Willmar Stingers night for B-B-E Cub Scouts (VIDEO)

Tonight brought the annual summer Willmar Stingers baseball outing for the B-B-E Cub Scouts Pack No. 667. The pack and family and friends traveled to Willmar tonight to take in a well-played game of baseball at the spacious Bill Taunton Stadium. Adding to the excitement of the night was seeing the Stingers win 9-5 against the Badlands Big Sticks.

Here's a video from just prior to the start of the game with the Stingers defense taking the field for the top of the first inning:


The Big Sticks held a 1-0 lead early in the game and then expanded that to 2-0 before the Stingers pulled in front 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth.

It's been another busy, hectic week with very little sleep. On Tuesday morning, as I was getting this week's newspaper ready for press, I enjoyed a terrific half-hour long phone conversation with Brooten native Tony Hofmann. He was a senior on the 1983-1984 Brooten Buccaneers boys' basketball team that won the Prairie Conference title. In the spring under head coach Jim Dykema, Hofmann's Buccaneers baseball team earned third place in the conference. Tony Hofmann has lived an incredible life since graduating from Brooten in 1984. You can read more in the June 20 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

This week's June 13 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice features sports stories on the baseball team's run to the Section 6A finals for the third straight season. It also has a separate story featuring the Jaguar fastpitch team awards.

And speaking of baseball...the Parkers Prairie baseball team defeated Heritage Christian Academy 3-0 today in the state quarterfinals at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud. The Panthers (24-1) now face Sacred Heart of East Grand Forks in tomorrow's state semifinals. That game is set to begin at Joe Faber Field at 11 a.m.

State baseball

At the state baseball tournament today...

In the Class 2A semifinals, No. 5 Paynesville Area lost a heartbreaker 3-2 in eight innings to top-seeded Duluth Marshall.

In the Class 1A semifinals, No. 5 Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg lost an equally tough heartbreaker by a 7-6 score in eight innings to top-seeded BOLD.

No. 2-seeded and Section 6A champion New York Mills punched its ticket to the Class 1A state championship game with a 5-1 win over unseeded Sacred Heart. The Eagles will take a 21-4 record into the state title game to face BOLD (19-5). They square off at Target Field in Minneapolis on Thursday, June 20 at 10 a.m.

• In other news...I just saw this at the West Central Tribune, and it makes me sick. I promoted Rib Fest in the Voice and online and on our radio show. Here's the short link to read about a theft of approximately $9,200 at Rib Fest in New London on Sunday, June 9: https://bit.ly/2MRWr0s.

I do have to wonder if certain local criminals from Brooten made their way to Rib Fest that day. I hope law enforcement finds the culprits and that justice is served!!!!!

If money is not yours, IT'S NOT YOURS!!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE IT! Hence, why we call it THEFT!!!!!!!! Now if only theft brought serious jail time, perhaps criminals would be less inclined to take WHAT IS NOT THEIRS!!!!!!!

The loss of over $9,200 makes me sick to my stomach considering that it is money intended to help low-income families, children, seniors, etc.

Just as bad, in my opinion, is theft of money from any community group such as the Brooten Commercial Club. Those are COMMUNITY funds designated for the PUBLIC good. The Brooten Commercial Club was not an ATM there to dish out free money for criminals!!!!!!!! Just like the money donated at Rib Fest in New London was not free money for criminals to take!!!

Time to sign off, go out in the garden and cool my jets.

State baseball updates

Parkers Prairie, Section 6A champions for the second straight year, won their state quarterfinal game this morning by an 8-0 score over Section 5A champion Pillager (15-11). The Panthers are 23-2 heading into the Class 1A state semifinals, which begin at noon tomorrow at the Mini Met in Jordan.

Local company hits a home run

With all the hype surrounding the baseball season opener of Minnesota’s new ballpark on April 12th, it seems fitting that the first home run was delivered by a Minnesota made bat. Using an official MaxBat baseball bat, outfielder Jason Kubel, did the honors of driving in a blast to right field at the beginning of the seventh inning.

MaxBat is a division of Glacial Wood Products, headquartered in Brooten, Minnesota. “With our expertise manufacturing world class wood products, the move to manufacturing baseball bats seemed a logical step for us,” says Richard Johnson, President. “With the support of over 400 professional players, we are fast becoming the bat of choice for many baseball players worldwide. We are honored to work with so many outstanding players. ”

MaxBat baseball bats are engineered from the hardest maple on the market. Only maple, with the straightest grain and virtually zero defects, is used in MaxBat production. The quality of the maple, combined with meticulous craftsmanship and engineering, results in a bat with great balance, tremendous power, and outstanding feel.

ABOUT GWP:

MaxBat is a division of Glacial Wood Products, the largest custom wood turning facility in the country. Glacial Wood manufactures the highest quality wood turnings for all types of industries using the latest technology, insuring lasting, durable and beautifully crafted parts. Glacial Wood is FSC certified and makes sustainable wood components for clients all over the world.For more information about MaxBat, please visit www.maxbats.com. For information on Glacial Wood Products, please visit www.glacialwood.com.