Rod's Tuesday Take N Things

The Pierre Post 8 American Legion baseball team has won 3 of their last 4 but are still 1 game under .500. It seems that when they are hitting, they are not pitching. When they pitch, they don't hit. As witnessed by Sunday night's 12-10 comeback win over Orient where they spotted thier host an 8-0 2nd inning lead. Or last night, when they lost to Mitchell 12-11 in 8 innings in the second game of the doubleheader. They used 4 pitchers in game 2 last night. They have two games at Huron tomorrow night before going to Fargo for a tournament this weekend where they will be playing 5 games.

Rod's Tuesday Take N Things

OK, I was wrong yesterday when I said that by later today, the Big 12 Conference as we know it would be no more. All reports circulating yesterday said it was a done deal. Texas was off to the PAC 10 and the others in the Big 12 South would follow. So Texas said no to the Pac 10 and all of a sudden the Big 12 (minus 2) is happy and staying in tact. I can only hope that the other 9 Universities in the Big 12 (minus 2) enjoy Texas telling them what and what not to do. And kuddo's to Nebraska and Colorado for calling Texas's bluff and making their move. Nebraska to the Big 10 beginning in 2011-2012 and Colorado to the PAC 10 in the 2012-2013 school year.

Congratulations to a pair of Pierre youngsters. Peyton Zabel and Sydney Palmer. They competed on Saturday at the Minnesota Twins Pitch, Hit and Run competitons at Target Field in Minnepolis. Zabel won the 9- to 10-year-old boys division championship, and Palmer was the runner-up in the 13- to 14 year- old girls division.

And, The University of Nebraska wrestling summer camp will be coming to Ft. Pierre and Parkview Gym next week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Guest Clinician will be Nebraska head wrestling coach and Vermillion native Mark Manning. Registration for the camp begins at 8:15 am with the camp for 7 year olds through 6th graders for the coming school year being run from 9 am to 11 am and the camp for those entering 7th grade through 12th grade next school year being held from 1 to 3 p.m. all 3 days. Registration fee is $65 for the younger wrestlers and $80 for the older group. Former national champion Jordan Burdiss is also expected to be on hand. For more information or if you have any questions on the camp you can contact Stanley County head wrestling coach Craig Heller at 605-280-0674.

Pierre Post 8 baseball is in Rapid City tonight for a doubleheader against Rapid City Post 320. The "B" Teeners are hosting Gettysburg at Hyde Stadium in a doubleheader and the Rattlers amatuer team puts their 11-0 record up at Miller tonight.

Also last night, the Pierre School Board hired several teachers and coaches. Scott DeBoer, a Huron High School grad is going to be the new Governor sophomore boys basketball coach. Shawn Schnabel will be a new assistant coach at the 9th grade level. In girls basketball, Cally Swanson will be an 8th grade girls basketball coach.

Rod's Monday Take N Things

The Pierre Post 8 American Legion baseball team was rained out of their doubleheader with Spearfish yesterday and this Friday's scheduled doubleheader at Sturgis has been cancelled due to the fact that Sturgis has 5 players at a football camp. Sturgis also has others on the JV or split squad team playing in a tournament that weekend so they did not have 9 guys available. Pierre may play in a triangular with Spearfish and Sturgis when they play on July 13, but their is nothing official on that at the present time.

The Pierre Rattlers amatuer team is 11-0 on the season and not ranked in the South Dakota Amatuer Baseball Association poll. Brookings Cubby's, a team they beat last weekend in the championship of the Brookings tournament, is ranked 2nd in the Class A poll. But of the 11 wins, only 2 have come against Class A opponents. And only one of those, Brookings, is from South Dakota. They also defeated Jamestown, North Dakota. The Rattlers go to Miller tomorrow night for a single 9 inning game. They are home Saturday hosting Rapid City and Refield Dairy Queen, a team they beat in the semi finals of the Brookings Tournament.

And today and tomorrow will be the final days of the Big 12 Conference as we know it in college sports. Missouri Board of Regents members had a behind closed door meeting last night Texas board members will meet tomorrow. Expect Texas to go the Pac 10 along with Colorado. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and Texas Tech should follow in line. Texas A&M will probably go with them although it has been reported that A & M has been looking towards the Southeast Conference. With Nebraska and Colorado leaving the Conference it leaves Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State along with Missouri and Baylor as the only schools left in the Big 12. And you cannot do a viable conference with only 5 schools in Division 1 college athletics.

Andy Shoe's Scuttlebutts

I have been working on something for the local baseball program for a while now. I came up with an idea of having an opening day celebration at the Legion Memorial Field in Mobridge. I hope it will be a huge success and lots of people will come out and support youth baseball and softball in this town. Over the past couple of years I have seen the decline in youth baseball become an almost bottomless pit of despair. What has happened to America's past time? Where are all of the die hard baseball players? I know that I am getting up there in age, but I can't believe that video games and television have that much of a strangle hold on our youth. I think there was time when every town in the Midwest had a program that they could be proud of and today it is hard to get more then nine boys or girls per team. I am proud of the way major sports are starting to step up with programs like Play 60 from the NFL or the RBI league from MLB to mention a few. No it is not for the lack of motivation from outside the home that the blame lies, it is a direct effect of letting the television be the babysitter. I know that with times being on the rough side in our economy that the idea of a single provider house hold is an old concept but I would say that instead of having kids at home watching TV or playing video games send them to baseball or softball practice. Get the children of America active! If you are paying attention to what is going on with the next generation then you will know that an entire generation is suffering from the effects of childhood obesity. If nothing is done soon the repercussion's could be catastrophic. I know that sometimes I can get a little melodramatic about things, but I know also that I am a member of a growing group that is concerned about what may be without some intervention.

I digress, Opening Day is what I am here writing about today and I want all reading this to make an effort to show up for the event. It will be held Sunday June Thirteenth at around five forty five in the evening at The New Legion Memorial Field. It is located in the same spot on Twelfth Street, but if it has been a while since you have watched a game there it will be an eye opening experience. Come and see all of the youth ball players introduced from T-Ball to Legion. See all of the people who are involved with the summer youth program and meet the people that donated so much time to help improve the complex. There will be a ceremonial first pitch and of course two great games featuring the Mobridge Teeners taking on the Selby Area Teeners then The Mobridge Legion team taking on The Linton North Dakota Legion team. I hope we will have a crowd there that we can be proud of.

Rod's Monday Take N Things

Don't give up on the Pierre Post 8 baseball team, not just yet. Despite an 0-6 start, yesterday's doubleheader against Rapid City Post 22 was the first time the entire team has been together. And there were bright spots. In pitching, Stephen Nielsen retired the two batters he faced in the 7th inning of the first game. Nolan Merrill was solid thru the 5 innings he pitched in the second game. And offensivly, hopefully Alex Deneke's home run will get him jump started. Plus, Post 22 is pretty dog gone good. They aren't on the schedule anymore until the Region Tournament. That is less than two months away, but basically a season away yet. Pierre plays Winner 4 games. Two tomorrow night at Hyde Stadium beginning at 5:30 p.m. and then a week from Wednesday a double header at Winner at 5:30 p.m. In between, a tournament at Yankton. I would say a sweep of Winner in both meetings and a 2-2 weekend this weekend would be a good week of baseball for this team.