For the first time in almost a year, Keystone College seems poised to get back to athletic competition.
After suspending its fall and winter sports seasons because of concerns over the pandemic, the Colonial States Athletic Conference took a major step toward a return to play Monday, saying it plans to move forward with spring sports seasons.
The conference’s board of directors announced in a press release that the CSAC plans to hold competitive spring sports sponsored by the league. Member institutions will have “the autonomy to engage in nonconference competition … at their discretion with the condition that the expectations outlined in the CSAC Return to Play plan are reviewed and met by the opponent.”
That’s big news at Keystone College, which as a member of the CSAC hasn’t played a game in any sport since the softball team left the field after a loss to the University of St. Joseph on March 12 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Athletic director Ryan Novitsky confirmed Monday the Giants will compete this spring in baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s track and field, with some programs scheduling nonconference games as well.
An athletic competition hasn’t been held at the La Plume campus since the men’s lacrosse team played Houghton College on March 10. But, the Keystone baseball team is scheduled to open its season March 20 with a doubleheader against Wilson College, if nothing changes.
Health and safety remains at the forefront of concerns despite the decision to move forward during the pandemic, the CSAC insisted. The directors insisted league and school officials will make adjustments to their plans as necessary, depending on federal and local health guidelines and requirements.
Donnie Collins has been a member of The Times-Tribune sports staff for nearly 20 years and has been the Penn State football beat writer for Times-Shamrock Newspapers since 2004. The Penn State Football Blog covers Nittany Lions, Big Ten and big-time college football news from Beaver Stadium to the practice field, the bowl game to National Letter of Intent Signing Day. Contact: dcollins@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5368; @DonnieCollinsTT
