Jack/Pheasant Squad 4th at NABA Spring Training Event!

A team comprised of both South Dakota Jackalopes and South Dakota Pheasants senior baseball team made their way to Mesa, Arizona in March to participate in the National Adult Baseball Association's annual Spring Training Event.  This year's event attracted 10 teams from across the United States and included many quality teams.

Representing South Dakota from the Pheasants were: Bob Kopel, Lee Goldammer, Mike Held, Gary Croon, Adrian Mohr, Ken Foster and Tom Schlimgen.  Jackalopes team members were: Mike Arter, Dave Anderson, Don Cassels, Dave Hinnenkamp, Darrell Woolery and Stan Dickman.

The team played as the Jackalopes and started the tournament with a 4-2 win over the a local all-star team from the Phoenix area, the Diamondbacks.  Lee Goldammer went the distance for the Jacks and kept a much younger D-Back team off balance throughout the game.  The Jacks played crisp defense and turned two doubleplays behind Lee.  Game 2 saw the Jacks against the Denver Buffaloes.  The Buffs are perrenial Denver Metro Over 45 Baseball champions, and they demonstrated why.  The Denver 9 scored 9 times and took a 9-2 lead into the 9th before the Jacks rallied to throw a good scare into them, scoring 5 runs in their half of the stanza and bringing the tieing run to the plate.

The Jacks resumed their winning ways on Saturday with a 12-3 pounding of the Baltimore Orioles.  Don Cassels went the distance for the Jacks as they ended pool play as the 4th seeded team out of the 10 teams competing.  The Jacks would again face the Buffaloes on Sunday to decide 3rd and 4th place positions.  Lee Goldammer again took the mound and totally confused the younger Buffs through four solid innings.  With the score tied at 0-0 going into the 5th, the Buffs managed to score one in the 5th and added 2 more unearned runs in the 6th - all three runs were unearned.  Goldammer returned to the mound in the 7th inning and after retiring one Buffalo hitter and surrendering one more run, gave way to Dave Hinnenkamp.  The Buffaloes went on to score twice more and despite the fact that the Jacks outhit the Buffaloes, 9-7, the Jacks were unable to come up with timely hits that could have turned the tide.

A great time was had by all and South Dakota Senior Baseball was again represented with class and by solid play.  Several of the umpires in the tournament commented on the quality of players and people that the South Dakota teams always seem to bring with them.  It was a great way to start the baseball year and we look forward to the Augustana Senior Baseball Tournament scheduled for Memorial Day weekend as our next baseball event!