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Dear Editor:
Just a few thoughts again. The guys had an interesting season. It was the same group of players and the same opponents, but with differing results. It has been a while since I have seen so many little things go against us — the classic “game of inches” stuff. Bloopers, bad hops, walks — just a lot of small things.
Despite that, we had another good run at districts and qualified for a trip to Brandon. We drew Tabor as our first-round opponent. They are a good team, but to be fair, all the teams at State are good. I hope you can attend and support the team.
A few observations about baseball in general. The districts were held in Colome this year. They did a nice job preparing the field and hosting the event. Still, I have to give credit to Wessington Springs for last year's district and the fan support. That support was tremendous and led to great momentum for the entire baseball program.
The Springs Gala was a major fundraiser for baseball, and both the Owls and the Little League have benefitted. From the Owls’ point of view, we’ve completed some projects, with more to be finished, and a couple that haven’t yet been started.
Trevor Kennobbie and Tanner Cross (CK Fencing) donated the labor and most of the structure for the new batting cage. Please acknowledge and thank them when you see them. We also purchased a small building to house the pitching machine, which was funded by those donations. We still need to complete the ground surface inside the cage and run electricity to it. This facility is truly an asset for any baseball player.
We’ve absolutely seen improvement when players consistently use facilities like this. In the past, players benefited greatly from using the off-site locations—thanks to the Olinger and Jost families. The pitch speed can even be reduced to benefit younger players.
A sprinkler system was also installed for the infield and part of the outfield. The system ties into some older infrastructure, but the controls were upgraded. The field will now stay lush for years to come.
We did have a hiccup with the outfield banners. The eyelets were tearing out. The Olinger boys and Blake Larson used some farmer ingenuity to solve the problem. The banners are now in place, better late than never. There is still space available if anyone wants to advertise their business. These banner funds are a lifeline for the Owls' operations each year. The cost of balls, bats, and umpires really adds up.
I’ll close with a personal note. I started playing baseball when I was 10 years old, first with Coach Judstra and then Coach Noyes. The game was good to me then, and it’s still good to me now. Teammates, coaches and even opponents form lifelong bonds. I’m always running into someone from decades ago, and we can’t help but share a baseball story. These guys will always be friends. Dugout camaraderie is priceless.
Thanks again for the continued support of baseball in Wessington Springs.
Joe Butterfield
Owls Head Coach