FELDY: Phersy, it's no secret we love tournament time in the P-B sports department. It's when games matter the most and we get to see the best teams and athletes play against the best teams and athletes. Spring tournaments are an even better animal, because — shhhhh... don't tell the bosses — we get paid to sit outside and watch sports. Hopefully you turn that burn — you look like a giant beet — into a tan this weekend. Who makes it out of a Section 1AAA baseball tourney that has been rather unpredictable so far?
PHERSY:Yes Feldy, I did not put on enough sunscreen during last weekend's baseball games. It'll turn into a tan quicker than you can say "FORE!" It would be hard to pick against Rochester Mayo right now. They're certainly in the drivers seat, and all that stands between them and the section-title game is No. 12-seeded Lakeville South. That said, I still believe John Marshall has the talent to win it. But the Rockets are up against the wall coming through the losers bracket.
FELDY:My only prediction is that no one will throw a good, hittable pitch to Mayo slugger Brad Mathiowetz. If they do, they deserve the whiplash they'll get. Speaking of Mathiowetz, I wonder how he'd fare stepping in against Minnesota softball strikeout queen Maddie Damon of Kasson-Mantorville? The KoMets are a win away from a third straight trip to the Class AA state tournament. The scary part: Not only do they have Damon, who has allowed two runs in four playoff games, they have a bottom third of the order that produced six hits in their section semifinal win Tuesday.
PHERSY:Feldy, you cover more softball than I do, but it's hard not to notice what Damon has accomplished. Like Mathiowetz, her numbers are among the best who have ever played the high school game. What's scary is she's only a junior. And yeah, seeing that lineup produce means the KoMets will be tough to beat, and frankly, I'd be surprised if they weren't playing for a state title in June.
FELDY: It has to be a nice feeling, knowing if you put a run or two on the board each night, you're going to win. And while K-M hasn't qualified for state yet, it will take a significant upset to keep it out of the state title game. … Let's stay move to the golf course. The Red Wing girls out dueled Lake City for the Section 1AA title on Wednesday. The No. 2-ranked Wingers did so with a freshman and a seventh-grader as two of their top three scorers. I know No. 1 Detroit Lakes is traditionally tough to beat, but the Wingers have to be considered a serious threat for a state title, right?
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PHERSY: I don't think I'm going out on a limb saying the Wingers won the state title Wednesday. Lake City was the Wingers' toughest competition, I don't care what the state rankings say. It's sad that the top two teams in the state are in the section, and those two teams will battle again next season. Lake City returns everyone, so the Tigers will get their chance at a state title. I just wish those two teams could both play at Ridge at Sand Creek. Another showdown would be epic.
FELDY: The Byron boys are also state meet-bound in Class AA, and the Bears' top scorer in the section meet was just an eighth-grader. Hunter Fjerstad isn't much taller than me, Phersy — OK, everyone is taller than me — but I know he can't weigh much more than a bench press bar, yet he strikes the ball like he's a heavyweight. I don't know if the Bears will challenge for the state title, but their seniors get to end their careers on the state's biggest stage and their young guys get a taste of what a state meet is about.
