The 16U Sticks took their first step toward a state tournament berth with an 11-1 win over Parker in the first round of the Class B Region 4 Tournament in Freeman Monday evening, July 24. The Freeman/Marion ballclub took a 2-1 lead in the second inning and led 4-1 after three before blowing the game open with a seven-run fifth inning to end the contest early via the 10-run mercy rule.

The 14U Sticks bounced back from a 6-0 semifinal loss to Mt. Vernon/Plankinton with 13-0 win over Platte-Geddes in the third-place game of the S.D. VFW State Tournament held in Corsica over three days starting Friday. Freeman/Marion scored three runs in both the first and second inning to build an early lead, and pitchers Riley Gall Tayden Kerrigan and Easton Tschetter teamed up to pitch a two-hit shutout. The Sticks finished with 16 hits, with Gall going 3-for-3 and Kerrigan going 3-4; the two combined for five RBI.

The Freeman/Marion 14U Sticks came up short in their bid for the state championship game Saturday afternoon, falling to Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 6-0. Titans pitcher Tyce Feistner held the Sticks to hour hits, and Freeman/Marion committed three errors in the field to take the loss. The Sticks are now 15-3 and will face Platte-Geddes in the third-place game at 1 p.m. Sunday.  Mt. Vernon/Plankinton and Parkston will square off for the championship at 4 p.m.

The Sticks had no trouble in the opening round of the South Dakota VFW Class B 14U State Tournament in Corsica on Friday, soundly defeating host team Corsica-Stickney 10-0 in a game that ended early because of the mercy rule. The Freeman/Marion teener club will face Mt. Vernon/Plankinton in the semifinals on Saturday at 4 p.m. for a spot in Sunday’s championship game. The losers will play in the third-place game Sunday at 1 p.m.

For the second year in a row, Freeman is the No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 Menno in the first round of the District 6 Amateur Baseball Tournament that starts this week in Crofton, Neb. The Blacksox and the Mad Frogs will square off in the second of two games Friday, July 21, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. In the first game that will start at 6 p.m., No. 4 Wynot will face No. 5 Crofton.

In a game that ended after midnight, Menno built an early lead and held off a late charge by Freeman to claim victory in the first round of the District 6 Amateur Baseball Tournament in Crofton, Neb., Friday night, July 21. The sixth-seed Mad Frogs won 14-11 and will face second-seed Tabor Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The third-seeded Blacksox play in an elimination game Thursday, July 27 against fourth-seeded Wynot. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. Also coming up in amateur postseason play, No. 1 Lesterville will face No.

The 14U Sticks will be playing in the South Dakota VFW Baseball Association State Tournament  The Freeman/Marion squad advanced by defeating Tyndall 9-2 in the Region 7 championship in Scotland Wednesday night, July 12. The Sticks were undefeated in region play, also topping Centerville 9-4 and Tyndall 3-1 in the opening round on Monday.

Because of poor field conditions and the threat of more severe weather, the Menno July 4 baseball game against Freeman — and the fireworks to follow — have been postponed. Both have been rescheduled for Thursday, July 6.

The Freeman amateur baseball team evened up its season record at 6-6 with a 6-2 win over Renner at Renner Sunday night, June 25 behind a complete-game effort from starting pitcher and team manager Jake Weier. Weier had good control all night long; of the 111 ptiches he threw, 84 went for strikes. The two earned runs he allowed came on eight hits and he struck out nine in the strong outing.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER For generations in both Freeman and Menno, baseball has been one of the hottest summertime tickets in town, so why should 2023 be any different? It’s not. From youth ball clubs to teener teams to amateur squads that go by the names Blacksox and Mad Frogs, the season on the diamond has been underway since last month and, for some, will continue well into July. Here’s a closer look. Blacksox