SHOTS from the Hip

Brava to triple jumper Shelby Sizemore and 1600-meter runner Faith VanHolbeck on earning blue ribbons in last week’s Amery Track Invitational. Coached by Emily Calabrese, the Cardinal thinclads finished second behind meet champion Amery. In the UW-Stout Elite Meet on Saturday, the 4×400 meter relay team of Maddie Matzek, Katrina Budworth, Sophie Ripley, and Ella Johnson finished second.

In the Stout-Elite meet for the boys, Josh Peterson took home the gold in the 55-meter dash in leading the boys to a third-place finish. Dylan Bierbrauer finished third in the 400 meters and Aiden Russell placed third in the high jump. Head Coach Carl Calabrese and his charges finished third in the Amery Invitational. Dylan Bierbrauer finished first in the 200 meters, Jayde Canfield took home top honors in the 3,200 meters, Aiden Russell won the blue ribbon in the high jump, Logan Stewart did the same in the triple jump, and Matthew Lynes grabbed top honors in the pole vault.

Peter Brookshaw slammed his fifth home run of the season this weekend as the North Dakota State Bison took two out of three against Western Illinois over the weekend to improve to 5-1 in Summit League play and 17-9 overall. Brookshaw heads into the week hitting a team best .333 on the season. After playing 26 games on the road to start the season, the Bison will host their first home games of the year at Newman Field in Fargo, N.D. this weekend when they host Summit League newcomer University of St. Thomas in a three-game series.

Prescott alumnus MacKenzie Carey and the Cardinals of St. Mary’s University split their double header with both St. Catherine’s University and followed with a sweep of Concordia College on Sunday to improve to 3-1 in conference play and 10-5 overall. Starting at second base for the Cardinals, Carey is hitting .316 on the season.

The Prescott Cardinal baseball team opened the 2022 season with a 4-1 win over Dover-Eyota and a 14-4 six-inning triumph over St. Paul Academy. Senior Ben Rohl went 5-6 on the day and drove in six runs in the double header sweep. Rohl started game one and tossed three scoreless innings. Junior right hander Wesley Dobbs picked up his first varsity win with 3 . innings of relief. Senior Phil Seifert got the final two outs with a game-ending double play. In game two Orion Tulip picked up the victory with four solid innings of relief. The senior right hander allowed one earned run in four innings of work. Along with Rohl’s 3-3 performance at the plate, Brady Block went 2-4 and added a scoreless sixth inning on the mound in game two. Senior leadoff hitter Justin Syverson walked six times during the two games.

Yawn … and what a sad reaction some may have to the following. During the current school year in the state of Arizona there have been 1,218 player ejections and 327 coaches who have been tossed this year. Up from 1,058 players and 215 coaches two years earlier. To date, over 50,000 officials around the country have called it quits due to verbal abuse and profanity from players along with adult fan intimidation and other threatening behaviors. Arizona and other states are beginning to consider increasing the penalties for such pathetic and inappropriate behavior. Among those being considered is suspending games all together. Something needs to be done to stop this completely and absolutely embarrassing trend.

The Prescott baseball team is still in search of an in-game statistician for the 2022 season. Please contact Head Coach Jeff Ryan if interested.

Congratulations to Matt Monteith, Debbie Eggers, and Randy Hansen on receiving 2022 CAB Company Friend of Baseball Awards. The trio were recognized for their extraordinary volunteer work connected to Prescott baseball. Monteith, a 1994 Prescott grad and a member of the school’s first athletic state championship team, was recognized for all his work related to numerous projects. Hansen, Prescott basketball’s first 1,000-point scorer, was heralded for his meticulous work connected to the infield at Firehall. A playing surface featured speaker Al Newman called “better than most Double A or Triple A ballparks in the country.” Debbie Eggers was applauded for years and years of field maintenance, concession stand work, gardening, scorekeeping, and scoreboard operating.

Those who did attend the 22nd Annual CAB Company Banquet had nothing but great things to say about featured speaker Al Newman. The former Minnesota Twin and twotime World Series Champion has drawn nothing but rave reviews from those in attendance.

Headshaker of the week: The language used and the behaviors on display from one of the dugouts last Saturday in Lake City resembled that of a pregame college homecoming football frat party rather than a high school baseball game. It was a headshaker.

By Cripe Olson