After a pause of more than two weeks, the Winthrop baseball team returned to action this past weekend with a three-game series against the Longwood Lancers.
Following the team’s loss to the University of South Carolina on March 2, Winthrop was scheduled to play a three-game series against High Point on March 5 and 6, but the games were postponed.
Neither school gave reason for the postponement, but while Winthrop did not schedule a new opponent for the weekend, High Point hosted UNC Asheville on March 6 and 7.
Winthrop’s next series (scheduled for March 12 and 13 against Gardner-Webb) was also postponed, as well as a single game against Campell that was scheduled for March 16, providing a reason to believe that COVID-19 could be a factor.
Director of Athletics Dr. Ken Halpin told The Johnsonian that he could not speak about any medically-related information regarding to students due to HIPPA, but he assured us that the athletic department has been monitoring the situation and adhering to state guidelines while the team has not been playing games.
“[A]s a department we have been communicating daily with our team doctors as well as Student Health Services at Winthrop and we have been complying with all policies and procedures set forth by the NCAA, the State of South Carolina, and all of our campus policies as well,” Halpin said.
The Johnsonian reached out to the coaching staff of the team but was told the matter was not something they were looking to discuss.
Two wins against Longwood over the weekend improved Winthrop’s record to 5-6 on the season, and the Eagles will look to win some more this Friday and Saturday with a three-game series versus USC Upstate. Games are scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on March 26 and 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on March 27 at the Winthrop Ballpark.
