The Wyoming Cowboys club baseball team was set to open their spring season against the Colorado School of Mines this weekend, kicking it off with a doubleheader on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, the typical Rocky Mountain weather postponed the series, but the Pokes are still ready for the season.
The Cowboys compete in Division I of the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA), the highest tier of club baseball. Playing in a division with CSU, CU, School of Mines, Metro State, Air Force, and Northern Colorado, the Cowboys will have a tough schedule to get through on their way to the Mid-America regional tournament in May.
“We have a pretty competitive conference,” said Cameron Swarts, head coach for the Pokes.
“We’ll be on the road for a lot of the spring,” he added.
On top of their conference schedule, the Cowboys will also play a spring break tournament in Las Vegas. “That tournament will be some good competition,” said Swarts. “All those teams are nationally ranked so there’s some high expectations for us. We’ll play UCSB, Sonoma State University, and the University of Oregon.”
Despite the long road ahead, the team is ready to take on the challenge.
“A lot of these guys are eager to play,” said Swarts. “This group is really self motivated and hungry to prove something.”
“Everyone wants to bring the best out of each other,” added Bryce Camino, third baseman for Wyoming.
A bigger roster is a reason for excitement for the team and their regional hopes.
“In years past, we’ve had a roster of 12 guys, so having a roster of 30 [players] means that our bullpen is deep and we can have guys play more positions,” said Swarts. “Retention has been [huge].”
Even with the harsh Laramie winters, the Cowboys have managed to get good reps and practice.
“The University helps us out and lets us use the Indoor Practice Facility,” Swarts said. “Then on Mondays and Wednesdays we [use] the hitting facility up on 9th street. We just try to find the work we can with the way that it is.”
In terms of support, Swarts likes the turnout that they get but wants to get as many people at Cowboy Field as possible.
“I would love to see more of a student body there,” Swarts said. “That’d be huge going into the spring, especially these home games. We have some tough rivalry games and it will be huge if they are out there.”
When asked about the season, Swarts only had good things to say.
“This is a group of guys that love ball, and that’s what I enjoy about coaching this group,” he said. “It gets me excited.”
