Coach Barb Felderman has again shown she is one of the best post-season coaches around the NAIA ranks having taken such a young club so deep into the DAC playoffs.

After knocking off Minot State — a team ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Division II ranks midway through the season – does Mines have a shot at beating Dakota State in the DAC title game on the Lady T’s home floor? What will it take for the Lady Rockers to make another trip to Sioux City, Iowa, for the national tourney? 

How ’bout those Hardrockers? Neither Mines nor BH have had much luck going into the Jamestown Auditorium and coming away with a win since the DAC started up. For the ‘Rockers to go in and pull off a “W” is a big feather in Mines’ hat.

To hold Jamestown’s Kyle Iverson to four points from four shots and only three rebounds is testament to Mines’ monster effort at the defensive end of the floor.

What’s it going to take for Mines make another road trip and knock off top-seeded Mayville State?

The state “A” wrestling championship belongs to the Sturgis Scoopers for another year.
Sturgis used individual crowns from Seth Lange, Josh Keszler and Jake Michalson en route to the title Saturday at the Sioux Falls Arena.
The Scoopers collected 157-1/2 points, and runner-up Rapid City Stevens collected 150. Watertown (148-1/2 points), Canton (131-1/2), and Mitchell (108-1/2) rounded out the top five in the team race.

Thoughts on Sturgis’ winning the team title again this year?

The Class B tourney is close after the first day, as expected, and Saturday could be an exciting day.

Parkston (64 team points), Wagner (62) and Bon Homme (56.5) are in the top-3 spots. So, who do you think will pull it out on Saturday?

What could be the match of the tourney is the 215-pound title match, which really doesn’t have any implication on deciding the team champion. Gettysburg’s Michael Fischer, who is ranked No. 2 with a 36-0 record, could meet fellow-unbeaten Seth McGregor in the championship, if the two win in the semifinals. McGregor is top-ranked with a 43-0 record.

 

–Sean Welsh, Journal staff

Well, Day 1 is over, and the Watertown Arrows are leading the team competition at the Class A state wrestling tourney.

Watertown has 83.5 team points, while Sturgis is in second just four points behind (79.5) and R.C. Stevens is still in it with 69.

So, who’s going to take home the title on Saturday?

The title could be decided in the four semifinal matches that have Watertown and Sturgis going head-to-head. If the Scoopers fare well there, it looks like it will be another team title for the West River power. If they split the matches, that might open the door for the Raiders, or possibly Canton…

 

–Sean Welsh, Journal staff

Both the Pine Ridge and Bennett County girls held up their ends of the bargain to set up a much-anticipated rematch between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the state in Class A.

Bennett County topped St. Francis 69-40 and Pine Ridge topped Little Wound 70-50 on Tuesday night.

The Thorpes won the first match-up in Martin as Robin Webber banked in a 40-footer for an 81-80 win, in as exciting a game as has been played in the state this year.

The rematch, set for Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Rapid City Stevens’ Carold Heier Gymnasium, should be a barnburner if the first game was any kind of indicator. The winner will represent District 14A in the Region 7A game.

Bennett County will have plenty of motivation after having victory snatched from them in the regular season. If Keisha Brewer is back for the Thorpes it would give them quite a trio (Brewer, Saadia Tasso and Lacey Weston) to send at the Warriors’ Maggie O’Neill down low. Both teams are comfortable playing at a quick pace, but both also have the personnel to beat you in the half-court, too. The scoreboard should get a fairly good workout.

Count yourself lucky if you’ve got some free time to get over to Stevens. It’ll be fun.  

 - Padraic Duffy

So, the 42-year-old Bonds arrived at the Giants’ Spring Training headquarters today (Feb. 20).

I want to know what you think of the man, and, do you think he’ll break Henry Aaron’s HR record of 755. (He only needs 22 more).

Personally, I’ve never minded Bonds, and I think he will pull through this season and get the record. That is, after all, why he’s still in the league isn’t it, to break Aaron’s record?

 

–Sean Welsh, Journal staff

Spring is just around the corner… Ballplayers all around the country are trying to get their groove back on. 

The hot stove league is finally being put on the back burner, it’s time to PLAY BALL for real.

However, there is a lot more going on than the game inside the chalk lines, as millions of desk-jockey general managers are hard at work getting their fantasy teams and leagues put together.

Whether it’s for money and prizes or just office bragging rights, fantasy baseball is about to consume most middle-age men and some woman as well, from coast-to-coast.     

For the next eight months, countless hours will be spent searching the web, buying books and magazines, watching ESPN or pouring over box scores in the Journal, as everyone tries to find and edge in the addictive world of fantasy baseball.

Yes other sports (NFL, NASCAR, NBA or the NHL, Golf and yes even Soccer) has their croonies, but none can top the grand old game of baseball and all its numbers and statistics.

Runs, Hits, HR’s, RBIs, OBP, Slugging %,  ERA, Wins, Saves, K’s, WHIP and just about any other combination your heart desires.

Head-to-head or rotisserie style, pick your poison. Will it be Pujols or Santana, A-Rod or Ryan Howard with my number one pick? 

Get in a league or two or heck why not 12 and get drafting, time is a-wasting. Is Clemens coming back? What round do I pull the trigger on Alex Gordon?  Can Super Joe Mauer win another batting title? Will Reyes swipe 70 bases again?

Hey it beats working… Wink…Wink…

Lenn Davis, Journal Staff

 

 

 

     

            

 

Wow, how about those Raiders?

Stevens put on quite a performance at the Region 4A wrestling meet, downing perennial champion Sturgis.

A couple big questions arise: How will Sturgis react at the state tournament, will Stevens be able to carry that momentum over to the state tourney, and do our West River teams have enough to beat the best East River has to offer?

I’m thinking Sturgis coach Steve Keszler will have his troops fired up for the end of the year battle; not that the Brian Moser-led Raiders won’t be ready to go, too.

It will probably be an intense stretch of practice leading up to the state tourney, which is in Sioux Falls on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 23-24).

 

–Sean Welsh, Journal staff

So, who is the best South Dakota-born golfer of all time? … Two S.D.-born players, as far as I know, have won on the PGA tour (Tom and Curt Byrum in 1989).

Tom Byrum has the best numbers — also getting six runner-up finishes, including two playoff losses, and 41 top-10s – and is my pick as the best ever.

But, what do you all think?

                  

Tom (left) and Curt Byrum.

 

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THESE TWO:

                       

Brian Kortan (left) and Wil Collins, a Rapid City prospect.

–Sean Welsh, Journal staff