LANDIS — South Rowan owns an impressive indoor batting facility, but there was only silence in the cages.

When the school system issues a no-after-school-activities mandate because of wintry weather, as was the case on Wednesday, the Raiders are in the same boat as the teams with no indoor facilities.

No practices. No scrimmages. No tryouts.  Those are the rules.

The tryouts part gets overlooked because teams are basically set in the offseason, but South Rowan baseball coach Thad Chrismon is a believer in the underdog.

“You’d like for every kid to have a shot to get on the field, to show what he can do and maybe make the team,” Chrismon said. “But that’s been tough  with the weather we’ve had this year. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The NCHSAA permitted baseball practices as early as Feb. 16. That gave  teams two weeks to prepare for opening day.

South Rowan has been able to stage practice and tryouts only twice — Saturday and Monday — and that’s probably two more practices than some teams have had.

“Fortunately, we were able to get on the field Monday, but that was only because our assistant coaches spent hours shoveling ice off the field before it melted,” Chrismon said.

South Rowan hopes to  get in a non-conference game at A.L. Brown  next Monday.

That would be helpful as the first of South Rowan’s 16 SPC games (at Northwest Cabarrus) is scheduled for Tuesday.

“There’s rain in the forecast for Monday,” Chrismon said with a grimace. “The reality is   some teams might be playing games that count before they have a practice.”

Even with the weather-plagued start, there’s plenty of optimism, as all six Rowan County teams have exceptional players returning and five of the six have experienced pitching returning.

South Rowan went 22-7 and won the prestigious Easter tournament in Kannapolis with pitchers who were untested when last season started.

“Our pitchers had 10 varsity innings under their belts going into last year,” Chrismon said. “This  year, with Blake Johnson, Burke Fulcher and Bo Corriher, we’ve got 150 innings returning.”

Fulcher honored

South Rowan’s indoor facility did get a little use on Wednesday.

At 2 p.m., Fulcher was honored there as the state’s Time Warner Cable News Scholar-Athlete of the Week.

Fulcher, an exceptional student as well as one of the school’s top football and baseball players, was nominated for the award  by South Rowan teacher Norma Weidenhoft.

Jason Brown, TWC weekend sports anchor, taped interviews with Fulcher, Chrismon and former head football coach Jason Rollins. Spots will start airing on Friday.

The unassuming Fulcher was the last to hear about the award and the last to arrive for his own party. South Rowan coaches showed they can keep a secret.

“I’m definitely honored and blessed to have the coaches, teachers, family and friends that I have,” Fulcher said.

Fulcher was 5-1 on the mound for the Raiders last spring, including a win in the Easter tournament championship game.

“We talk a lot about our kids winning off the field as well as on the field,” Chrismon said. “That’s what Burke does. He’s a competitor.”

Fulcher said he enjoys the thrill of striking out opponents and he likes baseball, but football is his favorite sport.

“Football is where you get rewarded for hitting someone,” Fulcher said. “I like to hit.”

Fulcher played middle linebacker for South Rowan and will pursue football in college as well as a degree in athletic training.

Averett is his most likely college destination.

“A lot of 18-year-olds act like they’re13, but Burke has been a young adult since he got to South,” Rollins said.

“He grew up quick and he was a leader and a captain for us. He didn’t have to say a word. He set the example, and guys followed him.”