, with an upset already (game story to be posted soon) and two near-upsets. More results and details in a bit.

Let the Games Begin

Friday, Feb. 13 | posted at 2:30 p.m. PST

I guess all you have to do is complain enough and you get some results around this place.

After downpouring for a good chunk of the morning, the rain is gone and there is blue sky above. Not sure how long it'll last, but I'll take it. I'm about to head over to the fields and see whether I have any kind of Internet access. You'll get an idea by the amount of posts here.

I managed to speak with Jack Cribbin, the Lindenwood coach, after his chalk talk with his team and whipped up a feature on the Lions. They play twice tonight.

If I'm not able to give updates at the field, I'll have a run down of tonight's action and perhaps a game story or two - I've got my eye on the Michigan-UCSB game at 4:15 p.m.

This is Brutal

Friday, Feb. 13 | posted at 11:25 a.m. PST

It. Is. Pouring.

It's not the kind of rain that slowly gets you wet when you stand in it. It's the kind of rain where you are completely soaked going from your car to the hotel door. I'm not sure if this is the part of SoCal that needed the rain (I think there was a fire here a while back), so I suppose that's one good thing about.

I'm guessing the Santa Barbarians aren't used to this kind of whether because I just went to downtown S.B. and it's a ghost town. I decided to have breakfast at a place called Sambo's. The fare was decent - I had an omelette, hash browns and a cup of joe - earning a solid grade of B-.

It's probably a vestige of my New England liberal arts indoctrination, but the name Sambo's got caught in my politically correct radar. A quick search of The Googles confirmed that Sambo's had over 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. in the early '80s, but accusations of racial insensitivity killed off the franchise. And the one in Santa Barbara is the last one standing. So there you go.

I wanted to explore the area more on foot, but I figured I'd get we enough out at the lacrosse fields and didn't need to get drenched window shopping (although I still have to get my wife a Valentine's gift at some point).

Hopefully this weather will stop, or at least lighten. If it keeps up like this, there's no way I'm going to be able to check in from the fields as there is no cover at all. I'll give an update of the weather before I head over there (probably around 5 p.m. EST).

I did touch base with our photographer, Dirk Dewachter, who lives outside of L.A. He's shot for us before (he's the MLL's L.A. Riptide shooter) and he's coming tomorrow morning. Evidently, photography is just a hobby for Dewachter. His day job is as a detective and he used to work for a crime scene unit.

I'm going to try and track down some coaches for previews of the tourney before I head over to the fields.

It Begins

Friday, Feb. 13 | posted at 8:05 a.m. PST

It has started to sprinkle here in Santa Barbara. This just won't do. I'm in the midst of drafting a strongly-worded letter to the California Chamber of Commerice and Conventions Bureau about this obvious case of bait and switch.

As a silent protest, I'm still going to wear shorts today.

They can take my sun, but they can't take my spirit.

No Rain Yet

Friday, Feb. 13 | posted at 7:30 a.m. PST

No wet stuff yet.

There is sun at the edge of the horizon, but I can't decide whether it's breaking free from the clouds or about to be covered by them. I fear the latter.

Also, if the previous links didn't work, here's the updated tournament schedule.

Again, with the revised sked, the games start at 3 p.m. and the tilt between UCSB and Michigan will not be played at Harder Stadium.

Arrived Safely

Thursday, Feb. 12 | posted at 8:35 p.m. PST

Flying into Santa Barbara airport at twilight is quite a sight, especially when you're flying in on one of those slow, dual-prop planes. You can really take everything in. Crammed between a sizeable cliff down to the ocean on the south and a mountain range to the north, Santa Barbara almost has the feel of an oasis.

I would have arrived earlier but both my flights were delayed. We were pushed back 30 minutes coming out of Boise because Air Force Two - and its goofball occupant - was coming to the City of Trees to speak at the opening of the Special Olympics. In San Francisco, it was "mechanical issues," which I'm pretty sure is code for "late."

Anyway, the Santa Barbara airport is less an airport and more of a series of bungalows broken up by chain link fence compartments where your bags are dispensed. Easy in and out, though.

Santa Barbara proper is about a 20 minute ride east of the airport, but UCSB and its surrounding neighborhood, Isla Vista, is directly to the west of it. Hopefully, I'll get a feel for the landscape better during the daylight. All I can figure out right now is I'm somewhere in between at a chain hotel boasting a rather odd smell in its hallways.

As I was checking into the hotel, one of the first people I bumped into was Jack Cribbin, Lindenwood's head coach. I have spoken with Jack on numerous occasions, but had never met him in person. Actually, I really haven't met any of the coaches here in person, so it should be an interesting experience.

According to the lady at the front desk, there are a lot of teams staying at this hotel, although they are getting in later.

In what may be a good sign, there is no rain right now and, frankly, it's pretty cool - a lot cooler than I would have thought. Not cold enough to be wearing parkas, as I witnessed several times already, but enough for a fleece. As mentioned before, they've already revamped the schedule for the weekend, but maybe we'll get a surprise and have a dry three days.

The fact that Brendan O'Brien, Santa Clara's head coach, emailed with "I hope you brought your rain gear," isn't very encouraging.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to try and get a feel for the town of Santa Barbara as well as the UCSB campus before the games start at 3 p.m. (6 p.m. EST). Depending on the weather and the availability of internet access, my frequency of posting on this blog may vary.

The first games tomorrow are Miami (Ohio) against defending national champion Colorado State on Field 1 and Minnesota-Duluth versus Georgia on Field 2. The game of the day will take place at 4:15 PST when #4 UCSB hosts #6 Michigan.

I'll post a weather update on Friday morning.

Santa Barbara Scramble

Thursday, Feb. 12 | posted at 11:30 a.m. (EST)

With the rain still scheduled for Friday and Sunday, according to weather.com, and partly cloudy on Saturday, the decision has been made to reshape the schedule in advance. Paul Ramsey, UCSB's coach, has posted the modified slate on his website.

Naturally, the school doesn't want its fields chewed up in the rain, so some fields have been put off limits. On Friday, six of the eight fields won't be in use, meaning instead of two rounds of games - 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. - there will be seven rounds, starting at 3 p.m. and wrapping up with a 10:30 p.m. contest.

On Saturday, when the weather is supposed to clear, six fields will be in use during the day, and then there will be four two-game sets under the lights, finishing at 9:30 p.m. Sunday will have six fields available until the completion of the Shootout at 3:30 p.m.

While some of the teams may not get the number of games they wanted, this new format actually makes it a little bit easier for me because all of the premier WDIA games will be on one of two fields. Conversely, my Friday and Saturday just got a lot longer.

I'm hopping on a bird this morning and will be in Santa Barbara 6 p.m. PST. I'll post an update when I get settled in.

Just My Luck

Tuesday, Feb. 10 | posted at 12 a.m.

When I received the green light from the USL brain trust to hop on a puddle-jumper and fly into California's Gold Coast for the Santa Barbara Shootout, I was pretty excited.

I would get a chance to network with many of the top WDIA coaches in the country and get a feel for how the Intercollegiate Associates were going to shape up this spring. I would also get to experience what has been called one of the coolest college towns in the country.

And, of course, the weather is supposed to be sublime this time of year. Feeling the sunshine on my face would be a nice change from the typical wind burn.

Well, just like my trip to the MCLA Championships in Dallas last year that was partially washed out, it appears my junket to paradise will consist mostly of rain. At least this is according to weather.com's 10-day forcast.

Paul Ramsey, the UCSB head coach and the tournament director, sent out an email on Monday about the logistics of the Shootout should the rain make the grass fields unplayable.

Instead of playing on eight fields, the tourney would be condensed to the two turf fields. Also, the number of games planned for all of the teams would be curtailed in addition to a lengthening of the daily schedule further into the evening (the games are currently scheduled to finish up before dark on Saturday and Sunday).

In addition, Ramsey - who sat down for a Q&A about the Shootout last week - is examining the possibility of utilizing fields at nearby colleges, if available, and reverting to a "pod system."

On Wednesday, Ramsey is going to produce a contingency schedule just in case the wet stuff continues. Not a fun chore, but certainly one that shows the kind of organization that supports the Shootout.

I suppose if there was a bright side to the rain, it's the fact that I'll have more time to churn out content for the website without the pesky sun tempting me to do something else.

Sweet.