As the groundhog looked for his shadow in Pennsylvania, pre-season training for spring sports commenced in Ohio.
And despite the fact that his promise of six more wintry weeks hasn’t been conducive to outdoor practices and the vernal equinox is over two weeks away, a few spring seasons, namely men’s and women’s tennis, are already underway, with the rest soon to follow.

Baseball

Last season: 10-25, fifth NCAC East.
The team: Sixteen letter-winners return, as well as all-conference selections senior Zachary Pretzer and juniors Troy DeWitt and John Damron. With only one senior but nine juniors in addition to a strong incoming class of first-years, the team should have a mix of experience and fresh talent.
Goals: Since the NCAC includes perennial powerhouses Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan, both ranked in the top 15 in the country, the Yeomen hope to be competitive and possibly vie for a spot in the top four and thus the conference tournament.

Men’s golf

Last season: Ninth place NCAC in the program’s first year. “We were in sixth going into the last day of the conference championships,” head coach Blake New said, “but then it was el foldo — we didn’t play well that day and dropped to ninth.”
The team: “We lost two seniors, but this year we have nine guys,” New said. “We’re not going to have that one tremendous player, but we should be consistent.” The team also adds four first-years to the mix.
Goals: The Yeomen hope to improve on last season this spring when they host the conference championship on May 2 and 3. Unfortunately, the only thing they can do to work toward that right now is hit balls into the golf net on one of the racquetball courts. “We’re definitely very weather-bound,” New said.

Men’s indoor track

Last season: Seventh place NCAC.
The team: “It’s a rebuilding year,” first-year head coach Jason Hudson said. “We’ve increased our numbers from last year to 17, but still, we have quality, not numbers. And you win with numbers, since they score eight places.” The team’s strength this year lies in sprints.
Goals: “We’ll try to do the best we can in individual events,” Hudson said. “We want to get some national qualifiers, like Bret Petersen in the 400 [m run]. And my philosophy as a coach is to have fun.”

Women’s indoor track

Last season: Third place NCAC.
The team: “We have strong sprinters, jumpers and distance, but not a lot of middle distance,” Hudson, who also coaches the women, said. “Last year we sent the four-by-one to the national meet [where they finished 15th]. We also are taking a trip down to Raleigh, North Carolina, during Spring Break. It’s a great opportunity, with the warm weather and great competition.”
Goals: “We should finish in the top three,” Hudson said. “I’m very optimistic for outdoor. I hope we can keep or build upon last year — it’d be nice to finish second.”

Men’s lacrosse

Last season: 0-14, sixth in the NCAC in head coach Rob Oldham’s first year. “Last season was disappointing,” Oldham said. “We didn’t win a game. A lot of lacrosse players on campus didn’t play.”
The team: “This year I’ve managed to get some of the guys who didn’t play last year to come out and play,” Oldham said. “We’ve also focused a little more on individual skills as opposed to physical conditioning…we’ll see how it plays out.”
Goals: “My main thing is to make it enjoyable,” Oldham said. “Winning is enjoyable. And if the players enjoy playing, they’ll put in more effort.” Oldham also described “a pyramid” of goals. “First is to have fun, second is to win a game, and then all the way on up to the top, which is to win the national championship.”

Women’s lacrosse

Last season: 5-8, fifth NCAC.
The team: According to first-year head coach Deb Ranieri, about half of the team’s 15 players had played lacrosse before coming to Oberlin. Partially for that reason, she has focused preseason training on the basics. “We’re working on the fundamentals now so that in a game the players can make corrections themselves and the coaching staff can focus on the game strategy,” she said.
Goals: “We’re working on three things — three P’s,” Ranieri said. “Possession, positioning and passing. Ultimately we’d like to finish in the top four in the conference. We’ll take each game a step at a time in shooting to attain that goal.”

Softball

Last season: 3-22, ninth NCAC. “I was an assistant last year,” first-year head coach Tina Wood said. “We lost a lot of games by one or two runs. And we only had one pitcher [Dawn Sweeney OC ’02].”
The team: Senior all-conference selection Maria Balducci highlights a team of merely 10 players. “This year we have a very small squad, but overall more talent than any time in the last four years,” Wood said. “We have a young team, with six freshmen, including two pitchers.”
Goals: “I want to help the team grow,” Wood said. “I would love to finish in the top four of the conference if possible."