Bayside Chatter: Softball tourney cancelled

Talk about it

The 40th annual Rocky Taconite softball tournament, scheduled for next weekend in Silver Bay is cancelled after only one team signed up as of June 17.

In the past, there were more than 50 teams registered. Last year, the smallest group of teams they have ever had took up the challenge of the tournament in Silver Bay. A total of 12 teams battled it out for the championship.

Tournament director Mike Guzzo said people aren’t playing as much softball anymore, plus the tournament competes with others in the region. He said the various festivals going on during the summer don’t help matters either.

Racing

Deven VanHouse, in car 17, sits in sixth place in the Midwest Modified points standings at both the Superior Speedway and the Proctor Speedway.

Softball

Kirstin Sandstrom received honorable mention to the St. Paul Pioneer Press All-State Softball Team.

State

The state baseball tournaments concluded another season of high school athletics for the state of Minnesota. Eden Valley-Watkins defeated Sebeka 7-4 at Target Field to finish the season undefeated at 27-0 as the Class A champion.

The last team to finish undefeated was Cretin-Derham Hall in 1998 at 29-0. Eden Prairie beat Burnsville 7-5 for the AAA title and Rocori shutout Delano 3-0 for the AA championship.

State golf champions were Wayzata, Orono and Ortonville for the boys and New Prague, Minnewaska and Providence Academy for the girls.

In track and field the girls champions were Hopkins and Luverne while for the boys it was Eden Prairie and Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd coming out on top. Eden Prairie and Blake won boy’s team tennis titles.

College hockey

Some new rules were proposed for college hockey by the Rules Committee which meets every other year. This committee passes on their proposals to the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Committee which usually just rubber stamps the recommendations. The proposals include making head contact a major penalty and a game misconduct, eliminating icing while short handed and awarding a two minute minor even if a team scores on a delayed call. The majority of coaches are especially unhappy about the removal of icing while short handed.

Tags: two harbors, bayside chatter, sports