Results tagged ‘ LSSU Lakers ’
Softball starts, spring is near…
There’s really no sign of spring up here in Michigan’s crazy Upper Peninsula. In fact, it seems that there is even more snow, cold, and wind than ever. Things will be heating up for the Lake Superior State Lakers softball team, however, as they start their season today in the Superior Dome over in Marquette. The girls play three game today, taking on Lakeland, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and Wisconsin-Superior. Good luck to the girls this weekend, and all season long. Their season actually kicked off last weekend, though, with the annual ’Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ spaghetti dinner. There was fun and games, and the kids were thrilled that they won two of the raffles. They won a movie package that included, movie passes, popcorn and candy, along with different popcorn seasoning. Also includes some free movie rentals. The other raffle we won was a cooler, beach towels, beach toys, water bottles, and sun screen. Uh…we’ll have to put that one up on the shelf for a few months, but very thankful that we got lucky. And all the money for the tickets goes to the softball team, so it’s a good cause. Brian had a good time showing off his throwing arm and playing with the balloons. Lily and Trevor drew pictures for the girls on the paper table cloths. We had a great time, but we’re sick of the snow and ready to burn the snowman, already.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Lily learns from Lady Lakers
Lily has been pretty busy with softball lately. Yes, I know it’s December, but there’s really no off-season for us. Last weekend she participated in a free clinic put on by the Lake Superior State Lakers, where she practiced all aspects of the game. Also, during the week, Lily has some hitting clinics going on. They were very productive, as she was working one-on-one with Lakers head coach Lori Shimasaki. I could really see an improvement in her hitting over the past couple of weeks. Lily had a lot of fun, which is the important thing, and the clinics may start-up again after the first of the year.
Lily flies through the air during her catching drills!
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Lakers raise money for fallen student
This week members of the Lake Superior State softball team hosted a pancake social to earn money for the family of a fellow student who recently lost his life. The girls earned approximately $700 for the family of Jonathan Harris, a LSSU student who was killed in an automobile accident this month. The team members served the pancakes to over 130 students, faculty, and friends on campus, and a banner was signed by all who attended stating how they missed him. Jon was described as an outgoing and fun-loving individual who was cherished by all of his friends on campus. Stories like this really put life into perspective. Yeah, the Tigers suck now, but I still have the three things in my life that truly mean the most. All the best to the Harris family, and we are all extremely sorry for your loss….
Photos courtesy of Lake Superior State Athletics
Lakers ready for California dreamin’
The Lake Superior State Lakers softball team is ready to this the road this spring, as the first leg of their season takes them to California. Trips like this are expensive for small programs, especially since LSSU is the smallest state funded college in Michigan. One of the ways the girls earn money for the trip is the annual Take Me Out To The Ballgame dinner. This has also been a tradition for the kids and I, who’ve been going since Lily and Trevor were probably Brian’s age. We had fun again this year, and the kids Papa was able to join us, too. One of Lily’s favorite things to do is to put a pie in the face of her favorite player. They started doing this last season, and it’s been a big hit. A lot of the players already know Lily from the local softball camps and clinics, so it’s fun for them, too. The girls were also raffling off a flat screen TV and went out on the ice during the hockey game that night to announce the winner and promote the team. Pictured above is the team sporting their very cool new uniforms. The photos below are from the banquet, and feature Lily sporting her new softball hoodie and us enjoying our spaghetti dinner. Good luck to the Lady Lakers this season, and we hope the weather is decent this April for their home games here in the Sault. Here’s the link to the girls 2012 schedule:
http://www.lssulakers.com/sports/w-softbl/2011-12/schedule
Top photo courtesy of LSSU Athletics
Bottom photos property of M.I.B.
How we do things U.P. North
Great little story from my own Lake Superior State University about the girls softball team. With the team getting a little sick and tired of practicing in doors, our second year head coach Lori Shimasaki decided to shake things up, and take it outside. Despite the cold sup-zero weather and waist-high snow, the girls took in some diving drills, and used the snow to their advantage. Things like this are great for team bonding and morale. I don’ t think the team will be out much today, though, as I write this we’re suffering from freezing rain/sleet/snow. Brutal.
Photo courtesy of LSSU Athletics
Learning from the Lakers
The Lake Superior State women’s softball team has been busy in the community teaching young players about the game. They hosted weekly hitting and pitching clinics in the weeks before Thanksgiving, and just completed a weekend camp which incorporated all aspects of the game. I was lucky enough to get my daughter to most of the clinics and the camp, in fact, I recieved a call from first year head coach Lori Shimasaki inviting her to join the clinics. She’s become a favorite among the college girls, even hanging out with them for awhile at the local hockey games. She’s having a lot of fun and this will hopefully inspire her to keep playing. She’s been playing baseball since she was 5, but next summer will be her first shot at softball if she decides to play. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because she’s a good player and this could open up some doors for her in the future. Sorry about the low quality of the pics, but they were taken with my phone. The (ex)wife got the camera in the settlement.
Property of M.I.B.
Laker Softball Coach Calls It Quits
After 21 long seasons, vetran coach Don Myers finally calls it quits. Myers coached 915 games for the Lake Superior State Lakers and was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1991. Coach Myers was also very intrumental in establishing the Bud Cooper Golf Classic, which help increase scholarships for LSSU women’s athletics, increasing fund-raising revenue for Laker softball and running a successfull winter skills clinic. He was only the third coach in the history of the softball program.
“If we were the first school to play softball in the Upper Penninsula, and I think we were, then I think we were on the front line of the sport in the U.P.” Myers stated to LSSU Sports Information. “That credit goes to Bud Cooper. He was a visionary and could see that softball was a good sport for women and growing fast. That was back in 1976, and I think they played 12 games back then.”
Now the Lakers play a tough 45-50 game schedule, mostly on the road, and spend their spring breaks touring Florida.
“The toughest challenge is recruiting. It’s difficult to sell and athlete to come as far north as they can to play a warm-weather sport. Our attempt has been to try to rectruit athletes and work them into positions. We havn’t had the luxury of recruiting by position like Grand Valley and Ashland does. We look for athletes, and our job is to mold them into position players where we need them the most.”
Myers has seen the GLIAC double in size in his two plus decades at the helm of the Lakers. He was a catcher at the University of Tulsa in his collegiate career. I want to thank him for all he’s done for Laker Athletics. He gets a lot of respect from the community, and it wasn’t an easy job.
Photo courtesy of Lake Superior State Athletics
Lakers host Softball Banquet
The Lake Superior State softball team kicked the season off this weekend hosting their annual ‘Take Me Out To the Ball Game’ dinner. We were served burgers and hot dogs by the Lady Lakers, and the kids enjoyed cookies and cake for dessert. We made a good donation to the team as all the proceeds help fund their 18 game schedule in Florida over Spring Break. Thier first double-header is against Tampa on Feb. 26th.
We didn’t get to stay very long, do to the fact that my two-year old pitching prospect decided to start showing off his arm by tossing pieces of hot dog all over the place. My daughter was able to get her picture taken with a couple of the seniors, and felt good that a many members of the team recognized her from the clinic they put on in December. You think they would have offered her a scholarship by now…
Photos property of MIB
Lakers put on Winter Softball Clinic
Yesterday my daughter took part in the LSSU Winter Softball Clinic. Girls from all over the Eastern Upper Penninsula came to learn from the Lady Lakers. The clinic took girls from 8-18 and went over the basics of throwing, fielding, hitting, and base-running. I got there in time to watch my girl in the batting cage. And, unlike Willie Mays Hayes, she did put on a hitting display. I couln’t help beam with pride as she was stroking line drives over the pitchers head. Why shouldn’t I be proud? I’m the one who taught her to hit like that, right? We all live vicariously through out kids, just not everyone admits it. She did have a lot of fun at the clinic, which is what is really important anyway.
The Lakers are a Division II team that plays in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conferance. Unfortunately due to the weather up here, we only get to see them play one or two home games a season.
And, yes, I know my daughter is beautiful, and yes I know it’s because she looks just like her mother.
Photos property of MIB
Minoring In Baseball
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