Tagged: girls softball
John Cropp Classic
John Cropp Stadium-Lexington, KY: Our original plan for after our adventure at the Stache-A-Palooza, was to check out some Kentucky Wildcat baseball. The team was scheduled to play Miami (Ohio) at 1:00 at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Uh, however, when we arrived at the Cliff, we found it empty, with no baseball teams in sight. Apparently, the game had been rescheduled, but we never saw any notification of this. Still not sure WHY the game was changed, the weather wasn’t as bad as the day before, but maybe because the UK basketball team was playing at the same time? Personally, I think it’s stupid to re-arrange baseball for stupid basketball, but again, that’s just me. Not letting this ruin our day, though, we drove over to the UK softball venue, John Cropp Stadium, to find the ladies hosting a tournament there, aptly named the John Cropp Classic. The Michigan Wolverines were playing the Evansville Aces when we arrived, and it was cool to see a somewhat (old) home team on the field. We enjoyed the game, as the Wolverines made short work of the Aces. Final: Michigan 11, Evansville 2.
The next game in the tourney featured the home team Wildcats taking on the Kent State Golden Flashes. Between games, Brian and some of the other kids took time to make signs supporting their Kentucky team. Brian’s sign was a hit, as many of the girls acknowledged him, and one player even took a picture of him with it. To be honest, we only stayed a few innings as the cold was getting to us, but the home team ended up with the victory anyway. Not sure when we’ll make the trip to Lexington again, but will probably plan it around a Legends and Wildcats baseball game, and if the ladies are in town, we’ll hit another game here, too. Final: Kentucky 2, Kent State 0.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Wildcat Fan Day
Nutter Field House-Lexington, KY: Brian simply woke up one day and declared: ‘I’m a UK fan, dad.’ Uh, ok, that’s fine, I guess. When I asked him ‘why’, he simply replied: ‘I just am.’ Again, ok. Kids are funny like that. I might not ever really know what event turned his loyalties to the Big Blue Nation, but at least it gave us an excuse to travel to Lexington for the Wildcats inaugural Fan Day hosted by the university’s baseball and softball teams.
Brian with members of the UK baseball team at Fan Day
They day started with a short clinic for the kids, then the teams split up for an autograph session. The players were separated by position (INF, OF, P, C), which made it easier for the kids to jump from table to table, and maybe converse with a player or two they share a position with. Brian even got to chat with a fellow North Oldham Little Leaguer (an alum, anyway) in Connor Heady, who is a senior infielder:
We’re still a big fan and supporter of college softball so Brian wanted to meet some of the girls and get some autographs from them, also. They were super nice to him and of course signed his poster and hat, as well as posing for a few photos. We’ll definitely try to catch some Wildcat softball games this spring. A baseball-softball double-header sounds like a good day to me, anyway.
In all, this was a great way to start out the 2017 baseball (and softball) season. College baseball is less then a month away, and we look forward to being in the stands. Oh, and Brian ran into more players in the parking lot he needed pictures with. After all, as he told them, he is the biggest Kentucky fan…
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Promotion courtesy of Kentucky Wildcats/NCAA
Valentine’s with the Lady Lakers
Saturday was Valentine’s Day, and who wants to spend that day alone? So Brian and I, being the wild and crazy guys that we are, bundled up to combat the sub-zero temps and spent the evening with the Lake Superior State Lakers softball team. The team was having their annual pasta dinner to raise funds for their road trips this season. We ate well, and Brian kept busy playing with some of the other kids in attendance. He even gave some of the players a Valentine, and got his picture taken with his favorite player (with spaghetti sauce on his shirt, no less).
The Lakers start their season in two weeks, travelling to Marquette, Michigan to face Marian (Wisc.), Finlandia, Edgewood, and Concordia (Wisc.) in the Superior Dome. They then will travel to the St. Louis area in March, to face some more non-conference teams, gearing up for their GLIAC schedule. The Lakers complete schedule can be found HERE. We wish the girls the best of luck this season in their GLIAC playoff bid, and are confident they’ll reach their goal. Trevor joined us for the hockey game after the dinner, but we missed him and Lily this year. I hope they’ll join us next year if we’re still living in the area.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Little Lakers skills camp
Over the weekend the kids participated in the Little Lakers skills camp and Parents Night Out on the campus of Lake Superior State University. It was a chance for the kids to learn more baseball and softball, and for us parents to get a break for a few hours, too. The Laker softball team ran the kids threw some drills, played games, and fed them some pizza. Even though I was supposed to go out and get some ‘me’ time, I only stayed away for an hour or two before checking up on the kiddoes. They broke up the girls into about three groups, but there was only five boys, so Trevor was in a group with Brian and a few other little ones. I was able to get a few pics of them doing some drills and games, but the Student Activities Center still is so dark. They all had a good time, though, and got a good workout in. The players and coaches always work really well with the kids during the camps. I hope the team holds more during the winter.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Lakers’ free & fun basic skills clinic
Lake Superior State University-Sault Ste. Marie, MI: Over the weekend Brian participated in the fun free baseball/softball clinic held at LSSU. The clinic was hosted and ran by the girls’ softball team, and they did a great job with the kids. Brian was a little shy with the girls at first, but warmed up when they offered to play catch with him. He did great from there with the drills and games that were played. He hit the ball well off the tee, and in soft-toss. I really saw an improvement with him catching the ball and he’s always had a cannon for an arm. The lady Lakers will be holding another clinic next weekend, this time with more games and pizza for the kids. With the weather cold, rainy, and snowy, I’m grateful the kids have this to look forward too, and a chance to stay active. It’s tough living up here at times with our nasty winters, as they’re obviously not very baseball friendly. The camps are held in the Student Activities Center at the college, which continues to be my Achilles’ heel when it comes to taken decent photos.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Fall Ball at Lake State
Lake Superior State Lakers vs. Cornerstone Golden Eagles
I don’t say this too often, but the weather was perfect this weekend for some softball in Sault Ste. Marie. It had been just over a month since we’d been to a live ballgame, so when I learned that the Lakers were hosting Cornerstone University for some exhibition games, they became the priority of the weekend. It was a long day for the girls, as they played three games on Saturday. Brian joined me, and we saw bits and pieces of the first and third games, but saw the second game in its entirety. Because the games were exhibitions, I couldn’t find results or box scores for any of them. I know the Lakers won the second game, though, as they hit the ball well and produced some runs. They also played solid defense behind starting pitcher sophomore Jade Stein, who pitched a complete game. Brian and I had fun watching the games, and look forward to seeing the girls back in action at home this spring if the weather cooperates.
Brian was my buddy over the weekend, watching the games with me
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Lily’s Legacy
The only female staff member of M.I.B., Lily, is trying out for the local travel softball team, the Soo Legacies. She’s doing pretty well, and I’ve been working with her and her friend Julia when I’ve had some extra time. She is really excited about being able to visit different areas of the state to play softball. I’ll be there rooting her on when I can, so I’m hoping that my work schedule doesn’t interfere too much. Nothing is more important to me than watching my kids have fun. Join me in wishing her the best of luck making the team, and having the work ethic to excel!
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
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
M.I.B. Prime 9: Our top moments of 2012
We had a lot of fun moments this last year, and here are the best of them. It’s always hard to narrow it down to just nine, but the top few were really special and it’s fun to look back and think of the smiles on the kids faces in most of these. It’s also hard to find an order, or to really think that one’s childs’ moment meant more than an other. Read and enjoy, and I honestly hope that everyone had as much fun this past season as we did.
#9-Our 4th up North
With the kids participating in the Sault Area Little League and me coaching, we were able to be in the local Independence Day Parade. The kids had fun being seen by their friends, but really didn’t like the fact that they were throwing candy to the crowd instead of eating it. Riding on the float was fun, but it was literally a pain in the a$$ for me, as I tried to keep out of the public eye, and make sure no kids jumped off. It was good to have Trevor back in baseball and this was Brian’s first year. Lily played in the Sault Girls Softball League, but was able to march anyway because she was helping me coach Brian’s team.
#8-Back in Buffalo
Seeing the Buffalo Bisons is a great Minor League Baseball experience. I saw my first game there back in the ’90’s as my first minor league game. It was really good to be back and that my dad could experience this with me. Coca-Cola Field is a great place to watch a game and one of the best we’ve ever been to. Another first for me, was meeting felling bloggers Danny and Quinn from nybisons. They had a party night going on, too, with live music and I did drink a beer or two. I highly recommend hitting a game in Buffalo if anyone is in that area.
#7-Lily goes 6 for 6
Nothing like starting the season out on a high note. In Lily’s first game of the season, she went 6-6 in helping her team on to victory. Although she never repeated this feat, she did have multiple hit games though out the season. It was a brutal summer for these girls, as the temp was in the 90’s many times for their games. They played during the heat of the day, too, as the boys played in the evening so the heat wasn’t as bad for them. Lily had a great season, though, and this first game is something she can really be proud of herself for, as we’re proud of her! She played just about every position, but like her brother really liked playing catcher.
#6-My Loony children
In July we headed down to Dow Diamond, home of the Great Lakes Loons, to see them take on he Whitecaps. This was the kids’ first trip to Midland and they were really impressed. Dow Diamond is a really nice stadium, and the playground there was a big hit. They did a lot of playing and were happy to meet Louie the Loon, the Great Lakes mascot. They also had a camel mascot, but I’m not sure what that was all about. The kids had so much fun I promised to take them again next season, no matter who the Loons are playing.
#5-Catchers Unite!
Trevor with Patrick Leyland. Both are catchers, and both have dads who are great baseball coaches.
With Trevor donning the tools and working behind the plate this season, it’s no surprise that he took a liking to the Whitecaps catcher Pat Leyland. Throw in the fact that Leyland’s dad manages the Detroit Tigers, and you have a winning combination. On Sundays at the Whitecaps games, fans are invited onto the field for autographs and to play catch. We really had to seek out Leyland, though, as he was preparing his pitcher for the game. He was nice enough to take the time for a quick picture, and this really made Trevor’s day. This is how we build baseball fans, from childhood moments like this.
#4-Star Wars Night
This is one of the highlights of our summer every year. This season we decided to check out Star Wars Night at the Traverse City Beach Bums instead of the Whitecaps. They didn’t have as many of the characters around the ballpark, but the kids really had a good time anyway. They really like the Beach Bums games, as the atmosphere is really laid back. They like the playground there, too, and it’s not as crowded as some of the other ballparks we go to. They got to meet some of their movie favorites, though, like Darth Vader and Princess Leia. Thank goodness they didn’t have any from the prequels crap. I’m sure this event will be on next years list, too.
#3-The Crash Dash
Brian beats Crash in the ‘Crash Dash’!
Our first ballgame of the season was a memorable one. Brian was able to participate in the ‘Crash Dash’, where he raced the ‘Caps mascot Crash around the bases. Brian won, of course, because of this blazing speed, and that Crash usually gets distracted by something on third base. It was cool to see us up on the video board, too. Brian was smiling away, as he loves to win races, and Crash is his favorite mascot. I would love to see him do this next season if he can.
#2-The road to Cooperstown
The National Baseball Hall of Fame was one of the top things on my baseball bucket list (don’t worry, that prime 9 will be posted next month…). Although I admit it was a little disappointing, we still were able to see some breathtaking memorabilia from baseball’s past. Seeing some of the greats enshrined in the Hall is an experience that every baseball fan should take in. This was also something my dad really needed to see and I’m glad I was able to see this with him. We also had a chance to check out Doubleday Field, although there were no games going on that day.
#1-Rookie of the Year
This season Brian made his organized baseball debut…and took one more step toward destiny. He seems to like baseball more than any other sport so far and is really showing flashes of talent. I’m glad they lowered the starting age to four, as he was really ready to play. The problem is that he loves to hit live pitching, so hitting off a tee isn’t the biggest thrill for him, but he still does it well. The biggest thing he has to learn is team work and being a good team-mate. Being the youngest child, he’s spoiled rotten, and he has to get over himself on the field. Lily helped me coach his team and she did a great job with all of the kids, and I think it was positive for Brian, too. Trevor helped out when he could, but was busy with his own team (I was an assistant for Trevor’s team). Seeing your child take the field for the first time is so special, and if I was doing this list a few years ago, then Lily and Trevor would be #1 also.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
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