By Jose Garcia (@JoseDGarcia__) — Reporter
We are officially 12 days away from the sweet sound of aluminum reverberating in our ear canals. The San Jose State Spartans are scheduled to have their Opening Day on Feb. 18 against Nebraska Omaha at home.
What makes this upcoming season intriguing however, is what’s going on in the pro level of baseball.
Major League Baseball is currently in a lockout because of an expired Collective Bargaining Agreement contract which ended on Dec. 1.
MLB and Major League Baseball Players Association have yet to strike a renewed deal and many ponder that spring training is in serious danger of being delayed.
“The meeting between the Major League Baseball Players Association and MLB is over. Little progress was made. The on-time opening of spring training at this point is in grave danger and, frankly, would take a miraculous deal coming together to rescue. A delay feels inevitable,” MLB insider Jeff Passan tweeted out Jeff Passan, MLB insider on Feb. 1.
With the potential delay of the MLB spring training, what does it mean for college baseball? Well, this should translate to more attention on college baseball players everywhere. Baseball fans have been without baseball since early November when the World Series concluded.
Die-hard fans needing their baseball fix could turn to college baseball in a few weeks. With MLB’s lockout seeing minimal progress, pro baseball is in danger of being out of the forefront for a while.
Spring training was set to start near the end of February but as of now, chances of that are rather slim. For college baseball, now is the time to dominate the sport’s spotlight for the coming months.
MLB isn’t a stranger to lockouts, as there have been nine in its history. However, the most recent lockout was over 25 years ago. This was during the 1994-95 season, in which 948 games and the postseason were canceled.
Evidently, these work stoppages don’t happen too frequently. This is more the reason for NCAA baseball to seize the opportunity and showcase their young talent.
Regardless of what happens in MLB, college baseball will surely be able to gain some new fans this season. With MLB and MLBPA negotiating at a snail’s pace, there will be a plethora of inactivity during the pro baseball off-season.
As a result, there won’t be much attention on the MLB other than intermittent updates on the lockout whenever they transpire. This continues to be a fluid situation so it’s crucial to keep an eye out on what’s going on.
Overall, it’s only a matter of days before the 2022 college baseball season is upon us. Before then it’s vital to comprehend the circumstances of what’s occurring within the baseball world.
Sooner than later college baseball players will lace up their cleats, put on some eye black and take the field with conceivably some new fans hungry for baseball.
The Spartans are set to play a 56 game season in less than two weeks. Head coach Brad Sanflilippo and company will look to set the tone for the season in their home opener.