MACA softball welcomes spring with 4 wins

The MACA softball Tigers have come out of the starting gate scoring lots of runs in 2024. The only blemish has been a close loss to Marshall 4-3. That game required nine innings. It was played on April 9 here. Outside of that the Tigers have been like a bulldozer getting wins. Indeed our program has a long track record of this. 

Countless highlights from over the years at least in regular season play. Very unfortunately, the Tigers have had trouble parlaying the regular season success into the desired type of post-season success. You know how it is every year around Memorial Day. And frankly I have always been surprised how the action happens on the Memorial Day weekend itself. But prep sports is highly important in the lives of the young people and their parents/fans. 

So when life around us goes quiet for the solemnity of the holiday weekend, one can still hear the cheers out and about for prep sports. A good thing? I'd say yes. 

 

Mary Holmberg

Early-bird success

The 2024 season road began with the Tigers handling Sauk Centre at Sauk. The score was 11-2 as most certainly Mary Holmberg's squad got off on the right foot. The date was April 4. It's an awfully early date to count on for having softball or baseball. This past winter was certainly nothing like the previous winter. Diametrically opposed. 

I assume the UMM softball team has not had to use Big Cat field, although that's a tremendous place for softball - I have witnessed it. I don't think the Tigers have played a game there. I inquired last year about whether MACA softball would be eligible for using Big Cat. I was told "yes." That's nice but I'm not sure I entirely believe it, sorry. 

Big Cat is fantastic for fans also. I'd say 100 percent better than the "softball complex." Of course, it wouldn't take much to outdo the softball complex in this regard. It would take almost nothing. I continue to stew about this. The Morris Area school board should have kept a closer eye on how the complex took shape, was developed. We needed a watchdog.

This issue might be small potatoes for our school board now, based on the absolute tempest we have seen taking place with discontent voiced by the teachers. The presentations go on and on by the aggrieved teachers right in the face of the school board at their meetings. I have always tended to show skepticism about the teachers in such situations. It's baked into the cake with me. 

We have now seen our activities director jump ship as it were. Not sure if he's already gone, but his new gig will be with our rival Minnewaska Area. A friend speculates that this disruption is another reflection of the rebellion and disaffected attitude of our Morris Area school staff. I do not have complete knowledge of the situation. In the "old days" I would. 

A friend tells me there may be "two sides to the story" based on alleged incompetence or confusion with our school's payroll services department. Whatever the explanation, it is highly irritating to read about on a continual basis in the Morris fishwrap. The fishwrap (SCT) needs to be asking more questions about what all is going on. 

Is it a simple story of the Morris Area school board members being cheapskates or jerks? Even if you think they are, well, they are the boss. Aren't the school kids always told to "respect authority" and "follow directions?" What kind of example is school staff setting?

Vietnam war 1960s

I went to school in such different times, when young males had to fear being drafted and sent to Vietnam to fight a war. Chance of losing your life was high. Odds high also for having other terrible things happen to you. So I had to wonder when young: why work so hard at developing myself, developing discipline to accomplish things? My life could end up being meteoric. Better to just slack off and have some fun while you can. 

And my generation did in fact seek fun. The drinking age was lowered for us. Was that constructive? No. 

The Vietnam war was anything but constructive as in fact the U.S. lost it. The U.S. lost! Not exactly our tradition. If no one today wants to say anything positive about Richard Nixon, it's probably more because of that than Watergate. 

 

Dominating Monte, WCA

The MACA softball team thumped Montevideo in an April 11 doubleheader. Scores were 20-0 and 17-1. 

The most recent action had MACA downing West Central Area 14-4 on Monday at Barrett. I'd say the weather yesterday (Tuesday) was no-go. 

We have been blessed by the weather but the rain, wind (especially wind) and overcast conditions have not exactly put smiles on faces. I would suggest this is what an entire Missouri winter is like. You won't freeze but you'll want to spend all your time indoors.

 

Baseball: Paynesville 3, Tigers 0

It's about time in today's post that I get around to reporting on Tiger baseball! So if y'all are still with me, let's look at the 3-0 loss to Paynesville. Obviously Paynesville pitching was top-notch. Here the credit goes to Bryce VanderBeek: seven innings, three hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts. A nifty complete game shutout for the Bulldog. 

The Asmus boys worked on the pitching mound for MACA. So it was Alex Asmus with six innings on the hill, pitcher of record, eight hits, three runs (earned), no walks, three strikeouts. Riley logged one inning, two walks and two strikeouts, no hits allowed. 

The Paynesville line score was three runs, eight hits, no errors, while MACA put up 0-3-1 numbers. The MACA hits were by Kaleb Breuer, Johnny Kleindl and Jack Kehoe. Two Bulldogs each rapped two hits: Isaac Lieser and Esau Nelson. Paynesville scored two runs in the second inning, one in the sixth. MACA had the only error on the day.

The game was played on April 12 here.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com