Rain. Snow. Sleet. Hail. High winds. Dust storms.

Yeah, baby. Spring sports.

Ya gotta love it because that’s what it is and nothing will ever change it until the schedule-makers have to go out and play the games.

Don’t look now, but LadyStorm softball is 26 days away.

Coach Ron Faubion’s gals (40-16 in the first year of Great American Conference play) open against Texas A&M-Kingsville at 4 p.m. Friday, February 1, in the St. Mary’s Tournament. St. Mary’s is located in San Antonio, Texas.

Coach Mike Metheny’s guys (34-17 in the first year of Great American Conference play) don’t open until Tuesday, February 5, with a trip to Northwood Institute in Dallas.

Yeah, baby. Spring sports.

LADYSTORM SOFTBALL has 35 games scheduled before Spring 2013 rolls around on the calendar.

That’s 35 flipping games scheduled before spring arrives. If we still used the Constitution of the United States, this scheduling would absolutely be against it.

Southeastern has five games scheduled in the St. Mary’s Tournament. Opponents will include TAMU-K, Tarleton State, Texas Woman’s University, Incarnate Word and host St. Mary’s.

Next up is the Southeastern Shootout at Durant’s Multi-Sports Complex with SE slated for six games.

Opponents will be Washburn (Kansas), Missouri Western State, Lincoln (Missouri, not the movie), Angelo State (Texas) St. Mary’s and Central Missouri.

Then it’s on to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) D-II Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona.

Opponents will be Augustana College of South Dakota, University of California-San Diego, Minnesota State University-Mankato and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Two more games are scheduled in Tucson with opponents determined by earlier competition.

Twenty doubleheaders will complete the regular season. Non-conference Cameron is here on February 19 and non-conference Northeastern is here on April 23.

The usual suspects of the Great American Conference are on tap between Cameron and Northeastern.

It won’t be long. Dig out the electric underwear and gird your loins.

STORM BASEBALL has eight doubleheaders on the book and 18 dates before spring puts in an appearance.

Twenty-two games are shown on the schedule, plus the Texas A&M-Kingsville Classic.

The hardballers will host Henderson State February 15-16 to open GAC competition.

The Storm will play non-conference games against Northwood, Tarleton State, Angelo State, Cameron, Northeastern and Oklahoma Christian.

The final three-game series of the regular season should be a dandy with Southeastern visiting East Central for a single game on April 26 and a doubledip on the following day.

Storm baseball fans won’t have Roland Fanning to kick around this year. Former outstanding catcher Ryan Bowen is now the assistant coach with Rollo moving on the Oklahoma State.

It won’t be long.

COACH KELLY GREEN’S Storm basketballers took over first place in the GAC with a Thursday victory over Southern Arkansas.

SE hosted Arkansas-Monticello Saturday and it will be interesting to see how things shake out after all of the weekend’s results are in the book.

COACH DAREN GROVER’S young ladies made it two in a row with a win over the Lady Muleriders.

A Saturday win over Monticello will move the young ladies to 3-3 in the GAC and put them back into the race.

Stay tuned.