There will be lots to celebrate later today as spring sports resume for local high schools for the first time since June of 2019. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They may just be tryouts or practices, but they will be the most significant spring tryouts or practices in the history of New Hampshire high school sports.

The spring sports season gets underway today all over the state, including at Nashua High School North, South and Bishop Guertin. Teams that haven’t played in nearly two years after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the spring season last year will get going again.

Tryout/practice times are all different for each sport, but many have been posted on the Nashua Athletics twitter account.

For South, baseball is at 4 p.m. at the upper field, softball at 3 p.m. at the varsity field, boys lacrosse at 4 p.m. at South Field, girls lacrosse at 4 p.m. at the Fran Tate Track infield; boys and girls track at the track at 2:30, and boys (2:30 p.m.) and girls (4 p.m.) at the South courts.

At North, baseball begins at 3:30 at the varsity field, softball at 4:30 at the school’s softball field; boys lacrosse at 5 p.m. at North’s multi-purpose field, while girls lacrosse will be at 6 p.m. at Stellos Stadium. Boys and girls tennis are at 3 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. respectively at the school’s courts. Boys and girls track are at 2:30 p.m. in the North medium gym.

Bishop Guertin has a few of the tryout times/locations listed on its athletic calendar. Of note, girls lacrosse will be at 3 p.m. at Stellos Stadium and girls tennis at 2:40 p.m. at the Holman Stadium courts, according to the calendar.

Most school web sites have the tryout dates listed, including Merrimack’s. As always, even with the above times listed, check the schools athletic department web sites and/or twitter accounts. In any event, today is a special day.

“I’m just so excited for our kids,” Merrimack AD Mike Soucy said. “Of all the athletes that have been impacted in the last 12-13 months, none have been impacted more than our spring athletes.”

SPRING TOURNEYS SET

The idea of neutral sites seems to have gone by the wayside for spring sports tournaments, but that was also expected in the fall and things changed when some schools offered their facilities – as was done in the winter.

But, in any event, the NHIAA web site has posted the dates for the tournaments, with the sites in all rounds the “lower team number” in what is expected to be a blind draw.

But what could be a monster day as of now is May 31 – Memorial Day — which is the day for all the first rounds in baseball, softball, Division II boys lacrosse and all three divisions for girls lacrosse. Division I and III boys lacrosse begin on June 3.

Lacrosse will have just four rounds – prelims, quarters, semis, and finals. Baseball and softball will begin with going by past practice, play-in games for Round 1 of five, so not everyone in the open tourney/regional concept will be in action that day.

But there are plenty of same day dates for most of the rest of the tourneys, although finals for June 12 times are staggered. Yet remember, these things can always change or be updated.

As for boys and girls tennis, there will be prelims, quarters, semis and finals, all at the home of the higher seed (does this mean records will count for seeding?) with the postseason starting on May 25 or 26, and finals on either June 2 or 3. Boys volleyball, same thing, four rounds, higher seed hosting,

TRACK& FIELD POSTSEASON

Soucy said that most of the meets will be dual meets during the regular season, with the exception for Merrimack of perhaps a small elite meet with three other schools involving just their top athletes.

But to create huge numbers of athletes in one area, the boys and girls Division Meets will be separate events.

As of now, Divison I will be at Winnacunnet of Hampton, the girls meet on Thursday, May 27 and the boys on Friday, May 28. Division II boys and girls will be on the same day, Saturday, May 29, at the same location, Pelham High School. But they will be at different times – girls at 9 a.m.and boys at 1 p.m.

Division III will be earlier, Tuesday, May 25 (girls) and Wednesday, May 26 (girls) at Gilford High School.

Right now, there will be a Meet of Champions, site to be determined, with the girls at 9 a.m.and boys at 1 p.m.

Alvirne will host the Unified Track Meet on May 25.

Newsletter