They don’t play until Monday, but anticipation is already building for the Erskine-Cony softball matchup in Augusta for a couple of reasons.

Players and coaches have come down from the high produced by spring temperatures well into the 80s. This past week is more typical of spring weather in Maine, perhaps even a little colder and windier than normal. No sport is more affected by these conditions than tennis, especially when it comes to wind.

You won’t find any magnolias or dogwood trees at the Augusta Country Club, but that doesn’t prevent a lot of people from confusing the course in Manchester, Me. with its more famous counterpart, Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Ga.

SOUTH CHINA — Erskine’s Jory Humphrey didn’t expect to pitch Friday due to a sore shoulder.

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.

Erskine junior Alyssa Gartley stepped into the void left by the departure of Sonja Morse and pitched a five-hit shutout against Edward Little in the team’s 7-0 season-opening win Wednesday in Auburn.

So far the weather has cooperated for the high school preseason. Now, if can only stay that way for a few weeks. Today is opening day for many high school teams and most are prepared after a mild late March and early April.