by Cripe Olson

The Prescott Baseball coaches and players will be hosting a free youth clinic this Saturday at Firehall Field. Session I will begin at 9 a.m. for youngsters ages 69._ Session II will begin at noon for youngsters ages 1013._Instruction will focus on the fundamentals of throwing, fielding, hitting and baserunning. All participants will receive a free T-shirt. Due to COVID restrictions, no lunch will be served this year.__ From the WIAA … Stephanie Hauser has been named the next executive director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, announced by the Board of Control Friday. Hauser will begin her new role in July, working in the transition with Dave Anderson, whose retirement as executive director becomes effective on July 31, 2021. She has served as an assistant director with the association since joining the executive staff on July 6, 2015. Hauser becomes the first female to serve as executive director in the 125-year history of the WIAA. She is preceded by P.F. Neverman from 192451, Clifford Fagan 1951-57, John Roberts from 1957-85, Doug Chickering from 19862009 and then Anderson.

The Prescott softball coaches and players will host a softball clinic at noon on Sunday, April 25 at Biggs Frey Field. Clinic instruction will focus on the defensive and offensive fundamentals of the game._ Although high school baseball players met at the Prescott Cemetery by 7:55 a.m. Saturday morning, it did not stop junior Mason Lewis from hitting woods before sun up to do some scouting for this week’s opening of the spring turkey season._An avid outdoorsman and hunter, Lewis traveled west to North Dakota last month with friends and family searching for antler sheds._ Peter Brookshaw homered for the fourth time this weekend as the North Dakota State Bison dropped two of three games with conference rival Oral Roberts University. _The Bison are now 12-7 in league play and 23-10 overall. The Bison travel to South Dakota State this weekend to take on the Jack Rabbits. Brookshaw was recently interviewed by KDWA Sports Editor Nick Tuckner. The 2018 Prescott graduate, who has two years of eligibility remaining, hopes to be drafted in the future. _Several baseball media outlets identify Brookshaw as among the best draft prospects in the Midwest.__ The UW-Eau Claire baseball team won its first games of the season, sweeping a four-game series against Finlandia University._The Lions are a small private school in Hancock, Mich., and are winless in 2021._ There has been some discussion in baseball circles about the prospect of moving the pitcher’s mound back. Many people believe something needs to be done._Strikeout, after strikeout, after strikeout, after strikeout. Attendance and interest in Major League Baseball, with or without pandemic restrictions, has plummeted._ This year the Minor Leagues will serve as a testing ground for some future changes that might possibly speed up the game. At the Triple A level bases will be 3 inches larger. At the Double A, a requirement that all four infielders have their cleats within the outer boundary of the infield dirt when the pitch is delivered. At the A level, a limit of two pickoff attempts per plate appearance. _There are a handful of other changes being tested at the Minor League level; however, none of them involve the moving of the mound._ The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association surveyed head baseball coaches in the 2021 WBCA Yearbook and asked what were the greatest threats to high school baseball in the state._ Coaches identified baseball academies and club baseball as the biggest problem, followed by the weather and AAU Basketball.__