Fastpitch softball enjoys scrimmage at St. John's University

At the St. John's University Gagliardi Field and Skalicky Seasonal Dome in Collegeville, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team traveled east on Saturday to face New London-Spicer in the first annual "Battle of the Bat" scrimmage. This is a new tradition started by head coach Logan Funk while working with Wildcats head coach Jacob Beranek. Max Bats of Brooten generously has donated a wood bat designated as the traveling trophy. It will have the year and score etched onto it each spring.

Coach Funk was thrilled to report that the first score etched on this Max Bats bat will reflect a winning 8-5 score for B-B-E. The Jaguars had just one error.

B-B-E's fastpitch season opener is set for Tuesday, April 9 at home in Brooten at 5 p.m. against MACCRAY.

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team has a scrimmage on Monday (tomorrow) against Minnewaska Area. The two teams will scrimmage at 1 p.m. in Alexandria at Knute Nelson Field.

Temperatures tomorrow will climb into the mid-60s for the second straight day. It will be a wonderful day to be outside. However, Minnesota's weather gets rough starting on Tuesday, and the forecast looks quite awful as we head into April. Snow and cold is coming on April 2 and April 4. Yuck!

VOLLEYBALL BORDER BATTLE!

Tonight is a huge, huge night on the volleyball scene!

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team travels to New London-Spicer to face the Wildcats in a non-conference border battle! It will be a heck of a match! The Wildcats are 3-1 overall after taking runner-up honors at the Albany Early Bird Invitational on August 26. They lost in straight sets to No. 8-ranked (Class 2A) Watertown-Mayer in the finals. In pool play, NL-S defeated No. 5-ranked Sauk Centre in three sets. They are the real deal, and tonight will be a huge, huge test for our Jaguars.

Match updates will follow here.
In game one, the Wildcats have scored four straight points to take a 16 to 14 lead.

*Now it's tied 16-16.
Final: B-B-E 26, NL-S 24.

In game two, the Wildcats led 9-6 early on after the Jaguars had an initial 2 to 0 lead.
Final: B-B-E 27, NL-S 25. Wow!! The Jaguars trailed as many as six points in the second set.

In game three, the teams were in a tie at 7-7. Then the Wildcats scored nine straight to go up 16-7, and the Jaguars have burned both of their timeouts.

Final: NLS 25, B-B-E 15.

More to come in a new blog post!! We have an outcome! Video is uploading.

He's a legend and still roaming the sidelines

Coach Dreier watches from the bench during a Dec. 10, 2010 match up with the Mainstreeters in Sauk Centre.  His team had a 17-11 lead in the first half but ultimately lost 53-49. Sitting at the right is long-time assistant coach Margaret (Marthaler) Essler, who played during her high school career as a Brooten Buccaneer under Jim Dykema. Essler graduated in 1981 with her husband, Dan Essler.

New London-Spicer coaching great Mike Dreier began his 35th season as head coach of the Wildcats girls' basketball program with a win over Eden Valley-Watkins last week.

I noticed this in the West Central Tribune in Rand Middleton's notebook and wanted to share it:
Here are the official stats on Mike Dreier’s coaching career. I was one year and one loss off in the game story of the opener at New London vs. Eden Valley-Watkins. After that game his record is 769-138 starting his 35th season at New London-Spicer.

Coach Dreier is without a doubt one of the great coaches of our time. It is incredibly difficult to keep a program in any sport running at the high level he does. Keeping kids and parents motivated to build a winning program over a 35-year span is simply incredible.

I have always enjoyed seeing Coach Dreier sitting in the stands scouting or roaming the sidelines of a basketball court for the past 15+ years I've followed high school sports. He is always warm and friendly to a quick chat with me, and he always asks about how my family is doing or how I am doing.

We are lucky at B-B-E to have a coach of similar stature in our boys' basketball head coach, Dave Montbriand, now in his 20th season leading the Jaguars into battle. I am so thankful that he now has a basketball championship under his belt. Whether or not we ever win any more boys' basketball titles at B-B-E, the memories and excitement of the 2011-12 season will never be forgotten.

Thanks, Coach!