Craig Daily Press

Craig — Three games in two days, before a 10-hour drive to Arizona.

This is what’s in store for the Moffat County High School baseball team this week.

The Bulldogs enter league play April 1, facing rival Steamboat Springs, and Bulldog coach Tim Hafey said he’s doing all he can to get the team some time on the diamond before league play begins.

Three games were canceled because of weather last week, so Hafey said the Bulldogs have some catching up to do.

“I love to practice,” Hafey said. “But I like to play even better. I’m ready to get out on the field and see what we can do.”

The Bulldogs open the season at 10 a.m. today against Berthoud in Olathe, followed by a 10 a.m. matchup Saturday against host Olathe.

After the game against Olathe, Moffat County will travel 10 miles south to Montrose, to take on the host Indians at 3 p.m.

“Olathe is a Final Four team in 3A last year,” Hafey said. “They ought to be pretty salty. Montrose is there because I wanted to play a 5A team if I could. Now, I’m not so sure because we’ve only been outside twice.”

Hafey said his lineup is set, and junior Seth Lanier is getting the nod to take the mound as starting pitcher in the Bulldogs’ season-opener today.

Anthony Flores will tote the rubber in Game 2, and Hafey said Josh Satterwhite will get some work in the late innings.

“I’m hoping that Josh will be able to close things out for us,” Hafey said. “He’s kind of got a sore arm right now, so we’re going to limit him to an inning or a couple of outs. I’d rather have him strong at the end of the year than right now.”

Hafey said because of Craig’s weather, he’s looking forward to some time outside.

“We had a pretty good practice two weeks ago Saturday in Palisade,” Hafey said. “It was kind of a marathon practice. We went from 1 p.m. ’til about dark. Last Saturday, we went down to Mesa State College and got to use their field prior to their game with Denver Christian University.”

Hafey said the team is confident heading into the new season, and he’s impressed so far with the players’ hard work.

“Everybody is working their tails off,” he said. “We are going to be real solid. We’ll find some experience this weekend.

“Once we go to Arizona, we’ll be able to say, ‘This is what we did, and this is what we need to work on.’”

Once the three-game set concludes, the team hops back on its team bus and makes the more than 10 hour drive to Chandler, Ariz. for a week of spring training.

Hafey said he’s been making the annual trip to Arizona for 17 years, and although it’s his first year as MCHS coach, his spring break routine won’t change.

The week in Chandler won’t consist of any games; Hafey said it’s geared more toward an extended week of practice.

“It’s a chance for the team to define themselves,” he said. “I want to see who wants to start. Once we come back, I should know who my starters are and who’s my first and second guy off the mound.

“They are to the point where they don’t know that they don’t know. There is a lot of things they don’t know about baseball, and they are not even aware of it.”

Besides the week of practice, the team will have the opportunity to watch a college game between Arizona and Arizona State, and Hafey hopes the team will get a chance to catch an Arizona Diamondbacks game.

“We are going to go to an Arizona junior college conference game,” he said. “We’ll pick up Arizona, Arizona State. We’ll get into a Diamondback game if possible.”

John Vandelinder can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 211, or jvandelinder@craigdailypress.com