The Mudcats managed to pack quite a bit into Friday night's practice--cage work, stations on the field, a mixed-squad scrimmage with the Bees, and a helpful lesson for parents on how to use forest survival skills to chop down nearby foliage to create campfires for warmth.
The evening began at the cage, with the usual tee/soft toss/live pitching stations. By the way, for anyone who doubts the importance of the tee, here's a ringing endorsement from former Athens Drive star/current Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton.
After a lightning-fast 25-minute round in the cage, the Mudcats moved to the field, where they broke into two groups. One group worked on fly balls and outfield grounders while the other group took grounders at shortstop.
Just before 6 p.m., it became clear why Coach Andrew had requested that all players wear their practice shirts. The Mudcats and Bees assembled near first base for the first mixed scrimmage of the fall. The slightly complicated drafting procedure eventually resulted in two teams filled with half Mudcats and half Bees, with the teams appropriately named the Beecats and Mudbees.
By this time, the temperature was starting to fall just a little at Nowell Field. Parents who missed the delightful evening will be invited to make up their absence on Saturday. As for the scrimmage, the teams squeezed in four innings in an hour, with Coach Andrew pitching for one side and Coach Jake (of Bees fame) pitching for the other side. The mixed teams seemed to provide a little spark, as players were able to try some different positions--Anthony at first base, or Big Ben at third, for example--and everyone got to hit at least twice.
The Mudcats hit the field again Saturday afternoon for a rare afternoon start with a 1:30 first pitch/12:30 pregame.
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