In this week’s episode we talk about Corey Christopher and also some other things.
This weekend was a bit of a throwback for me.
My day job at Ametek in Jackson hasn’t allowed me to attend as many sporting events away from home as I’ve been used to doing in the last four decades, but that changed a little this weekend.
An understanding wife gave the approval for me to venture away from Jackson not one, not two, but three days in a row for postseason baseball and miss family gathering in the process.
That meant I made trips to Luverne Friday and Saturday for the state Division II American Legion baseball tournament and Hadley Sunday for a Region 13C amateur baseball game. I saw four games over those three days with Jackson teams going 1-3, with each of those losses coming in walk-off fashion.
The run the Tarantulas had through three weekends of postseason baseball in Springfield and St. James was remarkable and that has been detailed in previous newsletters.
A lot of things were familiar for the Jackson Post 130 team at the state tournament and that helped them settle in and play well in all three games.
The tournament was in a familiar setting at a conference opponent and the Tarantulas were even in the first-base dugout, which is the visitor’s dugout in Luverne.
And the ‘Men in Blue,’ for two of those games, Corey Christopher and Tom Schuller, were familiar
Christopher and Schuller worked two Legion games in Luverne in the afternoon on Friday and then headed to Adrian to ump a Region 13C amateur baseball game that night.
On Saturday, Christopher and Schuller umpired two more games in Luverne.
And then on Sunday, Corey worked the third-place and championship games of the state Legion tourney with Jeff Sudbeck of Luverne and Matt Prunty of Welcome (actually I think Okoboji this time of year).
That’s seven games in three days for Corey and five in two days for Schu.
And what were they doing the night before they started that stretch?
Watching baseball. They were below me in the grandstand at Wacker Field as I was called off the bench to fill in for Chris Handevidt as the Bulls hosted Hadley.
They’ll have a few days to rest their legs as they’re scheduled to do some more region games Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
If only
If one only had the ability to be in two places at one time. That would have come in handy for Blaise Jacobsen on Saturday.
While he was coaching the Jackson Legion team in Luverne Saturday afternoon the Bulls were playing a region playoff game in Hadley
Blaise is in his 16th consecutive season playing for the Bulls and 19th overall. In between he played with a few other teams.
This is his third season playing with his, son Gavin, who was the Bulls’ starting pitcher that day.
“I wanted to be there to see him of course, but I signed up for this, and this is weird for me to say because I’m a ballplayer forever, but I would have been here (with the Legion team) with these guys with the run we’re making. That’s a really tough thing for me to say out loud.”
The Bulls did post the Saturday win to extend that series to a third game.
“I was confident with Gavin throwing,” Blaise continued. “I’m glad we got the win and we get to play another game.”
Blaise had a pinch-hit, two-run single for the Bulls on Sunday, although they would have their season end in a 10-9 loss to the Buttermakers.
Hall of Fame
Because we went a segment without referring to him, here’s a little more news about Corey Christopher.
He was a volunteer assistant coach on the 2010-2011 Minnesota State University men’s basketball team that has been selected for the school's Athletics Hall of Fame
That season the Mavericks won their second straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular-season title with a 19-3 record.
MSU lost to Winona State 82-74 in the semifinals of the NSIC tournament but did receive the number one seed for the NCAA Division II Central Region.
In the opening round of the regional tournament in Mankato, the Mavericks were matched with Winona State, who was the No. 8 seed. This time MSU came away with a 96-81 win.
Minnesota State went on to win the region by beating Metropolitan State 69-65 and Fort Lewis 81-63.
That sent the Mavericks to the Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass., where they won their first-round game over Alabama-Huntsville 95-91 in overtime.
In the national semifinals, eventual champion Bellarmine beat MSU 81-74 as the Mavericks ended the season with a 28-5 record.
The team will be inducted on Friday, Sept. 23.
Becker update
Back to baseball.
Fairmont graduate Luke Becker continues to have a good season with the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes of the independent Atlantic League, who play just down the street from my brother-in-law Dana in Lexington.
In 79 games he’s hitting .286 (86-301) with 17 doubles, two triples and 14 home runs.
Here’s one of those homers from a few days ago:
Becker also has 54 runs batted in, walked 41 times and has seven stolen bases.
The Genomes have an 11-12 record in the second half of the Atlantic League schedule.
Kobe Lovell
Windom graduate Kobe Lovell has joined the Mankato MoonDogs of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer league. Another Windom grad, Danny Kneeland, is managing the MoonDogs.
Lovell has played two seasons at Southwest Minnesota State. He led the Mustangs in pitching appearances this spring with 13 and earned all-academic honors in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Lovell played this summer with the Windom Pirates amateur team, which was eliminated from the Region 13C Playoffs by Fairmont in the first round.
The Final Four in the region playoffs can draft one pitcher for the final two rounds and Kobe was selected second, by the Luverne Redbirds. Kobe’s brother Collin was the first selection, by the Milroy Irish.
Kobe instead joined the MoonDogs, who are hosting St. Cloud Monday night.
Truman native Derek Shoen has played in 30 games for Mankato and is hitting .274 (32-117). He has scored 18 runs, has eight doubles, one triple and three home runs. Shoe also has 18 RBIs, walked 19 times and has stolen four bases.
After an off day Tuesday the MoonDogs are on the road for five games, playing one at St. Cloud and two each at Willmar and Bismarck before returning to ISG Field in Mankato next Monday to host Rochester.