The irony isn’t lost on Eric Hemphill. 

The 10th-year Allegany-Limestone baseball coach looked outside the window on Wednesday afternoon and winced. It was a clear 55-degree day, with the snow having long since melted, about as nice as could be expected for March 18. 

In most years, it’s the weather that presents problems for area spring sports — late starts, lost games and scheduling headaches as a result of prolonged snow, a rainy April and unplayable fields. 

This year, an entirely different factor has threatened the spring high school season: the increasingly serious nature of the COVID-19 outbreak.

And while Hemphill and other area coaches are understanding of the measures taken in this precarious situation, the potential for a lost season has led to the same feeling that inclement weather has long produced:

It’s frustrating. 

“IT’S FRUSTRATING from the standpoint of, so far this year, it’s been one of the best years in my 10 years weather-wise,” Hemphill pointed out. “We were out three times last week. So to have a decent run of weather and not be able to get out there — we had a good week of practice while we could get out before they pulled the plug on things.”

The Gators, typically one of the stronger baseball programs in the Big 30, have nine starters back from a team that went 13-8 and reached the Section 6 Class B-2 semifinals last season. Another area spring power, the Olean tennis team, boasts a doubles squad that coach Ben Wright believes is capable of winning a sectional championship. 

Both coaches are holding out hope that their seasons can be salvaged once, and if, the New York State shutdown on schools and athletics is lifted by mid-April. Both are mindful, however, that their team’s 2020 stories might never be told. 

“From my standpoint, I have what looks to be one of my better teams coming back,” Hemphill said. “Quite a few of those guys don’t play a winter sport, so they’ve been chomping at the bit to get out there. I told them from day one, ‘Guys, this doesn’t look good,’ but we’ve got to try to get ready as best we can until they do pull the plug on us …”

Added Wright: “I have six or seven seniors on my team who in the offseason, every time I saw them, (would say), ‘I can’t wait for our senior season,’ and now that this has occurred, I feel bad for all the seniors who may not get that opportunity, and be able to be recognized, or have that last sports banquet or be able to win another league title.

“I’m hopeful they’ll be able to experience that, even if it’s a short season.”

AS PART of this athletics standstill, neither coach can hold any kind of practice, voluntary or otherwise, meet with their team on school property or provide any level of organized instruction. 

But that doesn’t mean their players can’t prepare on their own, just in case there’s good news at some point down the line. And given their passion for their respective sports, that’s what many of these kids have chosen to do. 

“I know in the back of my mind, those seniors are outside doing stuff right now, I can guarantee you that,” Hemphill said. “I got a couple of texts that said, ‘Well, what if a group of ‘friends’ get together,’ and I said, ‘I can’t tell you what you can’t do; I can only tell you what I can’t do. 

“If by any chance, we get a short season, I don’t think it’s going to take my guys long to be ready. They were working out from January until March on their own. I fully think right now they’re out staying ready, just in case we are able to move forward.”

WRIGHT, who noted that the team’s home courts near the Olean Intermediate Middle School are unlocked and available, said he’s had players there “just about every day since Saturday.”

He’s encouraged the work they’re putting in on their own. 

“The kids love it and they want to be there,” he said. “They’ve asked multiple times, ‘can we go, can we go, can we go?’ ‘Yes, you can go.’ I’ve given them balls to use, so all they need is their racket and a partner. 

“I just drove by … I had four kids there (Wednesday) and who knows how many more were there during the day or are going to show up tonight.”

He added: “For me as a coach, it’s a love-hate thing. I love that they’re there and they all want to play and I hate it because I can’t be there to help them out.”

Both Hemphill and Wright describe themselves as optimistic by nature. As such, they’re ready to do anything necessary to get even an abbreviated season in the books. 

Hemphill was part of a group text with his fellow league coaches Monday in which Gowanda’s Tim Smith made an initial effort to map out a potential 10-game CCAA schedule. Wright said he’d be in favor of playing doubleheaders for each of the Huskies’ 10 league contests.   

Their gut feeling on if a spring campaign will ever come to fruition? It’s understandably more pessimistic. 

“At first I thought, well maybe beginning to mid-April looked like a decent date,” Hemphill said, “but the more you watch the news, I’m just waiting for them to pull the plug on the entire season, which will really hurt us.

“I’ve got a lot of guys really invested in this year. I’m usually a pretty optimistic person, but at this point, I’m not sure, I really don’t see a season happening. I would love for even a short season.”

Echoing that sentiment, Wright added: “I believe a state doubles team this year. Unfortunately, they might not have the opportunity. There’s a lot of things that are bothering … most of us coaches, I’m sure, because we were all looking forward to the start of the season. There’s only so much we can do.”