The B1G softball tournament used a helicopter to dry its infield

“This one’s a chopper down the right field line” is something you might’ve heard a softball announcer say. It’s a way to describe a bouncing ball.

But what about a chopper delay? That’s new lingo, and on Friday we learned it’s reserved for putting an actual helicopter on a softball field.

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Let us explain.

After some no-joke rain over Goodman Diamond in central Wisconsin on Friday, the fine folks in charge of the B1G Softball tournament decided the absolute best way to dry out the field for Minnesota and Wisconsin, and to make sure conditions were safe and playable…

…was to get a helicopter.

You've heard of a Rain Delay; maybe even a Snow Delay...but a Chopper Delay?!

The @B1Gsoftball Tournament called in a chopper to help dry a soggy field in Madison.

pic.twitter.com/L3JItbp7HD

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 11, 2018

We weren’t kidding!

According to the broadcast, the pilot’s name was Eric Peterson and he hailed from Baraboo, Wisconsin, which is a very good name for a town.

Here’s another really cool angle of the whole thing, from the B1G’s Chris Masters:

Been in the SID profession over 20 years and this is my first chopper delay #B1GSoftball #21stcenturydiamonddry pic.twitter.com/oCPW4R9wOY

— Chris Masters (@B1G_Masters) May 11, 2018

Sped up, it sort of looks like Eric and the helicopter were doing a jig across the diamond:

Definitely nothing out of the ordinary going on here ... pic.twitter.com/imXvHXKe2r

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 11, 2018

Later on in the game, once the field had been propperly chopper'd, Wisconsin’s Jordann Little took advantage of that freshly-dried playing surface and made what we think qualifies as a very nice catch:

If the weather hadn't cleared up, we might never have witnessed a catch like this from @BadgerSoftball's @jordannlittle.

And it's a #BTNStandout presented by @Discover: pic.twitter.com/m41VqO7pAb

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 11, 2018

In the end, Minnesota won the game, 6-0. But we all know the helicopter was the real winner today.