Besides print shop employees, some faculty members and students with lab classes in the basement, not many people venture into Thayer Hall’s basement. But curiously, the Pioneer baseball team used it as a training facility at one point. Ed Blazina had the report in this March 14, 1978 article.

Somehow the basement of Thayer Hall doesn’t exactly resemble a spring training facility.

That’s where the Point Park baseball team has been working to get in shape for what should be yet another banner season. Working around at least a dozen building supports in the baby blue room most notable for Friday afternoon beer blasts, the Pioneers are able to get in some throwing, rope jumping and reaction drills. It seems comparable to preparing for the Indy 500 by driving a Volkswagen.

“They can do some of the very basics, that’s all,” said Assistant Coach Jerry Kizina. “They can throw, loosen up the arm. The running you can do anywhere.”

With their first doubleheader scheduled for March 28, the Pioneers had hoped to get outside for some hitting and fielding practice when the weather cleared up last week. According to Kizina’s brother and fellow assistant Terry Kizina, that was little more than wishful thinking.

“We went out to Bloomfield where they have the artificial surface about 11 o’clock this morning,” Kizina said last Thursday. “There’s still three inches of snow on the field.”

Even with the warmer weather, then, the Pioneers are not optimistic about beginning regular practices any time soon.

According to Jerry Kizina, “The way the weather has been, it’s going to take some time to get something resembling a baseball field. It’s a city field. We have to take care of it ourselves.”

“The good part about it is if we can’t get out, I’m sure nobody else can either.”

So, Thayer Hall basement becomes the Pioneer version of Bradenton. At one end of the room, starters Joe Adlesic, Eugene Ashley and Joe Fiori take turns hitting check-swing grounders to one another. Off to one side, pitcher Curt Carpenter performs some neat jumping rope tricks. At the far end, catcher Dave Duncan seems to get a sort of vicarious thrill from bouncing pitches in front of freshman backup Rich Hesse to teach him to block poor throws.

Somehow, in spring training, everything seems alright.

[Editor’s Note: Ed Blazina now works for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and was one of the journalists who went on strike at the paper from 2022-2025.]