Rapid City Journal from Rapid City, South Dakota • 29

MLB roundups, D3 Scoreboard, D4 World basketball, D5 August 5, 1998 Sports WEDNESDAY Rapid City Journal 1 I IvvXvV 8 I i I p- tA Post 22 enters tourney as the solid favorite TAKES AIM ON THEIR 50 CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE STATE AMERICAN LEGION Oo, have," said Yankton coach Mike Stoll. "Post 22 is definitely the favorite," said Spearfish coach Les Schroeder. They have a solid lineup and play the best competition possible. If we can get our strong pitchers pitching against them, we should be OK." Rapid City a i I A This gAPID CITY HAS SET beat Spearfish 6-5, 1-0 and 13-3 during the season. "Rapid City has a solid team, they have tradition and are well-coached," said Pierre coach Rick Knudson.

yOMERuNS WITH 5 STARTERS HITTING OVER Double-elimination tourney starts today at Fitzgerald Stadium. By Roger Toland Journal Sports Writer Rapid City Post 22, which has established all kinds of single-season team and individual offensive marks this season, has been tabbed as the team to beat in the South Dakota American Legion baseball tournament. The five-day, double-elimination tournament starts this morning at Fitzgerald Stadium, iaBH with the eventual B9Cl.9j winner advancing to DlldbUfill the Central Plains Regional in Omaha, beginning Aug. 13. Offensive-minded Rapid City, the host team in the eight-team field, has won 34 of its last 36 games and has already set team records for runs batted in (742), doubles (203), triples (66) and home runs (59) and an individual record in triples 15 by Ryan Hansen.

Hansen is also closing in on the total base mark (209, record is 217), RBI (107-108), batting average 488) and slugging percentage Ploof Tourney regulations "You roll that all into one and they are impressive." Valley Springs coach Bill Franken hasn't seen many of the teams in the state tournament field and said, "We'll do most of our scouting after we get to Rapid City and watch teams play." As expected, Post 22 coach Dave Ploof looks at being the favorite in a different light. "I've never looked at Rapid City as a favorite or as an underdog," Ploof said. "If we go out and play our kind of baseball, we'll be Coach's comments "We had kind of a mediocre season even with basically the same kids back from last year," said Stoll. "We have some pretty good hitters and we have played good ball in the last couple of weeks, splitting with Brookings and Aberdeen." First-round game "Water-town beat us all four times, one of them 6-4," said Stoll. They have one of the best pitchers (Rusty Rem-mers) on this side of the state.

We just need to play our game." Watertown pitcher has occurred. Except for an injury, a coach or manager must remove a pitcher from the mound after making the second visit to the mound in the same inning. All players should run to and from their dugouts and field positions. Batboysbatgirls or a dugout member should have the pitcher's jacket ready immediately upon a pitcher beconung a base runner. The adult representative of a team should be responsible for good conduct of the team while in the dugout.

The 10-run rule is mandatory seven innings in the championship game, five innings in all other tournament games. There will be no rain-shortened games unless agreed upon by participating teams prior to the start of the tournament. South Dakota regulations for American Legion baseball tournament play: All on-field personnel will refrain from the use of tobacco (in any form) and the use of profanity. No uncomplimentary remarks to, riding of, or baiting of an opponent or umpire is allowed. No throwing of bats or helmets in an unsportsmanlike manner is allowed.

If a protest on an umpire's ruling is proposed, the decision and settlement must be made on the field before the next pitch. After a game starts, a pitcher will be allotted a maximum of five warm-up pitches between innings (unless the umpire gives special permission for more). A relief pitcher will be allotted a maximum of eighth warm-up pitches, unless an injury to a preceding 'Rapid City has a solid team, they have tradition and are well-coached. You roll that into one and they are impressive. Rick Knudson, Pierre coach Mark Mendel is one double shy of the one-season record of 33.

Rapid City is hitting a resounding .404 as a team and is averaging 11.1 runs per game. Rounding out the field are regional champions Spearfish, Watertown and Valley Springs, regional run "Any time you lose as many starters as we did (six) from last year, it tells you something about your returning kids and the lower level program." said Planteen, who was released from the hospital Monday. First-round opponent "We need to get by that first game and stay in the winner's bracket," said Remmers. Game No. 2 Spearfish Coach Les Schroeder, second year.

Won-loss record 52-18. Top hitters Travis Peters, 2b, Noah Hummel, ss, .471, 16 triples, 44 stolen bases; Kelby Klosterman, cf-p, .456, 15 home runs, 85 RBI, 84 runs scored, .886 slugging percentage; Derek Ver-Helst, lb-p, .558, 16 home runs, 1 16 RBI, 100 runs scored, .947 slugging percentage; Jesse Beesley, c-p, .427, 67 RBI; Jay Martinson, p-of, Luke Donovan, If, Dave Dun-woody, 3b, Wade McDonald, if, .331. Top pitchers Martinson, 14-2, 3.81 ERA; VerHelst, 7-3, 3.52 ERA, 107 strikeouts in 64 innings; Beesley, 8-4; Klosterman, 4-4. Coach's comments "We had some boys step up, especially Luke Donovan, when we had some injuries," said Schroeder. VerHelst Coach Jeff Planteen, second year.

Won-loss record 42-13. Top hitters Rusty Rem-mers, cf-p, .439, with 79 stolen bases; Chad Struckman, 2b, Dan Fjeldheim, lb (missed last six games of regular season with mono), Eric Knight, .350. Top pitchers Remmers, 11-2; Wyatt Keever, 9-1; Chad Lohr, 6-2; Mark Forbusch. Coach's comments "We hit the ball and are strong up the middle on defense," said assistant coach Rich Remmers (Planteen was hospitalized with a virus over the weekend). "We went 3-3 after playing in the Rapid City tournament, but played pretty well in the OK." A capsule look at each of the state tournament teams: Game Ho.

1 Yankton Coach Mike Stoll, second year. Won-loss record 16-23. Top hitters Heath Hagge, p-cf, Dan Koletzky, ss, Eliot Strain, of-p, Toby Gall, If, T.J. Stoltz, lb-c, .327. Top pitchers Hagge, 3-8; Strain, 3-8; Justin Nelson, 2-5.

ner-ups Pierre, Sioux Falls West and Yankton and Class champion Gro-ton. "You have to go with Rapid City as the favorite," said Sioux Falls West coach Jared Fredenburg. The state tournament usually starts and ends with Rapid City. Dave (Ploof, Post 22 coach) has a system that works; he has a feeder program and gets the kids taught before they get to the varsity team. Watertown could be right in the running." "Everybody looks at Rapid City with awe with the program they had shoulder problems, but threw an eight-inning shutout against Rapid City Post 320 in the regional, Klosterman missed two weeks playing football in Australia and was sore after last week's all-star football game and Hummel, who was sidelined with a knee injury last year, had stitches in the little finger of his right hand after being stepped on in See Preview on page D2 tM Tournament schedule Pairings for the 1998 Championship American Legion baseball tournament which will be held at Fitzgerald Stadium: Wednesday's gamss Game No.

1 Yankton (16-23) vs. Water-town (42-13), 10a.m. Game No. 2 Groton (31-14) vs. Spearfish (52-1 8).

30 minutes after Game No. 1 Game No. 3-Stoux Falls West (28-30) vs. Valley Springs (37-10), 5 p.m. Game No.

4 Pierre (26-44) vs. Rapid City Post 22 (65-10). 30 minutes after Game No. 3. Thursday's games Game No.

5 Loser of Game No. 1 vs. Loser of Game No. 3. 10 a.m.

Game No. 6 Loser of Game No. 2 vs. Loser of Game No. 4, 30 minutes after Game No.

5. Game No. 7 Winner of Game No. 1 vs. Winner of Game No.

3, 5 p.m. Game No. 8 Winner of Game No. 2 vs. Winner of Game No.

4, 30 minutes after Game No. 7. Friday's games Gams No. 9 Winner of Game No. 6 vs.

Loser of Game No. 7, 12:30 p.m. Game No. 10 Winner ol Game No 5 vs. Loser of Game No.

8. 5 p.m. Game No. 11 Winner of Game No. 7 vs.

Winner of Game No. 8, 30 minutes after Game No. 10. Saturday's games Game No. 12 Winner of Game No 9 vs.

Loser of Game No. 1 1 5 p.m Game No. 13 Game No. 10 vs. Winner of Game No.

1 1 8 p.m. Sunday's games Game No. 14 Winner of Game No 12 vs. Winner of Game No. 13, 1 p.m Game No.

15 Necessary If Winner of Game No. 1 1 loses Game No. 13 or winner of Game No. 12 wins Game No. 14,7 p.m.

Note 1: Pairings for Games 12 and 13 will not match previous opponents against each other unless absolutely necessary Not 2: If three teams remain after Game No. 13, the winner of Game No. 11 automatically draws a bye in Game No. 14. Coach uses the Post 22 model, style Trinidad State coach remembers his roots in South Dakota baseball.

By Roger Toland Journal Sports Writer Rapid City Post 22 players who migrate to Trinidad, State to play baseball may have the feeling that they never left home. Steve Ramharter, a three-time all-stater while playing for Sioux Falls Post 15 in the mid-1980s, runs the show at Trinidad and has a style of play familiar to the Post 22 grads. "We're an ultra disciplined program," said Ramharter. "We move on and off the field, and Quotebook Journal lilt photo Local events) well take the extra base. We do a lot of little things to add up to bigger things.

Intimidation was always a big factor for Rapid City teams; they put the pressure on and had a certain aura about them. I haven't copied the Post 22 program, but I've taken the best from a lot of programs and tried to use them at Trinidad." Post 22's Bobby Palmer swings his bat during a game earlier this season as one of his teammates races toward home plate. This scene probably would be familiar to Trinidad State, baseball fans as their coach, Steve Ramharter, has used many of the strategies and concepts he learned while playing against Post 22 in the 1980s to help his own team. Ramharter American Legion baseball: State Tournament, Fitzgerald Stadium, games at 10 a.m., 12:30, 5 and 7:30 p.m. (Final game of day on KOTA1380).

Motorcycle racing: Grand National Half-Mile Races, 8 p.m., Black Hills Speedway. Amateur baseball: Black Hills League Tournament, McKeague Field, 7 p.m. The NASCAR spin: After all the excitement in Indianapolis about the Brickyard 400, it made Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer wonder What if NASCAR ran everything in sports? "One trip to the wind tunnel, and Michael Jordan is banned as illegal equipment." "After weeks of whining by N.L. pitchers that they 'need something' to level the competition, baseball makes Mark McGwire bat with 20-pound weights strapped to his wrists." "Arnold Palmer gets a lifetime provisional start for every PGA tournament. They'd let him play the first hole, then turn his clubs over to a replacement golfer to finish the round." And in the fifth set of a losing effort at the U.S.

Open, tennis players can just go ahead and say it, "I ran out of gas." TV Sports Richard and I threw 179 pitches after having elbow trouble two weeks before the state tournament," recalled Ramharter, who closed out his Legion career with a 5-4 setback. He went on to play one season at Murray, Junior College before transferring to Rice, where he had a broken foot and a broken band in consecutive seasons. Despite the injuries, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers and went to Butte, for his pro baseball debut. "We had a 17-man pitching staff and I threw 18 innings in 23 appearances; it was a tough adjustment only being a pitcher for the first time in my life," said Ramharter. "Twelve guys from that team went on to make the majors; they were just average people, not ultra superstars." A rotator cuff injury ended his playing career and began his coaching career three years at Howard, Junior College and now three seasons at Trinidad.

Ramharter had six South Dakotans Rapid City's Todd McClurg and Colin Hofer, Water-town's Spencer Waite, Howard's Landon Jacob-sen and Sioux Falls' Jake Heiberger and Jarred Johnson on last year's team. "South Dakota is a great place to recruit," said Ramharter don't get a lot of exposure, and they are definitely as good as other players around the country. Too many kids are afraid to get too far away from home, but that is changing. The type of kid is the big thing; when a kid makes a commitment, he's serious about school and baseball." Trinidad has been ranked in the national junior college poll the last three years and was one game shy of the Junior College World Series last season after compiling a 49-10 mark and being ranked 11th in the nation. Ramharter has proven that a college program can be awinner with South Dakota products.

Ramharter recalls his Legion days fondly, but also remembers three straight years when Sioux Falls finished second to Rapid City in the state tournament when Post 22 was in the midst of its national record 18-straight state championships. "When I played Rapid City I always had the mindset that you had a chance," said Ramharter. "As a player you always knew you could do something to decide the outcome. "I was never, never nervous as a player, but I'm nervous all the time as a coach." Ramharter was named the state's Legion Player of the Year in 1985 after what he calls "my toughest loss He was 10-for-17 and drove in 11 runs in the tournament. For the season, he hit .380 and had a 7-3 pitching record, with a 1.94 ERA.

"I was pitching against Rapid City's Jamie Tennis: du Maurier Open, ESPN, 11 a.m.; ESPN2, tape delay, 10:30 p.m. Major League baseball: Diamondbacks at Cubs, WGN, 12:10 p.m.; Giants at Mets or Reds at Braves, ESPN, 5:30 p.m.; Yankees at Athletics or Phillies at Padres, ESPN, 8:30 p.m..