Warm stretch of weather is just what Vancouver, and baseball players, could use

The sun was out at Luke Jensen Sports Park in Vancouver, and all over the region, Thursday, and the forecast calls for sun and warm conditions for the next five days. Photo by Mike Schultz

It is very rare to have such an extended period of sun and warm temperatures this early in March

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

You know it.

We know it.

Everybody knows it.

No way this lasts.

The King’s Way Christian Knights got some sun and a victory Thursday. Photo by Mike Schultz

This spring-like weather does not stick around for long this early in the season. So early, in fact, it isn’t even spring yet.

But it was sunny and warm on Wednesday. Sunny and warmer on Thursday. And the forecast calls for more sun and warmer temperatures through the weekend and beyond. Oh, and it remains officially winter until Tuesday, March 19.

For those who work or play outside in Washington — say high school baseball players and coaches — any time there is five, six, or seven days of sunny conditions this early in the season, well, it has to feel like forever.

Because it has seemed like forever since it has happened.

King’s Way Christian’s Jace Barnes slides back safely to first base Thursday during the Knights’ home game against Washougal. Photo by Mike Schultz

The Washougal Panthers and King’s Way Christian Knights met Thursday afternoon for a game at Luke Jensen Field in Vancouver.

The Panthers might want to thank whoever made their schedule. They played Thursday, and they have another game scheduled for Friday and another on Monday.

Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa, er, we mean, it’s Washington.

When the weather forecast is like it is for these coming days, any baseball or softball field, a soccer pitch, a golf course, or any other outdoor sporting venue does become a field of dreams.

Coaches from both teams Thursday said they could not recall a warm front that was forecast to last this long before Spring Break. Oh, sure, there is the occasional 60-degree, sunny day. Maybe two.

But this forecast? Ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome for baseball players.

Washougal’s Jacob Bellamy delivers a pitch Thursday against King’s Way Christian. Photo by Mike Scultz

The KPTV Weather Blog reported Thursday night that the forecast for nearby Portland is to hit 70 degrees for five consecutive days, from Friday through Tuesday. If that happens, KPTV’s Mark Nelson said it would only be the third time since records have been kept that there were five consecutive 70-degree days in March. The first was in 1941, and it happened again in 1978,

So, yes, those coaches, and anybody else who works outdoors, understands that this stretch of spring before spring is bizarre.

The players certainly love it.

“You feel the energy pick up for sure. We’ve got the sun on us, and we are ready to play,” said Jace Barnes, a junior who plays for the King’s Way Christian Knights. “Smiles all around because we love the sun, the few days we get it.”

Remember how the Panthers are scheduled to play a bunch of games during this warm stretch?

The Knights, sadly, are not scheduled to play again until late next week. By then, showers and 50-degree days are in the forecast.

“Being on the turf, we don’t get any days off,” Barnes said of outdoor practices. “There are no field excuses. It’s not that bad until it starts raining, but then it’s no fun. Just grind through the day and get it done.”

That’s a Northwest baseball player talking there.

Washougal’s Jacob Bellamy, a junior, can relate.

“It’s a lifestyle. You’ve got to make due with what you’ve got,” Bellamy said. “Sometimes the weather is not great, but when you’re really passionate about something, you just make it work.”

But you certainly appreciate the great days.

Barnes said Thursday he couldn’t think of a better day to play baseball, unless he was in Florida.

Officially, Vancouver’s high temperature on Thursday was 64 degrees. It just felt warmer.

“As soon as I got off the bus, I started sweating,” Bellamy said.

Baseball fans are also enjoying this stretch of warm weather. The forecast calls for at least five more days of sunshine in the region, a rarity in March. Photo by Mike Schultz

To be fair, he was wearing a hoodie. As the starting pitcher, he was supposed to keep warm. But he said he was “dying” while waiting for the game to begin.

“Sometimes when it’s cold, it’s just hard. It’s hard to find your energy on those days. When it’s nice outside, there’s nothing better,” Bellamy said. “The last two years I’ve been playing high school baseball, one day is good and then the next two or three days are just rain. This is going to be so nice.”

But these sunny, warm days do present some issues for baseball players. During pregame warmups, some outfielders were losing fly balls … in the sun.

That is something the players have not had to deal with much through the years in March.

For at least the next five days, the sun will be out for athletes, and their fans, throughout the region.