Let there be light

Lights at Free State High’s softball field finally have been erected, and it appears the Firebirds will be able to use them at least once this season.

“They’re vertical,” FSHS coach Pam Pine said. “They’re supposed to turn on the juice sometime this week.”

Bad weather and the necessity to allow the concrete light standards to cure for weeks delayed the $80,000 project.

The Firebirds have just one home date remaining – May 1 against Shawnee Mission South – but Pine is trying to reschedule an earlier home rainout with Olathe North.

The lights will enable the Firebirds’ softball doubleheaders to begin at 4:15 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m.

Fortunately it was fake

During the last weekend’s River City Baseball Festival, Lawrence High baseball coach Brad Stoll tried instilling a state-tournament mindset into his players. Win three games in three days, and LHS would be state champs. It didn’t happen.

LHS lost Day One to rain and Day Three, 1-0, to Rockhurst.

“Today was a state-championship environment,” Stoll said after the loss. “You’ve got to come out with some serious intensity, and we didn’t do it. We’ll learn from it, and hopefully when we are in a championship environment, we’ll come out hot and ready to play.”