Repeat trip to state golf! (VIDEO)

This was one playoff finish for the ages!

Settled in a rare and total deadlock after 27 holes of playoff competition, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team won the final 9 holes of the Section 5A finals at Eagle Creek in Willmar against Dawson-Boyd to grab a second straight trip to the state golf meet. The final tally showed the Jaguars defeating the Blackjacks by just four strokes after all 36 holes were recorded: 703 for the B-B-E to 707 by Dawson-Boyd.

Just as exciting: Brady Schwinghammer earned the Section 5A individual title by a significant margin: 149 strokes to 156 (Carson Besonen of Lac qui Parle Valley). It was a tremendous win for the senior and third-year varsity member after he entered today down four strokes from Besonen. In today's 18 rounds, Schwinghammer carded an incredible 71, which was 11 strokes better than Besonen. His nearest competition for the last 18 holes was Dawson-Boyd's Carson Stratmoen, who shot a 76 today.

Eli Gregory tied for 14th place, and Matt Walz placed 19th overall. Schwinghammer, Gregory and Walz are the three returning golfers from last year's Section 5A championship squad.

Here's the moment that Brady Schwinghammer was welcomed by his teammates after he sealed the section title today at Hole No. 9:


Section 5A boys' golf final team standings (today's scores in parentheses):
1. B-B-E 703 (356)
2. Dawson-Boyd 707 (356)
3. Willmar Community Christian 708 (354)
4. Yellow Medicine East 736 (381)

The Class 1A state golf meet is at Pebble Creek golf course in Becker on June 13-14.

More to come. I haven't gotten results yet from the Section 5A track and field meet.

Boys' golf tied for first...sections not complete

It will literally be a photo finish at today's Section 5A boys' golf finals in Willmar!

Through the third round of sections (and first round today), the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team are in a full-blown tie with Dawson-Boyd for first place.

Final results will be posted here after 3 p.m. The Voice is enroute!

**Brady Schwinghammer shot a 71 today to earn the Section 5A individual title! It appears that the Jaguars are headed back to state!!!

** It is official! The Jaguars are heading back to state.

*A new blog post was added at 10 p.m. tonight**

Playoff opener shut out

That was a great night in the office!

Facing last-seeded St. John's Prep in the Sub-Section 6A-South quarterfinals tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team made quick work of the Johnnies in a 12-0, five-inning win. Luke Dingmann got the pitching win in two innings of work, while Ryan Jensen pitched two innings and Tate DeKok closed in the final inning.

The Jaguars (9-11) advance to the second round with a 2:30 p.m. game on Thursday, June 1 at Morris.

Other details to follow here.

Memorial Day was great!

We had terrific Memorial Day events in the Bonanza Valley yesterday. I'll get more coverage from them in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

Here's a glimpse of the Belgrade V.F.W. Memorial Day parade as it passed by the Belgrade Nursing Home yesterday:


It tried to rain this morning! Well, sort of. We got about one-tenth of rain, barely enough to settle the dust. It is very, very dry right now.

B-B-E baseball earns No. 1 seed (VIDEO)

A late-season win against Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg helped the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team earn the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Sub-Section 6A-South playoffs. They begin with a first-round game on Tuesday (details below). If the Jaguars lose that game, their season is over. If they win on Tuesday, they advance to the semifinals and the double-elimination part of the Section 6A tournament. The semifinal round is at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 1 at Morris.

Seeded No. 2 is K-M-S, while Border West is the No. 3 seed. At No. 4 is Upsala/Swanville Area, and they host No. 5 Benson in their quarterfinal game on Tuesday.

In Sub-Section 6A-North, New York Mills (16-4) is the top seed; they beat the Jaguars out of the Section 6A playoffs six games deep last year on their way to a third-place finish at the state tournament. The Eagles, who won the Section 6A title in 2019, 2021 and 2022, are followed by No. 2-seeded Parkers Prairie and No. 3-seeded Browerville.

Here's Parents and Seniors Night video from two nights ago in Elrosa:


The Jaguars (8-11 overall) open the playoffs at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30 on the home diamond in Elrosa against No. 8-seeded St. John's Prep.

In Elrosa last night, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won 8-0 against Roscoe to square their record at 2-2 on the season. Ethan Vogt pitched a complete-game win with just three hits across nine innings. Vogt had six strikeouts and no walks.

If

B-B-E Class of 2023 graduates! (VIDEO, UPDATES)

Tonight was the big night! The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor graduation ceremony for the second straight year in Jaguar Country! I have to point out that a long, long list of B-B-E school staff members worked tirelessly to make this happen. We've pulled off an outdoor graduation ceremony three out of the last four years (2020, 2022 and 2023).

As I have said over and over in the past 9 months: we are extremely proud of the B-B-E Class of 2023! Bravo to every one of you!

Here's a video featuring the seniors entering the stadium as the graduation ceremony got underway:


The graduating class this year totaled 53 students. High school math teacher Jack Mueller provided the keynote speech to the class.

Saturday notes: a track and field post was just added to this blog post earlier today. It was posted in the timeline before this one, so you'll have to circle back on the blog feed to read that. ALSO! Exciting news! I'll get more on this posted tonight. The varsity baseball team earned the No. 1 playoff seed in Sub-Section 6A-South. They are No. 1, with K-M-S at No. 2 and Border West at No. 3. Today is a gardening day and a graduation party day...busy busy busy.

Section 5A track and field qualifiers

Four members of the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams have earned spots in the Section 5A championships that will be held on Wednesday, May 31 at St. John's University's Clemens Stadium. Once the dust settled on the Sub-Section 5A-West championships at Maple Lake, these four Jaguars advance to the state-qualifying meet: Branton Jones (discus throw), Tiyana Schwinghammer (triple jump), Bree Thieschafer and Grace Jackson (both in the pole vault).

Here's Bree Thieschafer nailing 7 feet, 8 inches in the pole vault at Maple Lake:


The Section 5A meet gets underway with field events at 10:30 a.m. at Clemens Stadium.

Jaguar baseball vs. Patriots

We have a JV/varsity doubleheader in Elrosa tonight. The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team is hosting Upsala/Swanville Area in a big sub-section match up that closes out the regular season. The Patriots are 11-7 overall and sit in fourth place in the latest Sub-Section 6A-South QRF rankings. They finished 5-3 in the Prairie Conference, one game behind co-champions Browerville and Osakis.

B-B-E enters the game 7-11 overall.

Updates to follow.

Update: through three innings, the Jaguars have a 7-2 lead. Final score: B-B-E 7, Upsala/Swanville Area 2. Sophomore Luke Illies earned the complete-game win while throwing a total of 92 pitches. The Jaguars (8-11 overall) will learn their playoff seed tomorrow. We know that they will host a playoff game next Tuesday in Elrosa starting at 5 p.m. That's all I'm sure of at this point.

Click on the following link to view important Memorial Day-related information for the communities of Brooten and Belgrade: https://tinyurl.com/hmay3pmr.

Friday update...my videocamera went to Glenwood with my wife in the family minivan this morning, so I haven't been able to get video uploaded from the U/SA baseball game. I got an exciting reel where Hayden Sobiech slid under a would-be tag at home base during a four-run inning. Overall the Jaguars played a great game, and the win could help land them a No. 2 playoff seed. Currently on the QRF, they have a few points on Border West, who is 13-4 overall but hasn't played the tough Class 2A schedule that B-B-E has. I expect seedings to be released over the noon hour, and I'll get that posted in a new blog post. Also coming: the track and field teams have four student-athletes qualified for the Section 5A meet, which is really great news. More on that also in a new blog post.

Baseball losing streak snapped, golf team shines at Section 5A first round (VIDEOS)

The losing streak has ended for the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team. Although they were out-hit 14-10, the Jaguars took advantage of 4 Huskers errors to defeat a team that entered this week in third place in the Central Minnesota Conference.

Tonight at Holdingford, the Jaguars earned a 12-11 win to get back in the winning column. They led 9-3 into the sixth inning and then scored 3 runs in the top of the seventh to lead 12-5. The Huskers scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh before they ran out of outs.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Jaguars lost 11-5 to complete the CMC schedule in sixth place. Eden Valley-Watkins (17-2 overall) and Paynesville Area (16-2 overall) were co-champions of the CMC. They both also earned the No. 1 seed in their respective postseason sections, with EV-W at No. 1 in Section 5AA and Paynesville Area at No. 1 in Sub-Section 3AA-North.

NEXT: the Jaguars (7-11, 5-9 CMC) host sub-section rival Upsala/Swanville Area for Parents and Seniors night tomorrow, Thursday, with a JV/Varsity doubleheader in Elrosa. Here's how the night will go down: the JV game starts at 4:30 p.m., and this game will be capped at 1 hour and 20 minutes. Around 6:15 p.m., the Senior/Parent Night activities take place. By 6:50 p.m., the National Anthem will be played prior to the varsity game that should start by 7 p.m.

I did not circle back to determine additional sub-section track and field updates to report on. At Maple Lake last night, I did not record as much video as I was hoping to. Below are two more clips from Irish Stadium.

Here's video of Tiyana Schwinghammer in the triple jump yesterday in Maple Lake:


Here's Dylan Hirman, Mason Douvier and Calvin Dolezal in one of the 200 open heats:


I was fortunate to be able to take in the elementary awards ceremony earlier this morning. The K-5 student body was given a real treat when 52 of B-B-E's 53 graduating seniors showed up for a surprise visit. They were in their graduation cap and gowns, and all 52 of them got a chance to speak to the elementary student body.

At Eagle Creek golf course in Willmar today, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team finished in first place during the Section 5A opening round. Through 18 holes, the Jaguars shot a 347 to come out in front by just one stroke over second-place Dawson-Boyd. In third place is Community Christian school of Willmar with a 354. In fourth place is Yellow Medicine East with a 355. Individually, Brady Schwinghammer sits in second place overall with a 78. The second round of the state-qualifying Section 5A meet is on Wednesday, May 31 back at Eagle Creek golf course. More to come.

Track and field competes at subsections, fastpitch season ends (VIDEO)

It has been a day...with the temperature climbing to around 86 degrees this afternoon, multiple teams competed tonight in their respective spring sports. I have not had a handle on the boys' golf team, but the schedule showed them competing in Willmar. I am not sure about that, as they are also in Willmar tomorrow for the first round of the Section 5A playoffs.

At the Maple Lake football stadium, the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams gave it their all while competing in the Sub-Section 5A-West championships. I don't have official results at my fingertips, but I have one thoroughly exciting bit of news to report. In the triple jump, senior Tiyana Schwinghammer completely destroyed her personal record (31'9") and earned a Section 5A berth with an impressive best effort of 32 feet, 11 inches. By my math, that's an additional 14 inches above her personal best! The 32-11 was achieved in the triple jump finals just as the sun started to set on the horizon. I don't have official results on other events, but other Jaguars are on the bubble in terms of advancing to next week's section meet at St. John's University.

Here's senior Branton Jones in the shot put under the full sunshine at Maple Lake high school:


At Lac qui Parle Valley high school to open the Sub-Section 3A-North tournament, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team suffered a 7-0 loss to finish the season 2-19 overall. YME's Bayli Sneller held the Jaguars to just four hits, all singles, coming from Kenna Lieser, Faith Radermacher, Brooklyn Fischer and Taylor Shelton. They played the game tonight with a senior-less roster, and just 3 of the 10 players are juniors. The other 7 players are in eighth, ninth or 10th grade, which bodes well for the future of the program.

More to come. As I spent the evening in Maple Lake and had a one-hour return trip, I will be watering the garden by flashlight tonight before getting the newspaper ready for press. We will publish a 16-page issue in the morning. Good night!

Playoffs begin for two teams (*Updates)

...Actually three teams!

The B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams open the postseason with the Sub-Section 5A-West championships at Maple Lake high school. The meet will begin at 3 p.m. sharp. The boys' and girls' squads have numerous athletes who are in position to earn Section 5A berths if they earn top-six finishes in their respective individual events.

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team travels to Hantho Township in Lac qui Parle County at LQPV high school for the opening round of the Sub-Section 3A-North tournament. The Jaguars, seeded No. 6, face No. 3-seeded Yellow Medicine East. Last year the Jaguars fell 2-1 in a heartbreaker to YME in the first round.

Fun fact: back in 1871, my great-great-great grandmother Ane Romo Boraas put her stake down on a 160-acre homestead just a few miles southwest of the present-day LQPV high school. She earned the homestead deed and later passed away in 1901 at age 79.

Here's Faith Radermacher pitching in game 2 last week against Holdingford:


More to come much later. I will be spending the late afternoon and evening at the Maple Lake track and field complex with our Jaguars.

**Update: the fastpitch team lost 7-0 in their playoff opener to see their season come to an end.

At Long Prairie, the baseball team was also shut out and lost by a score of 4-0.

Errors hurt the cause vs. Eagles

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team suffered their fourth straight loss tonight. In a Central Minnesota Conference game in Elrosa, the Eden Valley-Watkins Eagles took advantage of five Jaguar errors in a 9-0 shutout win. B-B-E tallied 6 hits, but the Eagles had 10 hits plus 7 RBI.

Tomorrow the Jaguars (6-9 overall) travel to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle with first pitch set for 5 p.m.

Fastpitch playoffs seeding, Jaguars seeded No. 6

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team is seeded No. 6 for the upcoming Sub-Section 3A-North playoffs. The Jaguars (2-18 overall) travel to Lac qui Parle Valley high school near Madison on Tuesday to face No. 3-seeded Yellow Medicine East in the quarterfinal round. First pitch is at 3:30 p.m.

The winner of that game plays again that same night in the same location against host LQPV. The Eagles are the No. 2 seed. Both teams in that second game will advance to Saturday's action in Marshall.

2023 Sub-Section 3A-North fastpitch seedings:
1. Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
2. Lac qui Parle Valley
3. Yellow Medicine East
4. Benson
5. MACCRAY
6. B-B-E
7. Dawson-Boyd
8. Ortonville

Today the boys' golf team hosts a conference meet at Prairie View Golf Course in Brooten (9 a.m.) while the baseball team hosts Eden Valley-Watkins at 4:30 p.m. in Elrosa.

Yesterday in Elrosa, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team fell 13-2 to Spring Hill.

This was a great day!

There's so much to unpack from the day that was Sunday, May 21, 2023 and all the fun I had for what was just a few hours spent in the town of Sunburg tonight. You won't really get to read much about this until you get the May 25 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. Right now I have to get my attention fully on the Class of 2023 graduation section that will make up the center four pages of the upcoming newspaper issue. It is 90 percent complete. The press deadline is screaming at me, and I have to make sure I'm still on course to make it to the Sub-Section 5A-West track and field meet in Maple Lake on Tuesday.

That's all for the night.

May has gotten red hot

In a nutshell...
The varsity fastpitch and baseball teams lost both games of road doubleheaders on Friday. The schedule has gotten red hot with graduation parties, garden planting and preparation for the Syttende Mai celebration in Sunburg.

We also have a handful of former B-B-E Jaguar baseball players whose college teams are still very much alive in the postseason. Today at the junior college level, St. Cloud Technical and Community College's baseball team won 12-5 over Alexandria Technical College to claim the North Plains District title and advance to the World Series. Team members include Peyton Winter, Will VanBeck and Blaine Fischer from B-B-E. The Cyclones are heading to Tennessee for the Division III Junior College World Series. What a tremendous achievement!

In the NCAA Division II playoffs, St. Cloud State University lost 6-4 to Central Missouri to see their season come to an end. Their roster includes B-B-E's Jackson Peter (Class of 2020) and Payton VanBeck (Class of 2019). Pitching in relief, VanBeck threw five innings while retiring the last 13 batters he faced with a line of two runs, two earned runs, three hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

That's all I've got for this weekend for blogging... I hope on Sunday night to get some video posted here from Sunburg's activities. Right now I'm blogging from my phone while sitting in the RJ's Mini Mart car wash, getting the Miss Brooten Suburban ready for the Syttende Mai parade at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon  (Sunday)... graduation parties, a possible trip to Terrace to Chippewa Falls Lutheran church and more are on the docket. As I said in the title: May has gotten red hot, actually white hot!!

Close losses on the diamonds

We had some close losses for our fastpitch and baseball teams tonight.

The Holdingford Huskers prevailed in hard-fought Central Minnesota Conference battles tonight against our B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team. In game one, the Huskers won 11-6. In game two, the Jaguars jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. They led 6-2 after the second inning and 7-4 after the third inning, but the Huskers scored 8 runs in the bottom of the fourth and earned the series sweep with a 12-10 come-from-behind win. The Jaguars out-hit the Huskers 13-12 in game two.

Holdingford finished the CMC schedule with a 5-9 record. The Jaguars are 2-16 overall going into the final game of the regular season, which is tomorrow at Upsala. They appear to be zeroing in on the No. 5 seed in Sub-Section 3A-North. Playoffs begin next Tuesday.

Kimball Area won the CMC fastpitch title with a 13-1 record.

In Atwater, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team lost a heartbreaker by a 4-3 score to the A-C-GC Falcons. They take a 6-6 overall record into tomorrow's doubleheader at Maple Lake.

That's all I've got right now.

Fastpitch home cooking

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team seeks to snap a losing streak today when they host Holdingford in a Central Minnesota Conference doubleheader. First pitch at the elementary varsity diamond is at 4 p.m.

**The fastpitch games will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 of Glenwood.  

The baseball Jaguars travel to Kingery Field in Atwater to conclude the CMC series with Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City today with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.

*Here's a video from Tuesday's home game against Browerville:


More updates to follow here later tonight. Be sure to circle back to the last blog post and view some of the videos posted from last night's senior scholarship and awards banquet.

As always, you can view additional sports and news coverage at the Bonanza Valley Voice website. If you click on the following link, you'll be re-directed to a web article featuring the varsity baseball team which includes a post-game video from May 1 in Spring Hill: https://bit.ly/45fT3Rm.

Scholarship night at Olson Auditorium (VIDEOS*)

This was a terrific night to be a part of! Marvelous!

A long list of accolades, awards and honors were bestowed on members of the B-B-E Class of 2023 tonight at the Senior Scholarship Banquet at Olson Auditorium. I counted 36 separate scholarships that went to members of the senior class. A great deal of heart, passion and inspiration goes into the establishment of these numerous scholarship funds. The businesses and families who work together to provide these funds for B-B-E graduates are to be commended!

Here's Belgrade VFW Commander Dave Schwinghammer presenting the final scholarships tonight:


Here's a few of the scholarships presented tonight, including the Rich Vos Memorial Scholarship presented by his daughter, Zoe:


*Here's the presentation of the Austin Young Memorial Scholarship to Tiyana Schwinghammer:


More to come here later. I have to get more planting done in the garden tonight, as it appears we are getting more rain overnight. The garden won't plant itself!

Baseball defeats Fighting Saints

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team earned a 5-3 win against Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg tonight in a non-conference border battle. The error-riddled game, played in Sunburg, was up for grabs until the final out was recorded after the Jaguars (6-5 overall) scored 4 runs in the top of the sixth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit. K-M-S, who lost for just the second time this season, scored once in the bottom of the sixth before a scoreless seventh inning was recorded.

In Sub-Section 6A-South, the Jaguars and Fighting Saints are currently jockeying for the No. 2 playoff seed. Next: the Jaguars travel to Kingery Field in Atwater to face A-C-GC in a Central Minnesota Conference game on Thursday this week at 4:30 p.m.

At home in a non-conference game tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost 14-2 in six innings to Browerville. The Tigers, who are the second-ranked team in Sub-Section 6A-East, improved to 14-3 with the win. The Jaguars fall to 2-14 going into a doubleheader in Brooten this Thursday against Holdingford.

Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch scores on May 16:
Paynesville Area 5, Kimball Area 2 (8 innings)
Kimball Area 12, Paynesville Area 8

Area fastpitch scores on May 16:
Ortonville 16, Dawson-Boyd 13
Dawson-Boyd 13, Ortonville 5
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 10, Minneota-Canby 9 (8 innings)
Minnewaska Area 8, Benson 7
Benson 13, Minnewaska Area 11

Bulldogs complete series sweeps, boys' golf 2nd at The Lynx

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch and baseball teams both suffered losses today at the hands of the Paynesville Area Bulldogs. The fastpitch team lost at the PAHS diamond by a score of 5-3 after they out-hit the host team 9 to 7 but committed too many defensive errors (4 compared to 2).

In Elrosa, the Bulldogs won 20-0 against our baseball team.

On Monday this week at Sauk Centre's Lynx National golf course, two rounds of 9 holes were shot that counted towards the Central Minnesota Conference standings. Brady Schwinghammer tied for fourth place overall with a 77, and the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team fired a 328 to take second place behind Osakis's 317. They travel to Benson tomorow for an 18-hole invitational.

Tomorrow the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams will compete in the Central Minnesota Conference championships held at Holdingford high school. Action begins at 3:15 p.m.

Also tomorrow: the fastpitch team hosts Browerville in a non-conference game at 4:30 p.m. in Brooten. The baseball team faces Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg on the road at Willie Reigstad field in Sunburg with first pitch at 5 p.m.

SCSU, VanBeck earn NCAA baseball berth

The St. Cloud State University Huskies baseball team has had a tremendous postseason run through the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament. After SCSU defeated Minnesota State University-Mankato by a 7-3 score in the winner's bracket on Saturday morning, they lost 6-5 on Sunday morning in the championship series to force a winner-take-all game. In the afternoon game today, SCSU beat the Mavericks 13-7 to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

SCSU's Payton VanBeck, B-B-E Class of 2019, earned the win as middle closer in the final 4 1/3 innings with 5 hits, one walk and 3 runs surrendered. He improved to 3-0 with the win and has pitched a total of 27 innings so far this season.

Jackson Peter (Class of 2020), Peyton Winter (2021), Blaine Fischer (2022) and Will VanBeck (2022) are also making major contributions to college baseball teams. Wyatt Steffensen (2021) is part of the Ridgewater Warriors program to round out the list of B-B-E graduates continuing their baseball careers after starting out as a Jaguar.

Baseball snaps two-game skid

With sophomore Luke Illies earning the complete-game win, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team defeated Browerville 4-2 in their second game of the Max Bats wood bat invitational in Elrosa this afternoon. The Tigers are one of the top teams in Section 6A (ranked No. 2 in 6A-North), so this was a big win for the Jaguars, who had 9 hits compared to 5 for the visitors. Illies had four strikeouts with one walk. The Jaguars improve to 5-4 overall.

Earlier today, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost both games of a doubleheader at Central Minnesota Conference-leading Kimball Area. Brooklyn Fischer hit a home run, but that's all I've got right now from those games.

Also, remember that tomorrow the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team travels to neighboring rival Meire Grove for a Mother's Day contest. First pitch for the Stearns County League North game is at 1:30 p.m.

Busy, busy, busy

Today was a wildly busy, action-packed day. During the day, the track and field team worked with elementary P.E. teacher Austin Rambow to conduct the second of back-to-back days of field day for K-5 students. Today the B-B-E classes of 2030 and 2031 took center stage at the high school sports complex and football stadium as they held field events in the morning and racing events in the afternoon.

After school today at B-B-E high school, Olson Auditorium was the site of musical tryouts. The B-B-E theater is excited to announce that The Addams Family musical will take place this fall.

In a home doubleheader against defending conference champion Maple Lake, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team dropped two seven-inning games by scores of 8-0 and 7-2. The Irish improved to 7-7 overall with the wins, while the Jaguars are 2-10 going into tomorrow's road games at Kimball Area.

Tonight at the Belgrade V.F.W., the Belgrade Commercial Club hosted a purse bingo fundraising event that drew a crowd of 85. Organizers were quite pleased with the turnout, and everyone had a great time while also bringing a large contingent of outsiders to town. This is great!

In their first game in Elrosa this pring, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team faced neighboring rival Sauk Centre tonight and fell by a 4-0 score. Tanner Shelton (starter), Tate DeKok and Brett DeRoo all pitched for the Jaguars. In the other game in Elrosa, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg defeated Browerville 5-3. That game was tied 3-3 going into the fifth inning, and the Fighting Saints scored one run in both the fifth and sixth innings.

More to come on Saturday night when this blog post will be updated. A new blog post will be posted on Saturday night with information on the results of Saturday's action.

Area baseball scores on May 12:
Minnewaska Area 5, A-C-GC 4
Melrose Area 13, Benson 2
Melrose Area 7, Benson 3
Montevideo 9, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 8
Montevideo 13, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 5

Boys' golf team earns another trophy

This has been a great week for the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team. Today at the Ken Helling Invitational in Kimball, the Jaguars shot a 346 to take third place and come home with another team trophy. Brady Schwinghammer led the Jaguars with a 77, good for a tie for third place. Minnewaska's Zach Gugisberg was medalist with a 72. Osakis won the team title with a 328.

Tomorrow is a busy, busy day with the Max Bats Wood Bat invitational in Elrosa getting underway. The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team plays Sauk Centre at 7 p.m. at Saints Field. The Jaguars (4-3 overall) look to get back on the winning track after dropping a conference game to Eden Valley-Watkins on Monday. In the earlier game tomorrow in Elrosa, No. 10-ranked Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg faces Browerville at 4:30 p.m.

Also tomorrow in home action, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team hosts defending Central Minnesota Conference champion Maple Lake at 4 p.m. in Brooten. The fastpitch team (2-8 overall) is also gearing to get back on the winning track after they've suffered four straight losses in the past week. In the Sub-Section 3A-North standings, the Jaguars are holding firm in fourth place.

Here's video from last Saturday in Spring Hill in game 2 against Kimball:


In that video, Kaden DeRoo is closing during the top of the fifth inning for the baseball team in their doubleheader sweep of the Cubs. Their 4-3 record has them sitting in third place in the Sub-Section 6A-South standings behind Border West and K-M-S.

Here's video from the first inning in Tuesday's home fastpitch doubleheader just as the storm clouds were approaching town:


After the conclusion of the first inning as the Jaguars were set to take the field for the top of the second, the game was put on hold as rain started to fall and lightning appeared on the horizon. About two-tenths of an inch of rain fell over the next half hour, but game one resumed shortly after 5 p.m. It was great to be able to get both games in the book. Fastpitch playoffs are set to begin on Tuesday, May 23, and nine games remain on the regular season schedule.

Boys' golf first at Lakeview!

Good grief!

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team won the Lakeview Invitational in Cottonwood by one stroke today! They beat the host Lakers 332 to 333 in a field of 10 teams. Osakis, who has a wide lead for first place in the Central Minnesota Conference, took third with a 339. Yellow Medicine East, one of the top challengers in Section 5A, fired a 345 for fourth place.

This was a colossal, confidence-boosting win for the Jaguars, who were led by Brady Schwinghammer's score of 76. Eli Gregory shot an 80, and Tate DeKok had an 84. Rounding out B-B-E's scores were Matt Walz (92), Walker Winter (100) and Jamison Reed (103). Schwinghammer earned tri-medalist honors and shared first place with Osakis's Chase Triebenbach and YME's Cooper McCosh. Gregory's score earned him a tie for sixth place, and DeKok tied for 12th place.

That's all I've got for tonight. I have another 14-page behemoth at the Bonanza Valley Voice to get ready for press.

Getting this posted late Wednesday night, over 24 hours past publishing of the newspaper...
On Tuesday at the home diamond, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost both games of a conference doubleheader to Eden Valley-Watkins. The Eagles improved to 7-5 overall with the wins, while the Jaguars fell to 2-8 overall.

Area fastpitch scores on May 9:
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 17, Minnewaska Area 0
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 16, Minnewaska Area 0

, con

Boys' golf fourth at Paynesville

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team placed fourth today at Paynesville in a Central Minnesota Conference meet with a score of 178. They missed third place by one stroke, as Osakis shot a 179. The host Bulldogs won the meet with a 168, and Kimball/Eden Valley-Watkins was second with a 178. Rounding out the team scores were Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (185) and Royalton (197).

Luke Ashbrook (Kimball/Eden Valley-Watkins) and Winston Carlson (Paynesville) were co-medalists with scores of 36 each. B-B-E's Brady Schwinghammer shot a 40 to tie for third place with Paynesville's Isaac Christensen.

NEXT: the Jaguars travel to the Cottonwood Country Club tomorrow for the Lakeview Invitational. They will face a number of Section 5A teams.

At Benson today in a key Sub-Section 3A-North game, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team suffered a 9-2 loss. Three errors ultimately led to their demise after they out-hit the Braves by a 10 to 8 margin. NEXT: the Jaguars host Eden Valley-Watkins tomorrow with a CMC doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. in Brooten.

At Watkins today in a CMC game, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team lost 9-2 to Eden Valley-Watkins. NEXT: the Jaguars host Sauk Centre in Elrosa on Friday, May 12 at 7 p.m. That night features an earlier game with K-M-S facing Browerville at 4:30 p.m.

Also tomorrow...the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams compete in the Section 5A True Team meet at Sauk Centre at 4 p.m. Today I had the privilege of participating in the track and field practice at the high school. I talked to the coaches about it last week, and they were more than willing to let me join the fray. The most important aspect of the experience was learning how to "ease" into it. As I am still recovering from a severely sprained ankle, I had to learn how to sprint while coming off of an injury. Stretching and warming up properly is essential to avoiding getting injured. I have a newfound level of respect for athletes who return to competition after injury! To see it is one thing, but to experience it firsthand is another. I had high hopes of getting official times on the book for 100 and 200 open races today. After stretching and warming up and spending a little time in the long jump pit (12 feet was my best jump), I sprinted through a 100-meter stretch with the pedal about "Halfway down" and (via my phone) got an unofficial time of about 19 1/2 seconds. I don't know just how hard I pushed myself in that first run, but I felt I had more to give. About 20 minutes later I gave it a second try and (unofficially) I booked it out at roughly 18 seconds flat. Then came the real thing. I waited until near the end of practice, and Coach Trish Thieschafer positioned herself at the finish line. I lined up on the blocks and got a crash course on "take off" from Coach Sean Biehn on how to do that properly off of a block. I was certainly confused! What an experience, though...Coach Thieschafer yelled "go" and I was off to the races...literally. I could tell I did not have all the gas I had on the first run, but I sprinted as hard as I could go. She clocked me at 19.5 seconds. All I could think is: good grief! I am SLOW! It's not a time that will set the world on fire. Even 18 seconds sounds slow to me, but I likely didn't run that second practice sprint in 18 seconds since I was clocking myself with my phone as I ran. Once the dust settled, I had to tell myself what any athlete should say at the start of a season: it's not how you begin that matters...it's how you finish. SO there we go. There's my official time as of May 8, 2023 for the 100 open race: 19.5 seconds. We'll see what I can do by the end of the month. I do hope to get a 200 open time on the book...but that will have to wait until another practice. Running three 100-meter sprints was enough for one day, especially when I have to play the waiting game to see how my recently sprained ankle feels tomorrow. The thought of sprinting a distance longer than 100 meters does make me light-headed right now. And circling back to the long jump...what I learned from trying that out is that field events are absolutely more difficult than they look. It's not until you actually try it out that you realize what great effort a student-athlete puts in to compete. Again - newfound respect for kids who join the fray and put themselves out there and compete! Perhaps next year I can really give a field event a good, hard push such as the long jump. It's just not something I can do when I'm coming back from a sprained ankle. Now about 6 hours after practice concluded, I can still walk. I think that's a win. I feel a pulled muscle or two in my left leg (upper calf), but other than that I feel really, really good. The true test will be how I feel when I wake up Tuesday morning. If I can walk without limping, I will consider that another win! We'll see.

Area fastpitch scores on May 8:
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 14, Sauk Centre 0 (5 innings)
Litchfield 13, New London-Spicer 3
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 4, Paynesville 3 (Central MN Conference game)
K-M-S 9, Dawson-Boyd 6
K-M-S 15, Dawson-Boyd 0
Lac qui Parle Valley 16, Lakeview 9
MACCRAY 7, Ortonville 3
MACCRAY 13, Ortonville 2

Class of 2023 Baccalaureate service and Elrosa Saints news!

They had an outstanding unofficial turnout of 41! I counted at least 41 before they dispersed following the worship service at the Brooten Community Church. Pastor Rick Krasky provided a marvelous sermon. It was a wonderful evening, and the full sunshine outside was icing on the cake! Video is uploading.

Here's a video featuring part of the final song performed tonight...before the camera battery died:


In Stearns County League baseball news...
The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won their season opener today by a 3-2 score at Richmond. Ethan Vogt started and pitched 5 2/3 innings, and Wyatt Steffensen closed and got the win. In spite of being held to just 3 hits overall, the Saints pushed three runs across in the top of the 8th inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. NEXT: the Saints travel to Meire Grove for a Mother's Day contest on Sunday, May 14 at 1:30 p.m. Elrosa's home opener is set for Sunday, May 21 at 1:30 p.m. against Spring Hill.

That's all I've got for now. I still haven't gotten a chance to go back and work on spring concert video.

B-B-E FFA Tractorcade gets underway (VIDEOS)...and baseball wins

The B-B-E high school's FFA chapter is holding a tractorcade today to honor area farmers and provide a great way for multiple generations of agriculture-minded men and women to band together for a common purpose. Donations are being accepted at the conclusion of the event that will be donated to the Katie Reitsma family of rural Padua.

Here's the start of the tractorcade after they organized at the high school parking lot this morning:


I have to catch up to baseball now. The Jaguars are hosting Kimball Area in Spring Hill. The doubleheader started at 10 a.m.

UPDATE: the Jaguars went 2-0 today against visiting Kimball Area. They won the second game by a 10-4 score. In game one, the Jaguars earned a 6-0 shutout victory to forge a three-game winning streak. Talen Kampsen got the complete-game pitching win in game one. Hayden Sobiech and Kaden DeRoo split pitching duties in game two. B-B-E is now 4-2 overall and 4-2 in the Central Minnesota Conference. The Cubs fall to 3-4 overall (3-3 CMC). They had just swept A-C-GC by scores of 13-5 and 13-3 on Thursday in St. Cloud.

*Here's video posted on Sunday that features action from game 2 against Kimball in the bottom of the 5th inning:


In game two, Hayden Sobiech started and pitched six innings (7 strikeouts, 2 walks, 5 hits, 1 earned run).

Today has been fairly busy. Don't forget about tonight's steak and pork chop feed at the Belgrade V.F.W.! They serve from 5 to 7:30 p.m. This is a great weekend to support our local service organizations. The Sedan Fire and Rescue squad hosted a fun-filled meat raffle last night at Heidi's Bar. Organizers were pleased with the turnout.

Fastpitch Jaguars fall at K-M-S

Fresh off of a conference sweep against Royalton, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost 9-2 against Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg tonight at Murdock. Faith Radermacher, Taylor Shleton, Kacey Fischer and Kadynce Haider all had hits for the Jaguars, who are now 2-5 overall. Mariah Koenig took the loss for the Jaguars but gave up just 6 hits to hard-hitting K-M-S. The game was scoreless through two innings before the Fighting Saints plated 7 runs in the bottom of the third.

K-M-S had just defeated Yellow Medicine East 6-3 earlier today. Yesterday the Fighting Saints swept state-ranked Lac qui Parle Valley yesterday in a Camden North Conference doubleheader and now hold a 7-2 overall record (6-2 Camden North).

NEXT: the Jaguars have a big game on Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Sub-Section 3A-North rival Benson.

At New London-Spicer today, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team had a solid day with an 8th-place finish out of 18 teams with a team score of 359. Brady Schwinghammer finished in a tie for 6th place with a 79.

Area fastpitch scores on May 5:
K-M-S 6, YME 3
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 10, New London-Spicer 0 (5 innings)

Fastpitch Jaguars sweep Royalton (UPDATES)

Great news out of Waite Park!

In a nutshell...the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team defeated Royalton 8-5 in game one and 5-3 in game two for a Central Minnesota Conference series sweep. They are 2-4 overall and 2-3 in the CMC heading into tomorrow's non-conference game at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (Murdock).

Mariah Koenig earned the complete-game win in game one with 7 strikeouts and 8 hits. Taylor Shelton had 4 hits, and three Jaguars had 3 hits each: Kenna Lieser, Kacey Fischer, Kadynce Haider and Brooklyn Fischer. Fischer doubled and had 3 RBI. The Jaguars totaled 21 hits altogether, and they led 2-1 after one inning, 5-3 after 3 innings and 8-4 after the fourth inning.

In game two, Faith Radermacher earned the complete-game win with 6 strikeouts and 6 hits. The Jaguars had 9 hits overall, and Lieser had the hot bat in that game with 4 hits (one double) while scoring 3 runs.

Time to try running around the track at NL-S! This is a GREAT day to soak up some sun!

Update: the baseball team defeated Royalton 1-0. Tanner Shelton got the win and pitched 6 2/3 innings with 8 strikeouts and 3 hits. Luke Illies closed and recorded the final out via strikeout. I don't have a score on their other game. UPDATE: the Jaguars lost 14-4 in 6 innings in the first game at Dick Putz Field; they were cuffed at the plate and had just 3 hits in the game. This puts their overall record at 2-2 this season and also 2-2 in the CMC.

Here's a video recorded at Spring Hill on Monday...


Luke Dingmann's home run gave the Jaguars a 4-0 lead in the third inning against Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City.

Area scores will be posted later tonight. I am thrilled that I was able to run at today's track meet at NL-S. This was the most I've ran in the last 3 weeks since my preseason training had to be halted due to a swollen left ankle (April 14). It feels great to be back in a physical condition where I can run again!

I don't have a full grasp on the track and field results from NL-S's Dan Essler Invite yet, but I know that numerous Jaguars set new personal records. Bree Thieschafer placed 11th in the pole vault while setting a new personal record with a height of 7'6", and Tiyana Schwinghammer had a great showing in the triple jump with a sixth-place finish (30-11.5).

Area fastpitch scores on May 4:
Sauk Centre 17, Benson 7
Sauk Centre 9, Benson 0
Montevideo 18, Minnewaska 7
Montevideo 8, Minnewaska 7
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 9, Melrose Area 3
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 8, Melrose Area 3
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 13, Lac qui Parle Valley 3 (6 innings)
K-M-S 8, LQPV 5

Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch scores on May 4:
Kimball Area 17, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0
Kimball Area 9, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0
Maple Lake 7, Paynesville Area 3
Paynesville Area 5, Maple Lake 3

KMGK Smooth Magic 107 sports banquet (VIDEO)

The 12th annual Smooth Magic 107 FM sports banquet is being held tonight at the beautiful Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood. Being honored from B-B-E are Tiyana Schwinghammer, Brady Schwinghammer, Ava Mueller, Abby Berge, Kaden Pieper and Ethan Spanier.

*Here's video featuring the announcement of the Female Sports Coach of the Year plus the Female Athlete of the Year:


Student-athletes were in attendance from Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Benson, Hancock, West Central Area and Minnewaska Area schools.

Coming tomorrow...
On Thursday, the fastpitch team plays Royalton in a Central Minnesota Conference doubleheader at the River's Edge complex in Waite Park at 12 p.m. Also on Thursday, the baseball team plays Royalton in a CMC doubleheader; their games will be played at St. Cloud's Dick Putz Field starting at 4:30 p.m.

On Thursday...afternoon update... I'm heading to the Little Crow Invitational! It's track meet time. I almost made a trip to St. Cloud to grab pictures at both fastpitch and baseball, but it was just too costly of a trip to take. Hopefully next Tuesday's home fastpitch game takes place against Eden Valley-Watkins. Also, the baseball team is set to host Kimball on Saturday...I haven't heard where that will take place, but it is possible it will be in Elrosa. We REALLY need the weather to cooperate for the next 4 to 5 weeks!

In other news...I got some sweet corn and spinach and peas planted in the garden today and yesterday. Time to get the gardening up to speed!

Spring concert live stream (starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight)

Click on the following link to view the live stream:

https://www.youtube.com/live/3Hix3Z2TTEY?feature=share.

The middle school choir finished up at about 19:41.

Success in Spring Hill (VIDEO)

The 10th-ranked B-B-E Jaguars baseball team was triumphant in their home opener as they defeated Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 12-1 in five innings tonight. They built a 4-0 lead in the first inning at Spring Hill's Chargers stadium, and they posted six runs in the bottom of the third. Baseball is fascinating in countless ways, as one or two plays can swing a game one way or another. The Jaguars played crisp defense and were solid in the field while limiting the Falcons to just two hits and pulling to 1-1 overall and in the Central Minnesota Conference.

*Here's video from the bottom of the fourth inning at Spring Hill:


Luke Dingmann aimed for the far tree line at Chargers stadium on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the third inning. His hit sailed high over the left field fence for a solo home run. The Jaguars scored five more runs in that inning to take a 10-0 lead into the top of the fourth.

*Here's video from the top of the 5th inning with the Jaguars recording the third and final out to win the game:


Hayden Sobiech started for the Jaguars and pitched three innings, while Tate DeKok was B-B-E's closer.

I just got this update tonight about last week's doubleheader on Thursday...at Holdingford, the Jaguars held a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning before the game was suspended due to the weather. They had two runners on base at the time, and that doubleheader will resume at the same juncture when that is rescheduled. It's unfortunate that at least one game couldn't have been completed, but that's how it goes with outdoor sports. We can't control the weather.

In Grove City tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team suffered a 14-0 loss in game one of their doubleheader against A-C-GC. In game two, they trailed 14-5 in the second inning. They battled to the end, but the Falcons claimed the series sweep with a 19-13 win. The Falcons improved to 6-1 overall with the wins (4-1 CMC).

Don't forget!! The spring band and choir concert is tomorrow night at Olson Auditorium beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch scores on May 1:
Paynesville Area 17, B-B-E 10
Eden Valley-Watkins 9, Paynesville Area 7

Baseball home opener

The No. 10-ranked B-B-E Jaguars baseball team will hold their home opener today at 4:30 p.m. against Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. The Central Minnesota Conference game will be played at Chargers Stadium in Spring Hill. The JV game will be played at the high school field in Belgrade.

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team plays a CMC doubleheader at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City at 4 p.m., with the games held at the ACGC high school sports complex in Grove City.

AND THIS is exciting news to share! Head baseball coach Ben Klaphake is a proud father! He and his wife, Megan, are excited to announce the birth of their newborn daughter, Adeline. We are very, very happy for them.

**Update: the Jaguars hold a 4-0 lead through the first two innings against the Falcons.

**Update: the Jaguars scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning, and they take a 10 to 0 lead into the fourth.