LEWISTON — It was 25 degrees, with a wind chill hovering around Groundhog Day, when Lewiston’s pitchers and catchers reported back to the high school early Monday night for the opening of the spring sports season.

Baseball teams across the state were allowed to bring in eight pitchers and two catchers ( for softball, any combination of 10 pitchers and catchers) on Monday. Full-squad practices start next Monday, but the Maine Principals’ Association gives pitchers the extra time to get their arms stretched out and ready for the season to come.

The first countable games don’t start until April 17, but with most fields buried under several feet of snow and ice, thoughts of toeing the rubber and digging into the batter’s box were hardly 60-feet, six inches away for most Mainers.

“With the snow, it’s tough. But I’m excited to get started,” senior pitcher Eddie Emerson said. “Even though we’re indoors, it’s still fun to start throwing and get things going.”

Gathered in the gym that will likely serve as their practice field for the foreseeable future, second-year coach Dave Jordan introduced his players to new members of his coaching staff and laid out his plans for the upcoming season.

Many of the players have already been throwing on their own, even venturing outside on the rare non-Arctic day for a little catch. But getting together with coaches and teammates for the first time always feels special.

“It’s about getting into baseball mode,” sophomore pitcher Mike Wong said. “It’s time. We’ve been waiting for a long time and now it’s time to get ready and see where we are.”

“We’re kind of spoiled having this week. It gets us in a little extra shape” senior pitcher Nick Perreault said. “There’s a difference between being in shape and being in baseball shape.”

To that end, one of the Blue Devils’ biggest addition in the preseason isn’t a player but performance trainer B.J. Grondin of Mechanic Falls.

With a tight budget, the Blue Devils had to do a little extra fundraising to pay for Grondin’s strength-and-conditioning expertise, but Jordan and the players believe it will be worth it in the long run.

“Usually guys arms are tired towards the end of the season, but this year with this new strength and conditioning stuff, the big thing for us will be being at our peak towards the end of the season and when we’re heading into the playoffs,” said Emerson, a left-hander who will be the staff ace.

“We take a little extra time — we’ve got about an hours worth today — of just strength-and-conditioning and flexibility work, getting our bodies prepared for the season,” Jordan said. “There’s a lot of teaching time, too, so as we get into the season guys will know the routines and know the exercises.”

Coming off a 10-7 season that ended in the Eastern A quarterfinals, the Blue Devils have a mix of veterans such as Emerson and Perreault and some younger players such as Wong who gained valuable experience last year as freshmen and while playing American Legion ball.

“We’ve got a nice strong core coming back from last year, but the younger guys are going to be just as important because they have positions to fill,” Perreault said.

Opening Day for the Devils is April 23, when they host Hampden Academy, which beat them in last year’s quarterfinals.

Lewiston has some exhibition games scheduled in the southern part of the state before then. Unless spring arrives quickly and with a purpose, that may be their only chance to get on the field before the games count.

Jordan swatted away a question about his players perhaps getting a bad case of cabin fever like it was a hanging 3-and-2 curve ball.

“I’m not even thinking about that,” Jordan said. “We can only control what we can control. We can’t control Mother Nature and things like that. When we’re inside, a lot of people may be frustrated to be inside, but let’s be the best team in the state with our practice habits when we’re inside and get the most work done.”

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