SHOTS from the Hip

It is a big week for the #5 ranked Prescott softball team. The 82 Cardinals travel to #2 ranked BaldwinWoodville in a battle between two of the top Division 3 teams in Wisconsin. The winner will have the in side track at a fastapproaching seeding meeting looming a mere twoandahalf weeks away. Additionally, Wisconsin Sports Network inexplicably failed to identify any Cardinal seniors on their “position watch list” this past week.

The Prescott Cardinal base ball team traveled to La Crosse Logan last Friday and lost a 1110 heartbreaker to their Mississippi Valley Conference hosts. Prescott collected a sea son high 12 hits in the loss to the Rangers. Reportedly, field conditions were as bad if not worse than those described when the Cardinals played at St. Croix Central last month.

By Cripe Olson

Next door to the subpar varsity baseball field was Logan High School’s newly turfed football field. When former Logan baseball coach and now volun teer assistant Terry Curtis was asked if the district considered turfing the baseball field, the former skipper replied “that was never considered.”

From the WIAA: The Wis consin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control voted to require schools host ing Tournament Series events to charge admission in a num ber of spring sports at its meet ing last month. The spring sports tournaments impacted by the board’s action, in addi tion to girls soccer that already requires admission, include baseball, softball, and track and field. Schools electing not to charge admission will be able to host regionals and sec tionals but will not receive re imbursements for hosting or payment of licensed officials assigned to the event.

La Crosse has experienced both declining baseball partic ipation numbers at both the high school and youth levels. Curtis lamented the demise of the Stars of Tomorrow Base ball Tournaments that were for decades identified as one of the biggest and most popular summer tournaments in the United States. From the 1970’s through the early 1990’s, La Crosse was the mecca of youth baseball tournaments hosting teams from all over the coun try. Over the years dozens of Prescott teams participated in the enormously popular tour nament with teams coached by John Schommer, Gary Bayer, Dave Karnick, and Steve Block having considerable success during the decade of the 1980’s and early 1990’s in the annual summer fourday baseball extravaganza.

The North Dakota State Baseball team remained atop the Summit League standings by winning the only game they played over the weekend against South Dakota State. Peter Brookshaw went 35 in game one as the Bison de feated the Jackrabbits by a score of 83. The final two games of the series were can celled due to weather. The Bison improved to 124 in league play and have a one game lead over Oral Roberts. This weekend NDSU travels to Coral Gables, Fla. to take on the Miami Hurricanes in a threegame series. The ACC power has been ranked in the top 10 all season.

Be it Zebco 202’s, Shake speare Ugly Sticks, or Daiwa Spinning rods, expect thou sands of anglers to try their luck along 13,000 miles of trout streams or 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin for the May 7 fishing opener this weekend. If you are looking for scenery and serenity look no further than a Wisconsin trout stream.

Speaking local anglers, for mer Prescott biology teacher Jason Brazzale caught the largest smallmouth bass on Lake Pepin in a tournament this past weekend. Brazzale, a zealous local fisherman, spends numerous boating hours on the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers, and drops anchor on scores of lakes around the state each summer. Incidentally, Brazzale is a catch and release angler.

Headshaker of the week. Let’s stay with fishing. As the openers in Minnesota and Wis consin loom, Mississippi River anglers would best be aware of the less than consistent rules regarding ”lines in the water.” Our neighbors across the river who have a Minnesota fishing license can use two fishing rods on the river. If you are a Wisconsin resident and have a Wisconsin fishing license, you can use three rods while on the river. Huh? It’s a headshaker.