Seven Jaguars to section track and field!

Seven members of the B-B-E Jaguars track and field team will compete at the Section 5A meet after advancing out of yesterday's sub-section meet at Sauk Centre high school.

These Jaguars compete at sections at St. John University's Clemens Stadium on Wednesday, June 1. More information to follow. I need to get to the senior awards banquet at Olson Auditorium!

Minnewaska/B-B-E boys' tennis to state

A pretty special achievement was made for B-B-E senior student-athlete Gannon Walsh, as he and his Minnewaska/B-B-E boys' tennis team advanced to the state tournament with a 4-3 win in the Section 8A finals this morning against Thief River Falls. What makes it special from my view as a sports reporter is that he golfed for the B-B-E Jaguars yesterday in the final Central Minnesota Conference meets of the season and then joined his tennis team later in the day to help them win in the section semifinals. At No. 2 singles, Walsh won in three sets yesterday during the team's 6-1 win against Crookston.

The tennis team won 6-1 in their playoff opener against East Grand Forks on their home courts at MAHS.

Earlier this season, Minnewaska/B-B-E won the West Central Conference title, and now they seek state tournament hardware. The Class 1A state tournament takes place on June 7-8 at the Reed-Sweatt tennis center in Minneapolis.

Fastpitch playoffs today in Murdock

Make the trip today to Murdock where you can cheer on the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team as they begin their playoffs in Sub-Section 3A-North. The schedule features four teams playing in first-round games. At 2:30 p.m. there's host Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg facing conference rival Dawson-Boyd. Then at 4 p.m., Yellow Medicine East takes on our B-B-E Jaguars. The winners of those two games will play at 5:30 p.m., and both of those teams (win or lose) of that game will advance to next week's action in the double-elimination portion of the tournament.

The road will be blocked off in front of the softball diamond, so fans will park outside the barriers and walk to the park. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students. Concessions will be available, and games may begin early if possible after that first game is completed***

Good luck Jaguars! Go get 'em!!

Conference champions

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team, which includes one player who also plays for a paired Minnewaska/BBE boys' golf team this spring, earned the Central Minnesota Conference title today after two meets were held at both Brooten and Osakis. They won the overall title by two strokes over runner-up Osakis. This is a wonderful moment for our boys' golf program.

The Section 5A tournament begins on May 25 at Eagle Creek in Willmar.

More to follow in this week's newspaper. 

Well, well, well - don't look now, but the Elrosa Saints are 3-0

As it turned out, I don't have to take a full break like I was staring down last night, although I am still working with a scaled-back operation here and facing a mountain of energy-draining issues. I have news that's just too good to not share right away.

The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team is 3-0 after picking up two big Stearns County League wins this weekend. On Saturday at Spring Hill, the Saints won 9-7 in a 12-inning marathon. Payton VanBeck started, and Ethan Vogt closed to pick up the win (IP-5 2/3).

On Sunday at Lake Henry, the Saints won 15-5 with Wyatt Steffensen picking up the pitching win in seven innings of work. Riley Meyer closed, and the Saints had 14 hits to 12 by the hosts.

Next: the Saints host Farming on Saturday night this weekend at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, Elrosa travels to Roscoe for a 1:30 p.m. game to conclude their Memorial Day weekend SCL contests.

Taking a break

I really do appreciate the many dozens of people who visit this sports blog every day. While at times I rant and rave here, I do try my best to post timely and important varsity sports-related information here every day. I appreciate all the support I get from the local business community and from the huge following of Jaguar Sports who are out there near, far and wide.

Recently I have uncovered numerous serious problems in our community. It's become exhausting. My hypertension is back, at times in full force. I have to learn how to pick my battles. I have to prioritize my time for the sake of my health.

We'll see how this week goes, but I don't know when I'll post here again.

Section 3A sub-section playoffs

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team was seeded No. 6 out of eight teams in Sub-Section 3A-North on Friday. To open the playoffs, the Jaguars travel the short drive down to Murdock on Tuesday, May 24 for a 4 p.m. game against No. 3-seeded Yellow Medicine East of Granite Falls. If the Jaguars win that first game, which I have confidence will happen, they will play the winner of the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg vs. Dawson-Boyd game that takes place at 2:30 p.m. that same day and location.

Lac qui Parle Valley is the No. 1 seed in the sub-section, while Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg is No. 2.

Sub-Section 3A-North fastpitch seedings:
No. 1: Lac qui Parle Valley
No. 2: K-M-S
No. 3: YME
No. 4: MACCRAY
No. 5: Benson
No. 6: B-B-E
No. 7: Dawson-Boyd
No. 8: Ortonville

Edgerton/Southwest Christian MN is the top seed in Sub-Section 3A-South, while Russel-Tyler-Ruthton is the No. 2 seed.

More to come.

Two baseball wins, boys' golf third at Island Pine (VIDEOS)

First of all, this has been a very tough week. For a variety of reasons. Just a tough week that has completely kicked my butt. This week kicking my butt was on full display in the May 19 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper, which had a very light sports section and had none of my city council stories that I really, really needed to publish. This sports blog essentially went dormant right as multiple varsity teams got super, super busy this week. On top of all that, I had another bomb dropped on me tonight that blew my day apart. But I'm working through it and trying to deal with difficult people who have put me in a difficult position. You all know how I am - I don't care what anyone thinks about me. I have no problem whatsoever walking in a room and having everyone turn their head because they can't stand me. I have no problem making people feel uncomfortable. I never lose sleep over it. I've done it my whole life, and I sure as hell won't stop now. My family moved to B-B-E for the MAIN REASON of getting away from the ever-so-disgusting "clique" mentality. If I see it happening here, I will call it out very loudly and very clearly. Just watch me.

End rant.

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team won 5-3 at Parkers Prairie on Thursday night this week to pick up a big Section 6A win. The Jaguars collected 12 hits compared to five by the Panthers. Ashton Dingmann was the winning pitcher, and he went the distance with five strikeouts and just two walks.

B-B-E followed that win with a 12-2, five-inning win tonight over Long Prairie-Grey Eagle in Elrosa to improve to 10-9 overall. 

I just got boys' golf results from today in Atwater. I'll get more posted later tonight.

Update: the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team took third place today at Island Pine golf course in rural Atwater. Paynesville Area shot a 169 to take first place, while Central Minnesota Conference front-runner Osakis shot a 171. B-B-E fired a 174, and A-C-GC had a 189. Kimball Area/Eden Valley-Watkins placed fifth with a 197.

The Jaguars are excited to host the sixth CMC meet of the season on Monday morning at Prairie View Golf Course in Brooten. They tee off at 9 a.m.

In their final game of the regular season today, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team had a very tough second inning that spelled doom and led to an 11-1, five-inning loss to Upsala. The Cardinals scored seven runs in the top of the second after the teams played to a 1-1 tie in the first. Following the game (on the home diamond), the team, coaches and parents gathered in the school cafeteria for a potluck supper and took a moment to honor the two seniors, Kailey Fischer and Kylie Winter. They have played a tremendous amount of fastpitch softball in their careers. They're not done either! Playoffs start on Tuesday. I'll get information posted on that in a new blog post.

Here's a fastpitch video clip that features Kylie Winter batting against Benson in the bottom of the sixth inning on April 22 against Benson:


Here's a video clip recorded near the end of game two on May 2 against A-C-GC:


*Here's a short video from the end of the Browerville baseball win one week ago tonight:


More to come in the morning.

Fastpitch wins

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team built a 5-0 lead after two innings at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle and came home with a 15-13 win on Monday in non-conference action. Faith Radermacher was the winning pitcher with six innings of work. The Jaguars out-hit the Thunder by a 12-to-5 margin.

Next: the Jaguars host Paynesville Area today (Tuesday) at 4:30 p.m. in a conference game.

Last Friday at Eden Valley-Watkins, the Jaguars lost 16-6 in six innings and then fell 13-11 in a tough loss after the Eagles scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase B-B-E's 11-8 lead.

Looking to next week, the Section 3A playoffs begin for the Jaguars on Tuesday, May 24. My guess is that B-B-E's Sub-Section 3A-North includes K-M-S, YME, MACCRAY, Benson, Dawson-Boyd, Ortonville and Lac qui Parle Valley.

I'm buried right now under over 300 pictures taken in both Terrace and Sunburg on Sunday. The day was busy and crazy from start to finish. Not much blogging time available for the next couple of days.

It appears that today's Central Minnesota Conference track and field championships at B-B-E high school will take place. This is great news considering that the forecast showed rain coming this afternoon. Right now (3 p.m.) it looks like just an outside chance of rain this afternoon but then clearing for the early evening hours.