Columbus North’s Ely Lucas and Ryan Rayburn watch Luke Harmon pitch to Seymour at the Southside diamonds, Thursday, April 27, 2023.
The Republic file photo
History will be made Friday night.
That’s because this will be the first regular season game between the Columbus East and Columbus North baseball teams that will be played under the lights. The first pitch is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Olympians’ home diamond instead of the yearly 6 p.m. start.
Both East and North have faced each under the lights before, but that was in the sectional at an out-of-town venue. Friday marks the first time in its 50-year history the Olympians will host the Bull Dogs with the availability of lights.
The lights were added to both the East field in Clifty Park and the North field at Southside Elementary in the offseason. East athletics director Pete Huse changed the time to make the baseball game feel more important than other baseball games that begin between 5 and 6 p.m.
“A lot of it has to do with being grateful for what BCSC has done to both schools and allowing us to have lights, which it helps out so much,” Huse said. “The East-North rivalry is such a special rivalry that to be able to play it under the lights adds to that rivalry, but a lot just has to do with, we really wanted to show our appreciation to the facility upgrades that we are getting and to try to make the baseball game and rivalry even more special because we have the lights.”
Another reason for the time change is to make it more convenient to the fans that can’t make it to 5 or 6 p.m. games because of work, dinner or other scheduling conflicts.
“It’s tough for people to get off work and the sacrifices they have to make a lot of times to get off work where, if you are on an hourly rate or you’d be pushing a deadline and want to leave early to go to a game, it is tough,” Huse said. “I do think with it especially being a Friday night, it adds to it. We play football at 7. We play basketball around 7:30. Why not do baseball at 7?”
As of Wednesday night, the forecast calls for 40% chance of showers during the afternoon and evening hours, but the temperature should be pleasant with the projected temperature in the mid-60s at first pitch. Come Friday, if the rain is scheduled to take place in the evening, then it will be moved back to the original 6 p.m. slot.
“More importantly, it’s about getting the game in,” Huse said. “As much as we’d like to play the whole thing under the lights, it’s more important to get the game in because just like (Monday), we weren’t able to get the Southport game in, and we don’t have any place to make it up with how the schedules are. When you get into May, schedules are getting pretty tight.”
When the teams take the field with the lights shining down upon them, it will make the atmosphere exciting for the players involved.
“It’ll definitely be a fun atmosphere. Hopefully, we get a big crowd out there,” East coach Jon Gratz said. “It makes it similar to like a sectional championship or a regional game with the crowd you get. Playing under the lights makes it that much cooler for the kids.”
This will be North coach Mike Bodart’s first time coaching in the annual rivalry game. It’s also very fitting his first time coaching will be under the lights.
“They’ll enjoy it. It’ll be a cool scene. It’s great for Columbus and Columbus baseball to do it and show off the lights at both fields,” Bodart said. “It happens to be at East this year, but it’s a good way to give back to the community and show them that with that late start. Our guys will be focused and prepared and ready to play the game.”
