Spring training will soon take on new meaning in Aberdeen.

While college and professional baseball squads are preparing for upcoming seasons, the Aberdeen Smittys also have their minds on America’s national past time.

The Smittys will be adding a high school baseball team this season, with games scheduled in April and May.

“It’s going to be great,” said Smittys coach Nathan Gonnelly. “Honestly, we’re talking in baseball in February. What can get much better than that? I’m excited for it.”

While the Smittys have had a high school team in the past, with the possibility of the sport becoming sanctioned by the South Dakota High School Activities Association in the future, this is an ideal time to restart the team, according to Gonnelly.

“This year we just decided to hop into it, especially if it’s starting to be talked about getting sanctioned for high school sports as well,” Gonnelly said. “Figured we’d hop on and get started earlier.”

The Smittys will play a schedule of Class A squads with the season opener set for April 17. Gonnelly understands the risks associated with spring baseball.

“The weather will be a huge part of it,” he said, “if it snows, rains, whatever else.”

In addition to sharing Fossum Field with Northern State’s baseball team in the spring, there is also the challenge of sharing athletes with other spring sports like track and field, and tennis.

“I think it was Harrisburg, last year, a team down south, they had a kid run track one day and then the same day he came back and caught in the state tournament,” Gonnelly said. “It’s a constant battle throughout the entire state. We’re working all together on this thing.”

He said the last thing the Smittys want to do is interfere with other spring sports. He said every attempt will be made to accommodate those who want to compete in multiple sports at the same time.

“We’re going to be working around their schedule a little bit, trying to get them as many opportunities as they can come to play,” Gonnelly said, “but we also understand that kids are in multiple sports and we don’t want to take anything away from them.”

High school baseball differs from American Legion baseball in that wood bats are used compared to aluminum, and weather conditions tend to be much colder.

“Just dressing warmer and getting to play a little bit of small ball,” Gonnelly said of playing spring baseball.”

Gonnelly said that while some members of the Smittys have been working out all winter, there are also others who are involved in various sports. He wants to make sure that those who participate in other sports have a good experience regardless of their activity.

“We don’t want to take anything away from these kids,” Gonnelly said. “They work their tail off in all these sports. We want to give them every opportunity to succeed.”

While the area is expected to get blanketed with snow this weekend, that has not put the damper on Gonnelly about the upcoming spring season and the first outdoor batting practice, whenever that happens to be.

“Hopefully this snow kind of clears up a little bit and hopefully it gets to be 40-50 degrees and we can just go take BP at Fossum,” Gonnelly said. “Hopefully that day comes sooner than later.”