The baseball team without a home | Boston Globe

Even under the best of circumstances, baseball players, coaches, and staff have always had an uphill battle. From setting up and maintaining a field to battling less than ideal conditions, baseball people have learned to take it all in stride and go about their business.

Here’s a story in the Boston Globe about the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team and their ongoing challenges, brought about primarily because of a pronounced lack of facilities — especially a home field.

They call themselves baseball nomads.

The Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards are homeless. They have to travel to every game.

There is a state-of-the-art playing field on the Boston campus, but Sweeney Field is for the softball, soccer, and lacrosse teams. At home, the baseball team doesn’t even have its own locker room.

In an age when college athletes are increasingly pampered, these Leopards are extremely adaptable, just like their namesakes.

“It definitely affects us, but our coach always says, ‘Don’t make excuses, make adjustments,” so that’s the motto we live by every day,” said Robby Sheldon, a pitcher and senior captain.

Head coach Steve Studley, who has amassed 224 wins in 14 seasons, has instilled an attitude of gratitude.

“They’re great kids that work hard and want to get better,” said Studley. “You don’t need everything to be perfect to be the best you can be. We make the best of it.”

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They play most of their designated “home” games in Brockton, 25 miles away. They also play two home games at UMass-Boston.

In the past, the players have arisen at 6 a.m. to travel to Springfield to be the home team, while their opponents were sleeping in.

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But this joyful band of engineering and architectural students has designed a blueprint of hardball happiness. They simply don’t whine.

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Nor do they complain about sharing their locker room with the volleyball and basketball teams. Some of the freshmen have to share lockers.

“What we come for is not the lockers or anything like that,” said Weninger. “We come to play baseball with 28 of our best friends.”

Read the entire article at BostonGlobe.com.