Perhaps the biggest surprise of this spring sports season is I have not lost feeling in any of my extremities at any baseball, softball, lacrosse or track and field event.

Yet.

Of course, rain has wiped out most of the events I have been scheduled to cover.

Finally, though, the weather seems to be breaking and some great performances are happening all over the county.

One of the best parts of my job is seeing some fresh names pop up and excel from year to year, or seeing a program that has struggled make a surge into contention.

Here are just a few of the surprises that have captured my attention this spring.

Slippery Rock softball.

The Rockets won two games the last two seasons combined. This year, they are 5-0 behind freshman pitcher Cheyenne Hindman.

Slippery Rock has yet to play a region game, but with Hindman in the circle, the Rockets will be in every game.

Cole Shinsky.

This isn’t a huge surprise because the Knoch left-handed pitcher has shown glimpses of dominance in the past.

Injuries have slowed him.

This season, he appears healthy. The opponent’s batting average is not, however.

Shinsky had held the opposition to an .068 batting average and has fanned 24 batters in 13 innings pitched.

Knoch is 7-1 this season and with an ace like Shinsky in George Bradley’s back pocket, the Knights could go far come the postseason.

Reed McDonough and Ben Luce.

McDonough and Luce are both seniors and have never run track before this season.

They are excelling for the 7-0 Mars track and field team.

Luce has the second-fastest time in the county in the 400-meter run, the fourth-fastest time in the 800, the second-best triple jump and is on the Mars 1,600-meter relay team that is second in the county.

McDonough is also on a Mars 3,200-meter relay team, which has the second-fastest time in that event.

The duo have more than just added depth to the Planets. They may be enough to push them over the top come team playoff time.

Mars Girls Lacrosse.

The Planets lost the 97 goals scored by Bella Alampi last season when Alampi decided to go back to Oakland Catholic.

Still, the Planets are tied atop their Division II section after a huge 13-11 win over previously undefeated Shaler Wednesday night.

Shannon Doyle scored six goals in that win, reaching 100 for her career.

It’s only mid-April and there is a lot of spring sports season to be played.

And I’m sure there will be at least one more cold evening for my fingers to freeze.

At least I’ll be watching some good athletes as I fight off frostbite.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.