The Gazette from Cedar Rapids, Iowa • 20

2b The Cedar Rapids Gazette: Aug. 8, 1986 Prep all-stars open series today NCAA backs up pitchers Dave Simon, North Tama's Blair Overton, Decorahs Andy Nimrod, and Gamavillos Steve Schmelzer. Maquoketas Curt Nelson is head coach of the Small School East. Three Cedar Rapids Metro pitchers were named to the Large School East unit: Kennedys Steve Basquin, Linn-Mars Curt Johnson and Jeffersons Matt Usher. USHER COMPLETED the season with a 5-4 record, but had 95 strikeouts and a 1.48 earned run average.

The Large School West unit is headed by Marshalltowns Reggie Stalzer and Jeff Funke. The duo teamed to give Marshalltown its second consecutive Class 4A summer state championship last week. An honors banquet will be held tonight at 7 at the Rodeway Inn in Coralville. The public is invited. The series rotates between Iowa City, Ames and Des Moines, and last year drew its biggest crowd at Sec Taylor Stadium in Des Moines.

"Were fortunate to have the University of Iowa giving us free use of their field, said Harold "Pinky Primrose, executive secretary of the IHSBCA and past all-star coach. "The series demands a $13,000 outlay to cover expenses of board, room, umpires, shirts, caps and awards. The series sponsors, in addition to the IHSBCA, are Pepsi Cola Bottlers of Iowa, Midwest Janitorial Services of Iowa and Varner and Bockman of Carroll. By Bob Denney Gazette sportswriter Sixty-four of the state's top prep players will have the rare opportunity to turn back the clock today at the University of Iowa baseball stadium in Iowa City, as the 10th annual Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star series opens. The round-robin affair continues through Sunday, finishing with one champion.

Thats something the state summer tournament hasnt done since 1972. The all-stars will be divided into four teams that will play four games. Todays double-header opens at 12:30, followed by a contest at 3. Saturdays slate features games at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. Consolation finals are Sunday at 12:30 p.m., with the overall championship at 3.

THE ALL-STAR SQUADS include 14 Gazette area players and 23 allstaters. The Small School East squad is the defending champion, and happens to have the most allstaters (8) on its roster. Leading the way is two-time first-team choice Allen Rath of Riverside Highland, who may or may not be playing in an Iowa Hawkeye uniform next fall. Rath, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander, is wavering back and forth between honoring his letter of intent with Iowas Hawkeyes or signing with the Cincinnati Reds. PREP BASEBALL Rath competed in a Reds tryout camp last week in Marion.

Rath was unavailable for comment, while competing for the Coralville Legion team. But his mother, Jean Rath, offered her insight. "I think hell go to college next fall, she said. "Weve had some long talks about it. Unless they (Cincinnati) come up with a real good offer, I feel hell be in school.

I think hes too young to go. He just turned 18 in May. Rath will pitch against North-Scott standout Mike Busch in todays first game. One prep not participating in the all-star series is Urbanas Calvin Eldred, who passed up the invitation to compete with the Cedar Rapids Legion Red team. Eldred, a New York Mets draft choice, said he will honor his letter of intent to Iowa.

Joining Rath on the Small School East squad is Dyersville Beckmans dynamic duo of Tom Wegmann and Greg Wessels, who lead the Blazers to a Class 3A state championship. Wegmann was named the 3A Most Valuable Player. Theyll be joined by Regis Roy Martin, who clubbed 12 home runs, and Waukons Mike Sawyer who belted nine. Other Gazette area players on the squad are Cascades FORT DODGE Beginning with the coming fall season, NCAA softball pitchers will be working 43 feet from the plate, a three-foot extension of the pitching distance, intended to "make the game more interesting and exciting for the fans. The change still has to be endorsed by the NCAA executive council at its meetings next Monday and Tuesday, but council approval is pro forma.

Creighton Coach Mary Higgins, who is attending the Iowa girls prep soft-ball tournament here this week, is a member of the NCAA softball coaches committee that instituted the change in the pitching distance. "This issue has been under discussion since the NCAA took over administration of womens sports five years ago, Higgins said. "Sentiment for the change was strong among Division I coaches, mixed in divisions II and III. "The change represents something of a compromise with the division II and III schools; the original proposal was to make the pitching distance 44 feet. "Weve been host to the NCAA (Division I) tournament the past five years, so Ive been in the business of selling tickets, and I think this is a real positive change.

Fans want to see hits, runs, sliding -in the dirt. They dont want to see risqballs, fastballs and changeups. Some college coaches here scouting Iowa prep talent expressed the view that if the change is adopted by high schools, "it will destroy the college game. But Higgins, Central Coach George Wares, and Buena Vista Coach Marge Willadsen all said they do not expect high school softball to extend the pitching distance. Ware said he does not want the high schools to change.

He agreed with Willadsen that a college-caliber pitcher will be able to make the transition. He also agreed with Willadsens observation that the change will be "good for a junk pitcher, while diminishing the effectiveness of a power pitcher. TOURNAMENT NOTES The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union increased the pitching distance from 38 to 40 feet in 1978, two years after college softball made that -change. "That was a necessary change, said IGHSAU official Bob Smiley. "The pitchers were dominating the game.

They are not dominating the game now. "We will look at this (the 43-foot distance), butl we will not make the change without a lot of study. It remains to be seen, also, whether the NAIA (Mount Mercy is an NAIA school) and the junior colleges will adopt the longer distance. Higgins said the NCAA coaches will ask the Amateur Softball Association to adopt it. ATTENDANCE AT Monday nights four-game program opening the state prep tourney totaled 2,148, compared with a record 4,121 a year ago.

However, the turnout for subsequent sessions has been substantially higher than a year ago, and -IGHSAU Information Director Mike Henderson expects the five-daynight total to match last years above-average figure. The Tuesday night session drew 3,202, Wednesday nights 3,171, the combined figures about 1,200 above 1985. The Wednesday matinee session drew a record 502. The absence of ar local-interest entry on the Monday night card was largely responsible for the small gate that night. MANSON-PALMERS ADVANCE to the championship semifinals was largely responsible for improved attendance thereafter.

Manson-Palmers is a two-school Class 1A team. Manson, located 18 miles west of Fort Dodge, is the host school for the combined program, but the teams success is due very largely to a freshman pitcher from Palmer, Darcee Skinner, a cool customer who went into Thursday nights game against Urbana with a 30-2 record, including a 1-0 nine-inning first-round decision over Class 2A Boone and a 4-1 quarterfinal victory over second-ranked Des Moines Lincoln. The other championship semifinal, between top-ranked Davenport West and New Hampton, paired the only 2A teams surviving from the original six. INA All-State Baseball FIRST TEAM A vg. Record Yr.

Sr. Sr. Sr Sr Sr. Sr Sr Sr Sr. Sr Sr Sr.

Yr. Jr Sr. Sr Soph Sr Jr Sr. Sr Sr Sr Sr Sr BETWEEN GAMES of the championship semifinals, the IGHSAU inducted 10 more members into its Pitchers Hall of Fame, honoring Iowa preps who have graduated with 100 or more career victories. Among the inductees were Michelle Dahl (103-68) of Bennett, Jill Boehmke (104-44) of Denver, Wendi Coen (191-27) of Charles City and Jane Kremer (106-11) of Dubuque Senior.

IN A CONSOLATION-BRACKET semifinal Thursday afternoon, Toni Harneys two-out two-run sixthinning double over the third base bag gave Clear Creek a 2-1 decision over Hubbard. The Clipperettes, 24-15, meet Remsen St. Marys, 17-11, for 13th place at 12:30 p.m. today. Harneys game-winning hit came after Trish Knowling and Tina Berg reached on Hubbards only errors of the game.

A walk and pitcher Allison Teskes double had given Hubbard a 1-0 first-inning lead. Teske allowed only two hits. Clear Creek senior Sue Thompson held Hubbard to Hubbard loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth, but a strikeout and a groundout killed the uprising. SOFTBALL From page IB Kisling, and three more M-P errors. Clark scattered four hits and walked one.

M-P totaled eighth errors. NEW HAMPTON junior riseball specialist Colleen McCabe, easily the surprise pitcher in the tournament, held the .346 hitting Falcons to four singles. But two walks, two groundouts and a single gave West two runs in the top of the 11th. McCabe had allowed only 33 walks over 190 innings during the regular season. New Hampton, ranked 17th in Class 2A, reached Davenport West senior JoDee Ogden, a three-time all-stater, for 11 hits.

The Chickasaws, 23-9, -scored their second run with two out in the last of the 11th. It was the Chickasaws second straight 11-inning contest in the tournament. New Hampton had beaten 17th-ranked MFL, 1-0, in Wednesday nights quarterfinals. EARLIER THURSDAY NIGHT, MFL earned the chance to repeat its fifth-place finish of a year ago when it blanked Ogden, 3-0. MFL, 33-5, meets Des Moines Lincoln, 40-7, at 6 tonight.

Lincoln, which came into the tourney ranked second, beat North Polk, 1-0, in consolation game. Becky Meisner limited Ogden to three hits Thursday. MFL reached junior junk dealer Sherry Tryon for seven hits, four of them in its three-run third inning. Yr. Sr Sr Sr Sr N- Jr Sr Sr.

Sr. Sr Sr. Jr. Sr ALL-STATE From page IB ors in the' Class 3A state tournament, pitching and fielding Beckman to its first championship since 1968. Wegmann (10-3) struck out 157 in 82 innings and batted .409.

As a shortstop, he made six putouts in Beckmans 8-6 title victory over No. 3-ranked Pella Christian. Lansing Kees Hawks, who captured the 2A crown, relied upon pitcher Chris Fink throughout a glossy 49-4 season. He won a second team berth after a 15-1 season on the mound and a sparkling performance at the plate. He had nine RBIs in Kees 'frolic to the title.

FINK WAS JOINED on the second team by Waukons Mike Sawyer, who clubbed nine home runs including four in a double-header. He hit .495 for a team that was 12-15, played one of the toughest schedules in its division. Area third-team berth went to infielders Mike Himmelsbach of Norway and Dave Simon of Cascade; and outfielders Greg Wessels of Beckman and Mike Bentley of Jackson Junction Turkey Valley. Himmelsbach hit .394 for the No. 2-ranked Tigers, with 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases in as many attempts.

He was also 4-0 on the mound with a 1.65 ERA. Simon led the top-ranked Cougars of Cascade to a 26-5 season, hitting .423. Cascade was upset in the district tournament by Monticello. Wessels bolstered Beckmans chances for a state title, hitting .390 and playing flawlessly in the field, while Bentley only a junior keyed 1985 Class 3A champ Turkey Valley with a .480 batting average. The Trojans lost the sub-state championship to Beckman.

Fourth-team selections went to Busch of Linn-Mar and utilityman Scott Petersen of Durant. Busch hit .467 in helping the 19-12 Lions to their most victories, their first outright East Central Iowa Conference title and first postseason wins. The Lions won the 4A district crown. Busch drove in 25 runs, stole 16 of 21 bases, struck out only six times and was on base 64 percent of the time. Petersen led third-ranked Class 2A Durant to the sub-state tournament with a .417 average.

Bmdzinski a winner Bob Brudzinski, Miarqi Dolphin linebacker, has played on divisional champions in eight of his nine seasons. Brudzinski started his career with the Los Angeles Rams. Well go to great lengths to provide, the best coverage Watch for our reports from S. Korea, China Yr. Jr Sr Sr Sr Jr Jr.

Frosh Sr Jr. Sr Sr Sr. Sr REPUBLIC OF KOREA SCHWINN AIR-DYNE" Pitcher Cole Runge, Iowa City High. Matt Ljsher, Jefferson, Steve Bair, Kennedy, Steve Basqum. Kennedy; Jeff Lindauer, Cascade, Dan Wilcox, Regis, Andy Nimrod, Decorah, Galen Howard, Sumner, Adam Wendell, Urbana, Kevin Berns, Garnavillo, Russ Hulme, North Tama, Blair Overton, North Tama, Curt Johnson, Linn-Mar, Todd Krantz, Solon, Junior Hackman, Turkey Valley Catchers Tim White, Kennedy, Enc Christenson, Washington, Lee Hoerner, Western Dubuque, Brian Moss.

Dyersville Beckman, Matt Jacobsen, Cascade, Jeff Greene, Solon, Paul Brenneman, Mid-Prame, Chris Scheer, Clarence-Lowden, Chad Van Scoyoc, Norway, Ken Kuepker. Clear Creek, Joel Yedlik, Lone Tree, Sean O'Brien, Iowa City High, Jelf Koenig, West Liberty First Base Todd Becker, Benton Community, John Greiner, Mid-Prairie, Kirk Trede, Durant, Greg Bachman, Clarence-Lowden InfMders Aaron Van Scoyoc, Norway, Vic Capper, West Branch. Jeff McNutt, Spnngville, Pat Freese. Norway, Rod Telsrow, Durant, Dan Kopnva. North Tama.

Steve Bradley, Iowa City High, Pat Schulte, Regis, Joe Stasi, Oelwem, Jim Krotz, Regis, Lonnie Yoder, Mid-Prairie, Joey Yankovitz, Tipton, Kyle Stahle, Solon, Mike Herdliska, Solon, David Roby, Sumner Outfielders Steve Marshall, Washington, Tim Evans, Praine Steve Monk, Kennedy, Steve Schmelzer, Garnavillo, Dan Fox, Durant, Bret Chizek, North Tama, Doug Becker, Norway, Brad Mosser, Lone Tree, Brent Schettler, Linn-Mar, Jason Oleimczak, Decorah, Roy Martin, Regis, Joe Lambed, Decorah, Joe Donovan, Solon, Jeff Brennan, West Liberty, Jason Tucker, West Branch Utility Al Read, Linn-Mar, Ed Tauber, Washington, Tony Dlouhy, Urbana, Al Chandlee, Riverside Highland, Pat Woodbum, Mid-Prairie, Tim Gallagher, Starmont, Steve Flynn, Iowa City High, Todd Bradley, Oelwem, Galen Howard, Sumner HONG KONG (UK) Follow Your Favorite Team Tom Davis and the Iowa Hawkeye basketball team are off to the Orient. And so are we. The Gazette is the only newspaper in the state with a sportswriter on the Hawkeyes tour of South Korea and China. Interest always runs high when a of I team competes in a foreign country. But with the departure of George Raveling and the arrival of Davis, Iowa fans will want to follow this trip particularly closely.

It should be a fascinating preview of the 1986-87 basketball season. Mike Hlas, who regularly covers Iowa basketball and football, will travel with the Hawkeyes to Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai and Beijing, China; and Know-loon, Hong Kong. Hell cover all the basketball action, interview the players and coaches, and report on what the team does off the court, too. Watch for Mike Hlas reports during the next two weeks exclusively in The Gazette. The efficient way to total fitness.

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