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Varsity Maine reporters ventured out in the snow Tuesday to visit Waynflete/NYA and Lawrence baseball and Leavitt girls lacrosse preseason practices. Here’s what we learned at Lawrence:

FAIRFIELD — The Lawrence baseball team was hard at work inside of the school’s gymnasium on Tuesday night, bouncing from one drill to another, under the watchful eye of coach Corey Pelletier.

The team continues its preparations for the upcoming season, practicing indoors while an early-April snow fell outside.

To break the monotony, the Bulldogs took turns giving their thoughts on the game’s best snack: The hot dog.

What makes a good hot dog condiment? Is ketchup, the most controversial condiment, acceptable on a hot dog? And what’s the best way to prepare a hot dog bun?

Among the things we learned:

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• The award for deepest appreciation for hot dogs has to go to junior Anthony Almeida, whose favorite condiment combination is relish, ketchup, mustard and onions.

“The ketchup is the base,” Almeida said. “The mustard gives a different flavor. And then the relish just ties it all together. With the ketchups and mustards of the world, relish is just overlooked, in my opinion. … I like caramelized (onions), honestly, it’s good.”

Almeida said he buys hot dogs “probably two or three times” per week, mainly from the Fairfield Irving gas station next to I-95.

• Ketchup is not only an acceptable condiment for the Bulldogs, it’s preferred, and they are quick to defend it.

“(People who hate ketchup) strike a nerve, deep down,” Almeida said.

Added senior Gabriel Johnson: “They’re crazy, bro. They’re crazy. It’s a classic, you can’t have a hot dog without it. Are you going to have a dry hot dog? Come on, bro.”

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Senior Trevor Pellerin loves ketchup so much, he has a specific method of layering his hot dog.

“I’ll (spread the ketchup) underneath and on top,” Pellerin said. “Ketchup owns the hot dog itself. It’s the key piece to a hot dog.”

• The famous red snapper hot dog, a Maine culinary staple, did not make the cut among Lawrence players for the best version of a hot dog.

“I’m not a fan,” said Lawrence senior Ethan LeHay. “I’m not in it for the crunch.”

Dave Dyer is in his second stint with the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. Dave was previously with the company from 2012-2015 and returned in late 2016. He spent most of 2016 doing freelance sports...

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