While Minnesotans are being swept up in outdoor-baseball mania, with the long-awaited opening of Target Field, several local high school baseball teams will be playing indoors Saturday at the Metrodome.
Austin, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Kingsland and Kasson-Mantorville will all be playing on the former field of the Minnesota Twins as part of daylong schedule of high school games.
Austin meets Hibbing at 12:30 p.m. in the second game of the day; PEM and Kingsland square off against each other in the fourth game at 6 p.m.; and K-M drew the short straw, playing Delano in the final game of the day beginning at 11 p.m.
"It's really cool to play a game on the same field as the Twins played on," said K-M senior Phil Oertli, whose KoMets played in the dome last year.
"We drew the late game which is going to be a little tough. We'll all be pretty tired when it's over, but it'll still be worth it."
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Parking is free for the all-day event at the Metrodome parking lot. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for students. The concession stands won't open, but spectators are allowed to bring in coolers.
The Metrodome has been renting its field in the early spring months (February through April) to high school, college and amateur teams since 1984. On the busiest weekends, like this Saturday, games are being played practically around the clock.
The field rental has been a reliable and important source of income for the stadium, with college teams paying $1,000 each for a doubleheader, and high school teams paying $300 to $500 for single games.
— Donny Henn
BASKETBALL
Melquist, Batzel to play in All-Star series
A pair of area girls will play on the Class AA team in the annual Minnesota Girls All-Star Basketball Series on Friday and Saturday.
The four-team event is put on by the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association. Each of the four teams features 10 players, all of whom are seniors. The field is broken down into players from Class A, AA, AAA and AAAA schools.
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Laura Melquistof Lourdes and Jodi Batzelof Dover-Eyota will be representing Section One for Class AA.
The Class AA team will face the AAAA squad in the series semifinals on Friday at 8 p.m. at Macalester College in St. Paul. In the other semifinal contest, the Class A team will take on AAA at 6 p.m.
The two losers will play for third place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and the winners will follow in the title game at 3:30 p.m.
Megan Lueckof Winona is a member of the Class AAA team.
— Guy N. Limbeck
Fleissner earns honor
Rochester Century senior Dan Fleissnerhas been named to the Academic All-State boys basketball team.
Besides being a stellar student, Fleissner averaged 12 points and seven rebounds for Century, which made it to the Section 1AAAA semifinals.
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• The Section Coaches of the Year were also named in boys basketball. Rushford-Peterson's Tom Vixwas the Section 1A winner, Plainview-Elgin-Millville's Kirk Thompsonwon in Section 1AA, Winona's Rocky Petersonwon in Section 1AAA and Owatonna's Josh Williamswon in Section 1AAAA.
— Pat Ruff
