Rockets need to take advantage of upcoming schedule

TOLONO — After slow seasons in 2008, the Unity baseball and softball teams don't need huge seasons this year to show they've improved; but they'd like to have some, anyway.

The Rockets' boys have a goal of winning at least 16 games this season, while the girls would like to win their third regional title in four years. The goals are realistic, but in sports like baseball and softball, what the team's do now we'll be crucial to what they are able to do in May. Baseball and softball rely on momentum, and the earlier a team gets some on their side, the more likely they are to have a big year.

Look at it this way: If the Rockets are able to get on winning streaks now, they'll get to higher win totals faster and get higher seeds come postseason time. Technically there isn't much difference between a No. 2 seed and a No. 4 seed when regionals come (you still have to win to advance), but I'd much rather be a No. 2 seed looking at an undermatched No. 7 than a No. 4 seed stuck with an equally talented No. 5. I mean, there's a reason Nos. 1-3 seeds are 24-0 in the NCAA tournament right now while No. 4 seeds are 5-2 — they just get a better draw.

The Rockets can get to those high seeds in May, but they have to play well now to earn them.

A top seed isn't just given away to the team with a four-game winning streak in early May; and it isn't given to a team that starts 1-10 and ends 10-1. Teams need to be consistently good to get top seeds, and in the Rockets' case, that means they can't risk dropping games they shouldn't. To put it bluntly, Unity needs to win all the games they think they should win, plus maybe steal a game or two against better teams.

Both the baseball and softball teams' schedules set up nicely in the next couple weeks. The baseball team plays a pair of probable regional opponents (Westville, Bismarck-Henning) in bad slumps in the next two weeks, and hosts a tournament at home. The softball team has Centennial Friday, but then hosts Orion for a double header Saturday and Class 1A Arcola Monday. Orion has a good team, but a three-hour drive should make them vulnerable. The Rockets' need to take care of these games while they can, because when the conference season comes around, eight-game winning streaks will be hard to come by.