Many of the position players for the Erskine Academy baseball team have come up with sore arms this season and coach Lars Jonassen thinks he has a solution: Let them condition their arms a week early just like pitchers and catchers do.

“I don’t know what it is,” Jonassen said. “We played down to Marshwood on Saturday and their coach said he had the same thing.”

Jonassen said the Eagles went two days last week without taking infield because of sore arms. Shortstop Ryan Pulver played in the field in the team’s opener against Edward Little but so far he’s been unable to pitch.

The remedy from athletic trainers is rest, and Jonassen doesn’t always agree with that advice.

“The inception of athletic trainers has been fantastic,” he said. “It’s also provided a crutch for kids. All pain isn’t bad. I remember having a sore arm. We just pitched through it.”

Jonassen, of course, hopes arms don’t get sore at all. As the Maine Baseball Coaches Association liaison to the Maine Principals’ Association, he plans to propose players get a jump on the season to condition their arms by starting a week early the way pitchers and catchers are allowed to do.

The Eagles lost 3-1 to Edward Little in a pitcher’s duel between Shyler Scates and the Eddies’ Luc Farrago. Today, they host Lawrence and Jonassen will start senior Tyler Belanger. Jory Humphrey might have drawn the start but he’s battling a sore shoulder. Versatile senior Sean Cabaniss is playing center field for Tom Grady, who is out with a broken finger.

“Usually he plays three or four different positions,” Jonassen said of Cabaniss. “Right now we’re handcuffed.”

Brendan Wood, who is coming of knee surgery due to a wrestling injury, caught all seven innings Wednesday despite some fatigue.

“He threw a runner out and got a base hit,” Jonassen said. “Things are looking good there.”

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Hall-Dale opens its season today at Wiscasset after having played six preseason games.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw a kid get 30 at-bats in preseason in Maine,” Hall-Dale coach Tim Johnson said. “I think the quality of the play will be good early.”

Hall-Dale actually played Wiscasset in a preseason game but as Johnson pointed out “they didn’t pitch anybody.”

He plans to pitch senior Ben Crocker who had a strong all-around preseason.

“Ben’s a seasoned player,” Johnson said.

Junior pitcher/outfielder Wyatt Rush is still recovering from a wrestling injury and his status for the season remains uncertain.

“He doesn’t have his MRI results yet,” Johnson said. “He comes to practice every day with a great attitude. He can’t do anything but he keeps busy and helps out.”

• • •

Richmond opened its season April 14 at Vinalhaven/North Haven (a 10-6 loss) but doesn’t play again until Tuesday when it hosts Rangeley for a doubleheader.

“Last Saturday on the island we did not show up,” Richmond coach Ryan Gardner said. “We made six errors.”

Gardner said senior Tyler Harrington “threw really well, we just didn’t make plays behind him.”

Between regular-season games, the Bobcats are getting plenty of action in exhibitions against Mountain Valley Conference teams. They’ve played Telstar and Mt. Abram this week and face Monmouth today.

Gardner said he expects Harrington, Kade Strout, Brian Snedeker and freshman Cameron Emmons to all see action on the mound during Tuesday’s doubleheader. The Bobcats are currently playing without senior pitcher/catcher Ben Carver, who injured his thumb during basketball season. He’s not scheduled to return until May 9.

“In practice he does about everything we do except hit,” Gardner said.

• • •

Monmouth coach Eric Palleschi isn’t sure what his starting lineup will look like when the Mustangs open the season at Lisbon on Monday.

Three players went to Greece on a class trip and won’t return until Sunday night.

“They’re sitting out one game and won’t start the second game,” Palleschi said. “They’re not ready.”

Two more players are ineligible for missing practice.

“We’ll write a lineup out when we get there,” Palleschi said.

The Mustangs already lost starting infielders and pitchers Brandon Goff and D.J. McHugh to injury for the season. When they do have their full complement of players, Palleschi said the starting lineup will include a junior, four sophomores and a freshman in the infield and a junior and two freshmen in the outfield.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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