Last weekend should have been the Minnesota State High School League State track meet, State Softball, and the State golf tournament should have been this week and State Baseball should have started today. It is just another reminder of what we are missing out on, but most importantly what the kids are missing out on an amazing opportunity.
Enjoy another Sports Feever column and enjoy a beer at your recently reopened favorite Minnesota establishment for me!
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The first-round of the Major League Baseball draft was held on Wednesday night. The two highlights from the first round are below –
1. The Miami Marlins drafted the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers pitcher and Woodbury native Max Meyer with the #3 pick overall. The only other Gopher taken that high in the draft was Paul Molitor, who was taken third overall by Milwaukee in 1977.
2. The Minnesota Twins selected Aaron Sabato of the University of North Carolina. A power-hitting first baseman that according to the “experts” is a great pick that late in the round. I guess we will find out in four to five years!
Other interesting Major League Baseball draft history info-
In 1979, the Kansas City Royals drafted both Dan Marino and John Elway.
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Good news-
As of Tuesday (June 9), Minnesota State High School League is planning on starting the fall season beginning Monday, August 17.
The Commissioner of Education has promised guidance before July 31. As we all know, these situations a very fluid, but this is good news.
While the plans call for everything to go as planned, we will know more by the end of July. Let’s hope the COVID-19 numbers continue to trend the right way and fall sports can go as usual.
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The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Softball team received a double whammy this week when Mikaela Rodriguez signed to play softball next season at the University of Sioux Falls as a grad transfer. Even though Rodriguez had an extra year to play at UMC, she graduated in May and made the correct decision to go to graduate school. The bad news….she is going to another NSIC school and will enroll in USF’s Master of Business Administration program. While it is tough for UMC Coach Travis Owen, I know he is happy and excited for Mikaela and will be cheering for her…except when she plays against UMC.
The daughter of Nancy and Rueben Rodriquez, she comes to USF after a senior season cut short due to CoVID-19. In her collegiate career, Rodriquez, who has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international business from Minnesota-Crookston (2020), totaled 13 home runs with 67 RBI during her time with the Golden Eagles.
As a sophomore transfer at Minnesota-Crookston, Rodriquez hit .301 with three home runs, 24 RBI and 20 runs scored. During her junior campaign, Rodriquez hit .269 with 33 runs, six stolen bases, and a program-record nine home runs along with 25 RBI. Rodriquez, who had a .524 slugging mark and .361 on-base percentage, led UMC with 111 assists. Before the 2020 softball season ended this spring she had a home run, triple and .229 average in 16 games for the Golden Eagles. Golden Eagles.
Rodriquez played her freshman season collegiately at Briar Cliff University (NAIA, Sioux City, Iowa). With BC, she hit .286, scored 11 runs, collected seven doubles and had 12 RBI’s while posting a .357 slugging percentage. In the field, Rodriguez had a .940 fielding percentage with 75 putouts and 83 assists.
A standout at Betty H. Fairfax High School in Laveen, Ariz., Rodriquez had six career home runs, 18 doubles, and hit at least .386 in her final two seasons. In fact, she batted .418 as a junior with 27 runs, four home runs, 11 doubles and three triples. As a senior, she hit .386 with 10 runs, seven doubles, a triple and two home runs.
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Olivia Bulger of Red Lake Falls has signed to play softball at Northland Technical and Community College.
Kate Helgeson of Roseau Girls Hockey has signed to play hockey at Division I Quinnipiac.
Fred Landman IV of Red Lake County baseball has signed to play baseball at Northland next year.
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The NAIA is the latest college sports organization to cut events for the 2020 fall sports season. Area schools include Mayville State, Valley City State, Jamestown, and Dickinson State.
The NAIA won’t start the fall sports season on time in the fall. The start of the football season will be September 12 and the season will only consist of nine games. The practice start date for all sports, will be Saturday, August 15. As a result, from today through August 14, any activities deemed practice by the NAIA are strictly prohibited.
Competition start dates are as follows:
All sports except football: September 5 (providing 3 weeks of practice prior to competition)
Football: September 12 (providing 4 weeks of practice prior to competition)
With the delayed start dates, there are fewer weeks to complete the season. As a result, the COP Executive Committee approved a reduction in the maximum number of contests as follows:
Cross Country: 7 meets, down from 8
Football: 9 games, down from 11
Men’s and Women’s Soccer: 14 games, down from 18
Women’s Volleyball: 22 dates, down from 28
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The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Board of Directors recently approved the addition of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as an associated member in wrestling beginning in the 2021-22 academic year. With the addition of UW-Parkside, NSIC wrestling will now have 10 participating institutions across a five-state area, the largest conference in NCAA Division II.
The nine NSIC wrestling schools, along with UW-Parkside also make up NCAA Division II Super Region Five.
UW-Parkside was a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference from 2016 until 2018, before the school moved to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference. Since that time, UWP has competed an independent, as the GLIAC no longer sponsors wrestling. Since instituting wrestling in 1969, UWP has amassed 17 individual National Champions (10 NAIA & 7 NCAA DII), 18 Top-10 team finishes, 144 All-Americans and 120 Academic All-Americans.
About NSIC Wrestling
NSIC wrestling schools consist of Augustana University; University of Mary; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University Moorhead; Minot State University; Northern State University; Southwest Minnesota State University; St. Cloud State University and Upper Iowa University.
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Randy Schwegel will retire after 40 years in the Pine River-Backus district serving as a teacher and coach and he has been an Activities Director for the past 16 years.
Marc Helmrichs will step down as Pequot Lakes Activities Director after more than 14 years at Pequot Lakes and 30 overall.
Chad Christensen, the head girls hockey coach at Fargo North-South, is resigning after two seasons. He was an assistant coach for the previous five seasons.
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JOKES
A devoted wife had spent her lifetime taking care of her husband. Now he had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she stayed by his bedside every single day.
When he came to senses, he motioned for her to come near him.
As she sat by him, he said, “You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. You know what?”
“What dear?” she asks gently.
“I think you bring me bad luck.”
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A coworker named Celsius recently retired at my work, so they hired a guy named Kelvin to replace him.
He’s the new temp. Seems like a cool guy.
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Two guys were sitting outside a medical clinic. One of them was crying, tears were pouring down his face.
The other guy asked, “Why are you crying?”
The first one replied, “I came here for blood test.”
The second one asked, “So? Why are you crying? Are you afraid?”
The first guy replied, “No. Not that. During the blood test they cut my finger.”
Hearing this, the second one started crying.
The first one was astonished and asked the other, “Why are you crying?”
Then the second guy replied, “I have come for a urine test.”
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How are former Crookston Pirates athletes doing in college or elsewhere?
****LET ME KNOW OF OTHERS TO ADD TO THE LIST email me at chrisjfee@yahoo.com
Paul Bittner is playing for the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Bluejacket.
Brady Heppner, is playing hockey for the Roanoke Raildogs in the SPHL.
Aleece Durbin, is a Sophomore on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.
Brita Fagerlund, is a Junior on the University of Jamestown Jimmy Women’s Track team.
Ben Trostad is a sophomore member of the University of Minnesota Crookston golf team.
Isaac Westlake, is a Senior on the Winona State Warrior Men’s Golf team.
Elise Tangquist, is a Junior golfer for the University of Northwestern in St. Paul.
Mason LaPlante, a freshman, is playing soccer at the University of Jamestown.
Rachel Hefta, a freshman, is playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.
Cade Salentine is a redshirt Freshman playing football at the University of North Dakota.
Nick Garmen, is a freshman playing basketball and tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.
Thea Oman, a freshman, is swimming at St. Ben’s.
Crookston School District Coaches –
Jeremy Lubinski is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach and assistant volleyball coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Cody Brekken is the Head Pirate Girls and Boys Tennis coach and Crookston Community Pool Supervisor
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach
Mitch Bakken is the head Pirate Baseball coach.
Brock Hanson is the Pirate Baseball volunteer assistant coach.
Jeff Perreault is the Pirate Girls Golf head coach
Wes Hanson is the Pirate Wrestling Head Coach and assistant boys golf coach
Kevin Weber is a Pirate Boys Basketball volunteer assistant coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Sam Melbye is the Pirate Boys J.V. Hockey coach
Chris Dufault is a youth wrestling Coach
Blake Fee is an assistant wrestling coach
Colton Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach
Non-Crookston High School coaching –
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown
Kaylee Desrosier is a softball coach for Fargo Davies Middle School.
Justin Johnson is an assistant softball coach at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
Josh Edlund is an assistant football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach in Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is Head Wrestling coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson, is Head Volleyball coach at Little Falls High School.
Katy Westrom, is Head Girls Tennis Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Monticello High School.
Matt Harris, is a Director of Athletics at the British International School of Houston.
Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.
Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of Wyoming
Mike Hastings is the Minnesota State Mankato Men’s head Hockey coach
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Thief River Falls High School
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football and volleyball and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for the Bison media relations
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College
Chris Myrold is a Tennis Pro on Nevis Island in the West Indies
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Jarrett Butenhoff is serving our country with the U.S. Navy
Joshua Butenhoff is serving our country on a Submarine with the Pacific Fleet with the US Navy.
Peter Cournia is a 2002 Crookston High School Graduate and also a grad of West Point and is currently is serving in the U.S. Army.
Erik Ellingson is serving our country with the U.S. Air Force at Minot.
Philip Kujawa class of 2004 from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.
Scott Riopelle is head of Crookston Parks and Recreation
Rob Sobolik is the General Manager of the Fargodome
That’s it for this week. Thanks for the comments and if you have anything to add or share, please e-mail chrisjfee@yahoo.com or call. Thanks for reading and listening to KROX RADIO and kroxam.com
