Over the course of the summer, I've been able to enjoy several nights of Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale -- both as a reporter and as a baseball fan.
I was in the pressbox last Saturday covering the Naturals' game against the San Antonio Missions when I glanced down at the remaining schedule for the 2016 season when reality sunk in like a ton of bricks.
There's only one homestand left for the season for the Naturals.
Is it just me or does it feel like the season just started? And, unfortunately, it's on the cusp of being over.
The Naturals will open up their final home stand of the season on Tuesday, Aug. 30, with the beginning of a four-game set with the Tulsa Drillers. The final three games will be over Labor Day weekend against the in-state rival Arkansas Travelers.
We're really fortunate here in Northwest Arkansas to have a Major League-affiliated minor league baseball team.
The future stars of tomorrow get their starts in places like Springdale, North Little Rock, Tulsa and Springfield, Mo., or in Texas towns like Frisco, San Antonio, Midland or Corpus Christi.
So if you haven't been to a game yet this season, time is running out.
Soccer teams win
Before heading out to Arvest Ballpark on Saturday, I stopped in at Alumni Field on the campus of John Brown University for the Golden Eagle soccer teams' season-opener against Lyon.
There are exciting things going on with the JBU soccer programs, who both picked up shutout wins against Lyon on a cool, light rain-soaked afternoon.
It was a good start to the season for JBU. Both teams will be at home again on Friday. The women host Bellevue (Neb.) at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men against Southwest Baptist (Mo.) under the lights at 7:30 p.m.
If all goes according to plan, fans should get to enjoy a new scoreboard at Alumni Field, replacing the old one which has been there since the early 1980s. "We've gotten our money's worth out of it," joked JBU Director of Athletics Robyn Daugherty.
Football starts Friday
And for me, on Friday I'll be heading out to Kansas, Okla., for the Comets' season opener against Oklahoma Union as part of Zero Week. Zero Week allows teams to play a regular season game a week earlier than scheduled, followed by an off week later in the season. Arkansas schools voted to implement Zero Week in the upcoming seasons. It's a neat concept, and yes even though it will be hot on Friday, it'll be fun to watch a real game rather than a scrimmage or jamboree.
Also, inside today's Herald-Leader is a copy of our 2016 Westside Football Section. It's 28 pages full of football previews for Herald-Leader area teams, Siloam Springs, Kansas, Colord, Watts and Oaks, and Westside Eagle Observer area teams Gravette, Gentry and Decatur. Be sure and check it out, and happy football season!
-- Graham Thomas is the managing editor for the Herald-Leader. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Sports on 08/24/2016