Nevada Griffons begin 25th season with a bang

Photos by Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail Twenty-five years ago, the Nevada Griffons opened their first season of summer collegiate baseball. Wednesday night, Jerry Beisner, left, Jim Bickel, Bob Hawks and Bill Turner, far right, four of the original members of the Griffons board of directors, threw out the first pitches to open the 2010 season.

By Eric Wade

Nevada Daily Mail

The lightning bolt has often been not only something to be feared throughout natural history, but also a symbol of power and speed. Seems like a fitting piece of symbolism for a thriving baseball team, right? The 2010 Nevada Griffons will likely disagree.

Patrick Deao lays down a bunt single in Wednesday's rain-shortened game against the Midwest Nationals.

That universally symbolic event inspired a substantial amount of fear and speed into everyone who was in attendance for the Nevada Griffons season opener at Lyons Stadium Wednesday night.

For the past 24 seasons, fans in and around Nevada have been afforded the luxury of spending their summers rallying around a team of collegiate level players for exciting baseball action with the Nevada Griffons. Now entering their 25th season, head coach Ryan Mansfield opened his second season atop the Griffons coaching staff Wednesday night against the Midwest Nationals.

Coming off of a somewhat disapointing season in which they had to settle for second place in the MINK League South Division and needed a victory in the Greater Ozark Regional tournament to secure a berth in the NBC World Series, Mansfield and his team brought high expectations into the coming season. Mother Nature had other ideas on opening night, however, as inclement weather forced the cancellation of Wednesday's non-league contest.

Ryan Miller pitches in the third inning of Wednesday's game.

The Griffons wasted little time getting to Nationals starter Austin Duerr in the early innings as they were able to get at least one runner into scoring position in each of the first three innings. The Nationals defense seemed unfazed, however, as they were ultimately able to extinguish the threat with no damage.

As the Griffons defense took the field for the top of the fourth, however, Mother Nature put a quick and emphatic stop to the Griffons' efforts to get the season under way. As starting pitcher Ryan Miller began his warmup tosses, a bolt of lightning that hit within just feet of the field sent players scampering off back to their respective dugouts.

After nearly an hour-long weather delay, Mansfield and Griffons general manager Jeff Post took to the mound along with returning Griffon Kyle Oestereicher and others to attempt to dry the field and resume play, but more storms were quickly popping up all over local weather radar screens in the press box, prompting the cancellation of the game after three innings. Duerr finished the night allowing no runs on two hits, a walk, a hit batter through his three innings of work while Miller allowed no runs and one hit.

Due to the early cancellation, the game cannot be counted as played and because it was a non-league contest, it will likely not be rescheduled, team officials said. The Griffons are scheduled to begin league play today as they head to Joplin to take on the Outlaws at 7 p.m.