Big Stone Badgers Start Legion State B Tourney Today

Two area American Legion baseball teams battled for a spot in the state tourney during the Region 1B championship game on Friday, July 26, in Castlewood.  Milbank Post 9 faced Big Stone City Post 229. Big Stone City emerged victorious 6-1.

With the win, the Badgers of Post 229 locked down their berth at the State B tournament that starts today, August 2, in Salem. The winner of the double-elimination tournament will be crowned on Tuesday, August 6.  Big Stone’s last appearance in the state tournament was in 2021, but they are considered one of the favorites to take the title this year. Big Stone meets Dell Rapids Post 65 in their first game at approximately 1 p.m. on Friday,  August 2.

Isaac Brown earned the win on the mound for Big Stone. He gave up five hits and delivered six strikeouts. Dru Boots chalked up two runs. Carter Lee recorded a run and drove in two RBIs. Connor Danielson had a run and an RBI. Carter Brown and Isaiah Tandoh each added a run to Big Stone’s final score. The Badgers built up an early five-run lead in the first inning and Milbank could not recover. 

Designated hitter, Mack Koplin, secured Milbank’s lone run when Nollen Sheeley hit a grounder to send him home in the sixth inning and earn the RBI. Mason Meister recorded  three hits. Tanner Hallquist and Josh Pederson each cracked a double. 

Daniel Shelstad pitched all six innings for Post 9. He gave up six hits and allowed six runs. He walked two batters and struck out one. Dillen Sheeley, Joe Schulte, Jayce Jonason, and Reese Rabe also saw action for Milbank.

Milbank             0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1 
Big Stone City   5 0 0 1 0 0 X  6 

Milbank

AB R H 
Josh Pederson, rf    3 0 1 
Mason Meister, cf    4 0 3 
Dillen Sheeley, 2b    3 0 0 
Joe Schulte, ss         3 0 0 
Mack Koplin, dh        3 1 0 
Tanner Hallquist, 1b  3 0 1 
Nollen Sheeley, lf      3 0 0 
Jayce Jonason, c      3 0 0 
Reese Rabe, 3b        3 0 0 
Team                        28  1   5 

Big Stone City  

                                      AB R H
Carter Brown, lf                4 1 1
Isaac Tandoh, cf               3 1 0
Dru Boots, ss                    3 2 1
Connor Danielson, c         3 1 1
Carter Lee, 3b                  3 1 2
Kirby Olson, 3b                1 0 0
Isaac Brown, p                 3 0 0  
Braxton Brandreit, 2b      2 0 0
Isaac  Kirchberg, rf          2 0 1
Cadyn Vanderwal            2 0 0
E. Dorry, rf                       1 0 0
Team                               27  6  6

Brackets for the 2024 State Tournament:

Submitted Photos