Only one week remains in the regular-season schedule for amateur baseball teams in Region 13C.
Windom is in control of the race for first place and a first-round bye in the league playoffs from the First Nite League with a 13-3 record. Jackson is 12-6 and Fairmont is 9-5.
The Pirates swept two games from the Bulls and split with the Martins.
Windom has games remaining at Lakefield Sunday, home vs. Mountain Lake Wednesday and at Pipestone Saturday. Fairmont plays at Pipestone and Ruthton Sunday before hosting Heron Lake Wednesday and Worthington next Sunday.
Jackson’s lone remaining league game is at home vs. Pipestone Wednesday.
Milroy leads the Gopher League with a 14-1 record, with Luverne second at 15-2 and Hadley third at 11-4.
The Irish play the Buttermakers Sunday in Hadley, host Adrian Wednesday and then play at Mountain Lake and Fairmont next Sunday. Luverne hosts Heron Lake today and Worthington Wednesday.
Hadley hosts Milroy today, Adrian Saturday and Ruthton next Sunday and also has a game to be rescheduled vs. Mountain Lake.
Luverne has swept Hadley and split with Milroy. The Irish won the first game vs. the Buttermakers.
The league playoffs will open on Wednesday, July 20.
Standings
First Nite League
Windom Pirates 13-3
Jackson Bulls 12-6
Fairmont Martins 9-5
Fox Lake Foxes 6-9
Lakefield Frogs 6-10
Mountain Lake Lakers 4-9
Heron Lake Lakers 2-14
Gopher League
Milroy Irish 14-1
Luverne Redbirds 15-2
Hadley Buttermakers 11-4
Adrian A's 6-9
Ruthton Royals 5-11
Pipestone A's 3-12
Worthington Cubs 2-13
League games only
Sunday, July 10
Fairmont at Pipestone, 12 p.m.
Fairmont at Ruthton, 2 p.m.
Adrian at Mountain Lake, 2 p.m.
Milroy at Hadley, 2 p.m.
Heron Lake at Luverne, 3 p.m.
Windom at Lakefield, 5 p.m.
Worthington at Fox Lake, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 13
Pipestone at Jackson, 7:30 p.m.
Lakefield at Fox Lake, 7:30 p.m.
Heron Lake at Fairmont, 7:30 p.m.
Mountain Lake at Windom, 7:30 p.m.
Worthington at Luverne, 7:30 p.m.
Adrian at Milroy, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 14
Windom at Lamberton, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 15
Marshall at Milroy, 7:30 p.m.
Pipestone at Ruthton, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 16
Jackson at Wells, 2 p.m.
Adrian at Hadley, 2 p.m.
Windom at Pipestone, 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 17
Luverne at Jackson (non-leasgue), 2 p.m.
Lakefield at Adrian, 2 p.m.
Worthington at Fairmont, 2 p.m.
Fox Lake at Heron Lake, 2 p.m.
Milroy Irish at Mountain Lake, 2 p.m.
Fox Lake at Mountain Lake, 5 p.m.
Hady update
Former Jackson Bull and Heron Lake Laker Tom Hady did not allow a hit in one shutout inning for the Class B Shakopee Indians vs. the Eagan Bandits Friday.
For the season he has one save with an 0-1 record and earned-run average of 6.0.
In 12 innings Hady has allowed eight runs on 17 hits, walked five and struck out five.
MoonDogs update
Truman native Derek Shoen is hitting .271 with the Mankato MoonDogs of the Northwoods League. He has 23 hits in 85 official at-bats.
Shoen has four doubles, one triple and is second on the team in home runs with three. He also has 14 runs batted in, has walked 16 times and been hit by a pitch twice and has an on-base percentage of .398
This past week it was announced that Windom graduate Danny Kneeland will take over as Manager of the MoonDogs for the remainder of the season.
Previous Manager Matt Wollenzin left Mankato to take a job as the hitting instructor at the University of Evansville.
Kneeland had been serving as Hitting and Assistant Baseball Coach for the MoonDogs. He is a former teacher and coach at Jackson County Central.
Kneeland teaches at St. Clair and is an assistant coach at Bethany Lutheran College. JCC graduate Gavin Jacobsen completed his freshman season at BLC this spring.
Kneeland joined the MoonDogs’ staff this summer, eager to expand his baseball knowledge and take another step toward his career goal of coaching Division I baseball someday.
“I didn’t know this was the next thing, but here we are,” Kneeland said to Chad Courrier of the Mankato Free Press.
“I love baseball; I live, breathe and sleep baseball,” Kneeland said. “I never use the word grind. I love coming to the ballpark every day.
“It’s been a great experience, working with these talented players,” Kneeland said. “We’re all out here for the same reason, to develop. I want to let the players have freedom because this is their chance to get better.”
Mankato had a 19-15 in the first half of the Northwoods League season to place third in the Great Plains West Division.
The MoonDogs are 2-2 under Kneeland to start the second half.
Mankato is home vs. Willmar tonight and then plays at Willmar Monday. The MoonDogs stay on the road for two games apiece at Bismarck and Duluth before hosting Duluth Saturday and Sunday prior to the Northwoods League All-Star break.
Becker update
Fairmont graduate Luke Becker is hitting .295 (70-237) for the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes of the independent Atlantic League.
He has 11 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 44 RBI and 32 walks for an OBP of .376.
The Genones are third in the Atlantic League’s Southern Division with a 35-31 record.