North catcher Mario Ramirez, left, and Nolan Sullivan were able to repeat this celebration a couple of times in last year's tournament, and nearly made it to the Division I finals, capturing the attenion of local sports fans and the state (File Photo)

The timing could be better.

A couple of days ago, the weather was perfect: Sunny, mid 60s, a perfect early spring day. That’s the kind of weather local high school spring sports teams would have loved to start their tryouts with.

But, instead, today they’ll likely be indoors for the opening of the 2025 spring sports season, thanks to a cold rain, expected small coating of snow and wintry mix. Today is the first day high school teams in the state are allowed to practice.

The start of the spring season brings back memories of the 2024 tournament season, when there were six championship games involving seven local teams. Campbell and Bishop Guertin came away with boys lacrosse crowns while Hollis Brookline won its third straight boys volleyball crown. Souhegan bowed in the Division II baseball finals while the Bishop Guertin girls softball team saw an unexpected tourney run to the finals end in a loss to Londonderry, and a few days earlier the BG girls lacrosse team fell to Portsmouth.

But the Cards’ softball run and one by another lower seed. the Nashua North baseball team, were the highlight of the postseason, capturing the attention of everyone. The Titans upset Keene and Dover on the road before falling to eventual Division I champion Pinkerton in extra innings at a packed Holman Stadium.

North baseball coach Zach Harris was at a boys hoop game back in January, having just wrapped up an open gym for baseball workouts. “The kids wanted to start now,” he said that night.

On Sunday, Harris was primed to get things officially started.

“That tourney run was a lot of fun,” he said, “and I’m lucky enough to bring back 12 guys that contributed in various ways during that time. We’re excited to try and pick up where we left off.”

The biggest change for this spring will be the fact that coaching legend Chris Cameron is no longer the head boys lacrosse coach at Bishop Guertin. He’ll still be on the sidelines, however, helping out his successor – former Cardinal standout Brian Cameron, his son.

There are a number of other coaching changes here and there in the various sports. After back-to-back titles a couple of years ago, Hollis Brookline baseball coach Jay Sartell stepped down, and another Cavalier championship winning coach, girls lax mentor Linda Haytayan, stepped aside with Maddie Learned the new coach. Rick Urda retired as Milford boys lacrosse coach.

HB boys volleyball coach Ed Leonard retired, and his successor is another member of the successful Cavalier volleyball family, Jake Balfour, husband of Cavs girls coach Becky Balfour and her assistant coach in the fall.

Drew Gora is the new baseball coach at Campbell, where he had been the Cougars head man a few years ago. Tennis is a sport that usually sees changes, and both the North boys and girls positions were listed as open. Mo Leclerc was not returning as the Alvirne girls tennis coach.

In any event, most teams and their new or returning coaches will be enjoying the great indoors for a couple of days this week.

Stellos Stadium should be ready, by all indications, for the start of the spring game schedule, with its new turf, etc. that was installed in November after the facility was shut down for field safety measures in early October.