“It was fun to get a pair of wins,” said Milaca Coach Randy Johnson. “It was really neat to play under the lights at Rec Park.

“It was a good day for us. We played well.”

Sophomore Hannah Johnson pitched the Granite Ridge Conference win over Albany, allowing six hits while striking out 14 and walking just one. The Huskies scored their run in the first inning.

Milaca pounded 14 hits as senior catcher Sadie Hunt, sophomore shortstop Alex Ploeger and sophomore center fielder Kristina Loegering each had three hits. Loegering’s hits included a triple and a double as she scored three runs while Hunt and Ploeger each drove in two runs.

The Wolves supported Johnson with errorless play in the field.

Junior outfielder Ori Scherer scored the winning run against Pierz in the bottom of the sixth inning. She reached base on a pinch-hit single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Loegering.

Sophomore second baseman Rachel Airhart and Johnson each had a pair of singles while Ploeger, Hunt and sophomore Megan Bremer each had a single.

Senior Sara Warren pitched the victory, allowing nine hits and four walks while fanning eight.

On Thursday, May 9, Milaca dropped a GRC doubleheader against Mora at Milaca. The Mustangs won the first game 3-0 and the second game 3-2.

Scherer, Hunt, Airhart, junior catcher Natalie Bernard and junior third baseman Jessica Hohnwaldt each had a single in the first game. Airhart collected three singles in the second game while Ploeger, Bernard, Hunt, Johnson and Hohnwaldt each had a single.

Mora scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“We stranded four runners at second or third base in the first game and seven in the second game,” said coach Johnson. “That was the big difference.”

Warren took the loss in the opener while Johnson suffered the loss in the second game.

Little Falls swept a GRC twinbill from Milaca Tuesday, May 7, at Little Falls. The Flyers won the opener 1-0 and the second game 6-5.

Junior Sierra Virnig decided the first game as she slugged a home run for game’s lone run.

Johnson took the loss, allowing just six hits.

Warren and Scherer pitched the second game.

Ploeger, Johnson and Hohnwaldt had doubles while Loegering and Airhart each had a pair of singles.

Milaca, 5-7 overall and 4-6 in GRC games, begins sub-section play Monday, May 20. The seeding and pairings will be determined this week.

The Wolves close the regular season Friday with a GRC game against St. Cloud Cathedral at Whitney Park in St. Cloud at 4:30 p.m.

The post Wolves sweep day/night doubleheader appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

Crowe won the 200-meter dash in 26.53 seconds and the high jump at a height of 5-feet. Sophomore Anna Oakes of Princeton was second in the 200 in 27.25 while senior Kelsey Mohlenkamp of Sartell-St. Stephen was second in the high jump, also at 5-0. Crowe reached the 5-0 mark in fewer attempts than Mohlenkamp.

Crowe teamed with junior Sarah Forker and sophomores Allie Terpstra and Irina Danilyuk to place second in the 4×100 relay in 52.79 and third in the 4×200 relay in 1:52.43. Sartell won the 4×200 in 1:50.64 and the 4×100 in 51.43.

“Kaija had a great meet against strong competition,” said Milaca Co-Coach Jeremy Mikla. “As a team the girls had a very good meet.”

Other highlights for the Milaca girls included:

-Sophomore Tara Airhart placing third and senior Clair Coffee fourth in the pole vault. Both went 8-6.

-Terpstra placing seventh in the 100 hurdles and ninth in the long jump.

-Danilyuk placing eighth in the 300 hurdles-Forker placing ninth in the 100 dash.

-Senior Julia Putz placing 10th in the 1,600 run.

Milaca placed seventh in the 11-team girls division with 328 points. Sartell-St. Stephen was first with 639.5 points, with Totino Grace placing second at 616.5.

Sophomore Josiah Forker led Milaca’s boys as he finished fourth in the pole vault at 11-6.

Forker also teamed up with juniors Mike Warren and Jeson Erickson and sophomore Levi Hunt to place fifth in the 4×100 relay.

Other highlights for the boys included:

-Senior Michael Bussmann’s ninth place in the 400 dash.

-Senior Cam Sundberg’s 10th place in the 1,600.

Milaca finished 10th in the boys team standings with 201.5 points. Sartell-St. Stephen made it a sweep by winning boys honors with 602 points, with Totino Grace placing second at 595.5.

Milaca hosts the sub-section meet Tuesday, May 21, at 3 p.m.

The post Crowe leads Milaca at true team meet appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

Following are opinions from Mille Lacs County Times  editor-sports editor Gary Larson, reporter Luther Dorr, former Times intern Logan Marxhausen and sports fan Ben Johnson. Note: This feature is written on Monday each week.

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•Question:  After 34 games the Minnesota Twins are 17-17 and just two-and-one-half games out of first place in the Central Division heading into this week’s home stands against the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. After that Minnesota embarks on a nine-game road swing against Atlanta, Detroit and Milwaukee.  At this point last year the Twins were 9-24 and nine games out of first place. The team’s 2013 start has surprised many “experts,” as many predicted the Twins were headed for another 90-loss season. Analyze what’s right and what’s wrong with the Twins so far.

-Dorr: What’s right is the pitching of Pittsburgh castoff Kevin Correia (4-2, 3.09 ERA) and the relief pitching by at least six relievers, especially Brian Duensing,  Jared Burton and Glen Perkins. On the offensive side Justin Morneau, despite a lack of homers, has become quite the RBI man, with Oswaldo Arcia chipping in with some big hits. What’s wrong is that six starters are hitting .239 or lower. The Twins are not likely to keep winning regularly with that kind of performance. But there have been different heroes on many nights and maybe that’s the way this team will be in 2013. Starting pitchers Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey have not been very good, although Pelfrey has been better lately. Check these stats and see if you think the Twins are doing it with smoke and mirrors: The staff ERA is 11th among AL teams, the batting average against of .286 is second worst among the 15 teams, and their team strikeout total is, by far, worst among the 15 teams. On offense their team batting average is 10th,they’re 9th in runs scored and 13th in homers. And still they’re 18-17 after Monday night. So, will the bubble burst or will they do even better when some of those statistics get better?

-Marxhausen: There is a lot to be said for a team that was supposedly going to be in last place all season but is now close to the Central Division lead. What is going right for the Twins now is that their bullpen is carrying the load for nearly half the game. In the Baltimore series alone, not one of Minnesota’s starting pitchers made it to the seventh inning, with the longest completion being Mike Pelfrey’s six full innings (Vance Worley went five and one-third and Scott Diamond lasted five and two-thirds). The bullpen has carried too much of the load and that makes it difficult to utilized those pitchers in upcoming games because they were overworked in the previous games. Along with those irregularities in pitching there are also irregularities in hitting. The consistency of the hitters is what is wrong, but the Twins have been able to score more than a few runs in some of their victories. When watching the Twins, their wins are not nail-bitters that finish 1-0 or 2-1, but rather like the win against the White Sox on Monday, 10-3. The bats are there, but it is the timing of the hits that is key in the victories.

-Larson:  Count me among those who predicted the Twins were headed for 90-plus losses. And, I’m still not convinced that they won’t hit that mark, even with their impressive start. The starting pitching has been decent for the most part, the bullpen has been good for the most part, Joe Mauer has been hitting well and….that’s about it. You could add that the Twins have received timely hits from unlikely sources like Oswaldo Arcia, Wilkin Ramirez, Pedro Florimon and Eduardo Escobar. And, Justin Morneau is driving in runs.

A stat to keep an eye on is the team’s home attendance numbers.  After 16 dates, the team was trailing its 2012 mark by 68,222. Certainly the poor spring weather has affected attendance, but that can’t entirely be blamed for the drop. On Monday against the White Sox the attendance was just 25,605 (39,021 is capacity). And the weather was pretty good Monday night. I think many fans decided this wasn’t going to be a good year to hang out at Target Field and they’re waiting to see if the team’s 2013 success continues. If it doesn’t attendance totals for the season will take a big hit.

-Johnson: I had the Twins losing 100 games this year and I have been pleasantly surprised at their success thus far. If you look at team stats among all of the MLB teams, you will find the Twins somewhere in the bottom 33 per cent in almost all categories in hitting and the bottom 10 per cent in all categories in pitching.  The Twins’ pitching staff is 29th in the majors in quality starts, 29th in opponents’ average, and last in the majors in strikeouts.  The Twins lineup is 27th in home runs, 27th in stolen bases, and 25th in extra-base hits. It is remarkable that they are above .500.  Where are the wins coming from?  The team’s success thus far stems from timely hitting, a great bullpen, and good defense. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have been on fire at the plate. When these two are hot at the same time, the Twins can win games regardless of what the starting rotation does. With that being said, I think their rotation is still in shambles.  I figured once the first few series got underway a few of the starters would begin to prove worthy of being a Major League starter.  As the season stands, the only pitcher that should have any sense of job security in the rotation is Kevin Correia (4-2 with a 3.09 ERA).  Pitching coach Rick Anderson will earn his pay this season.

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•Question:  Do you feel the Twins will continue to play at a .500, or reasonably close to .500, pace? Or, do you think the team will sink as the season goes on?

-Dorr: A reader/critic reminded me last week that I had picked the Twins to finish 81-81 and wanted to know if I would stand by that prediction. He said he thought it would be more like 70-92. That may still be the case but the Twins are definitely a better team than last year. As I said above, the starting pitching has been good at times and not so good other times. Former Phillie Vance Worley has to pick it up considerably for the Twins to stay near .500 (and probably for him to stay in the rotation). The offense has to be better and it has been a little better lately, although Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham have to start sharing the RBI load. You say Mauer is hitting .343? Yes he is but he has only 13 RBIs. Trevor Plouffe (.239) has 14, Aaron Hicks (.152) has 15, Ryan Doumit (.215) has 16, rookie Oswaldo Arcia in 60 fewer at-bats has 12, and part-time light-hitting shortstop Pedro Florimon has 10 in 70 fewer at-bats. I think the offense will eventually provide enough runs to stay near .500 but the pitching will have to be better to make that happen. The team likely will fall or rise on the strength, or lack of, starting pitching.

-Marxhausen:  It is entirely up to the Twins how they handle this season. They have benefitted greatly from lack of injuries to the lineup and have had time to build team chemistry as well as improve from the start of the season. Aaron Hicks came into the game against the White Sox batting .137 with only five multi-base hits in 117 plate appearances, but Monday night he not only robbed Adam Dunn of a home run, but hit two himself in his first-ever multi-hit game. The players have the ability to have career nights, but they need to be able to pick each other up as the season progress. The Twins will remain at the .500 pace for awhile. They want to prove the “experts” wrong and that they are capable of having a winning season.

-Larson:  Look for the team’s record to steadily drop below .500 between now and mid-July, then dip more rapidly after that as the pitching arms wear down. For the team to avoid a big slump, Morneau needs to keep driving in runs, Mauer has to start driving in runs and Josh Willingham, Trevor Plouffe, Ryan Doumit, Chris Parmelee, Aaron Hicks and Brian Dozier need to make much larger contributions to the offense than they have so far.

-Johnson: The biggest question mark coming into the season was the starting rotation and that question mark still remains.  Every starter in the rotation seems to have fallen into a cycle of having one good start and then two terrible starts.  The Twins will have to find consistency in their rotation because their lineup and bullpen will not sustain the success they have had so far.  Once the starting rotation starts to put together a number of quality starts from at least four of their starters, then look for me to jump on the playoff bandwagon.

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Do you have an opinion on any of this week’s questions? Do you agree or disagree with the sportswriters? Let us know by sending an e-mail to editor.millelacscotimes@ecm-inc.com or a note to Mille Lacs County Times, 225 S.W. 2nd St. Milaca, MN 56353. Or comment online.

The post Ask the Sportswriters appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

But, he likes to play and he and his wife Ali (Zimmer) have come up with a way for area golfers to improve their game.

Rock Pile Range is scheduled to open Saturday, May 18. Golfers can improve their driving skills at the range, which is located on the east side of Central Avenue, just across from Stones Throw Golf Course.

The range has markings at 100, 150, 200 and 250 yards.

“I think the driving range is something that can help golfers at every level, from those just starting out all the way to those who are very good,” said Rob, a 2001 Milaca graduate. “It’s a good way to work on your swing, relax or even take out some frustration after a hard day.

“I put down sod last week and it is starting to root in nicely, along with the seed we planted. We feel the range will be a boost to the community.”

Tokens for golf balls to use at the range will be available at Stones Throw. The tokens can then be used at a dispenser in a building at Rock Pile Range. For $5 golfers will receive a bucket of around 45 balls.

“We’re also planning to do some larger quantity discounts or punch cards but we haven’t finalized that,” said Droogsma, who owns Droogsma Construction. “Until Saturday, May 18, the tokens will be on sale at Stones Throw where if you buy four, you get one free.

“I would also like to do a couple days this summer where a parent can get a bucket of balls free for his or her child with the purchase of a token by the parent. We also plan to try to work with the Milaca High Schools teams.”

Milaca coaches Doug Reetz and Heather Hoeck have said the range will be a big boost to their programs.

Rock Pile Range is not affiliated with Stones Throw and Droogsma cautions golfers that it is illegal to drive golf carts on Central Avenue.

The post Rock Pile Range set to open appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

For Milaca’s softball team that combination resulted in an 8-3 Granite Ridge Conference victory at Princeton Monday afternoon.

“Our bats were hot and Sara Warren pitched a fine game,” said Milaca Coach Randy Johnson, whose team moved to a 3-3 record, 3-2 in GRC games. “It was a big win.”

Catcher Natalie Bernard led the offense with a pair of singles and a double as she drove in three runs. First baseman Sadie Hunt rapped a triple and a single, with her triple coming with the bases loaded to give her three runs batted in.

Warren, Ori Scherer and Rachel Airhart added two singles each.

Warren pitched the distance, striking our four while walking three.

The Wolves host Mora today (Thursday) in a GRC doubleheader starting at 3:15. On Friday the Wolves host Albany in a GRC game at Sod Park at 4:30, then face Pierz in a non-conference game at Rec Park at 7.

“We’ll be very busy this week,” said Johnson.

Milaca traveled to Little Falls for a doubleheader Tuesday.

The Wolves swept a GRC doubleheader at Foley Thursday, May 2, winning the first game 7-4 and the second contest 10-0 in five innings.

“The team really came together in the sweep at Foley,” said Johnson, who notched coaching victories 200 and 201. “We had great pitching and hitting.”

Milaca totaled 31 hits in the victories.

Bernard had a double and a single while Scherer had a double in the first game. Shortstop Alex Ploeger, third baseman Jessica Hohnwaldt and Airhart each had a pair of singles.

The Wolves scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning and four more in the seventh.

Warren pitched the distance, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out eight.

Hannah Johnson, who pitched the victory, and Warren each cracked two singles and a double in the nightcap. Bernard and Hohnwaldt added three singles each while Kristina Loegering, Ploeger and Airhart each had two singles.

Johnson allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out 11 over five innings.

On Tuesday, April 30, Becker swept a GRC twinbill at Milaca, winning the opener 7-1 and the second game 4-1.

Ploeger and Hunt each had two singles in the first game while Ploeger and Airhart had two hits each in the second game.

The post Wolves have right combination in softball win over Princeton appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

St. Cloud Cathedral won the title with a score of 161 while Becker was second at 166, Cambridge-Isanti was third at 174, Big Lake was fourth at 179, Milaca was fifth at 182 and Foley was sixth at 189.

Mille Lacs Area was seventh at 198, Princeton was eighth at 208, Aitkin was ninth at 215, Pierz placed 10th at 222, Mora was 11th at 223 and Pine City was 12th at 229.

The 18-hole meet was divided into two-person teams. Holes 1-6 were best ball, golfers used alternate shots on holes 7-12 and a scramble format was used on holes 13-18. Each school’s two lowest two-person team’s scores determined the total team scores.

Seniors Emily Herbert and Tori Broberg led Milaca with a total score of 88 while seniors Ali Prince and Kendra Maalis had a score of 94 and junior Olivia Wolbert and Leah Crain had a score of 99.

Cathedral’s team of Greta Egerman and Erin Stocker placed first with a score of 78 while Aly Fisher and Ashley Neuwirth of Becker were second at 80.

“Considering it was our first meet and our outdoor practice time was very limited, we played pretty well,” said Milaca Coach Heather Hoeck. “We were happy with the turnout of teams and it was great to get the season started.”

The Wolves are at Princeton Monday, May 13, for a Granite Ridge Conference meet at 1 p.m.

The post Milaca girls 5th at invitational appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

Little Falls won the girls title with 147 points while Milaca was second at 106 and Foley was third at 104.5. Holdingford was fourth with 98.5 points, Becker was fifth at 87, Pierz was sixth at 81, Royalton was seventh at 41 and Crosby-Ironton was eighth with 25 points.

“The girls had a great performance,” said co-coach Jeremy Mikla. “They placed near the top in many events and looked very strong.”

Senior Kaija Crowe won the 200-meter dash and the high jump and also was on two winning relays.

Crowe paced the 200 with a time of 27.28 seconds while Holdingford’s McKenzie Schulte was second in 28.15.

Crowe won the high jump at a height of 5-feet, 4-inches. Bridget Bednar of Pierz was second at 4-10 while Milaca ninth-grader Karna Terpstra was third at 4-8 and sophomore Allie Terpstra was fifth, also at 4-8.

Allie Terpstra also won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.23 seconds. Alisha Stemper of Foley was second in 17.61.

Allie Terpstra, junior Sarah Forker, sophomore Irina Danilyuk and Crowe won the 4×100 relay in 52.70, with Foley finishing second in 53.43.

That same Wolves combination won the 4×200 relay in 1:51.53, with Little Falls placing second in 1:54.42.

Senior Julia Putz notched second place in the 1,600 run in 5:53.38 and second place in the 3,200 run in 12:48.98.

Forker finished third in the 100 dash in 14.04.

Sophomore Tara Airhart placed third in the pole vault at 9-0, the same height as Stemper of Foley had to place first. Milaca senior Clair Coffee was fourth at 8-6 and Forker was fifth, also at 8-6.

Milaca’s boys placed seventh in the team standings with 41 points. Little Falls was first with 192 points while Foley was second at 136 and Holdingford was third at 115.

Junior Mike Warren, sophomore Josiah Forker, junior Jeson Erickson and sophomore Levi Hunt claimed second place in the 4×100 relay in 47.53. Foley was first in 47.01.

Junior Cam Sundberg placed fourth in the 1,600 run in 4:55.55 while Forker was fourth in the pole vault at 10-6.

Milaca is at the section true team meet today (Thursday) at Totino Grace in Fridley at 3:15 p.m.

The post Milaca girls dynamite at Pierz track meet appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

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•Question:  Former Minnesota Timberwolves Coach Flip Saunders was named the team’s new President of Basketball Operations last week. He replaces David Kahn, whose contract was not renewed after what was his fourth season in that post. Saunders coached the team from 1995-2005 and guided the Timberwolves to eight-straight playoff appearances before being fired by owner Glen Taylor. What do you think of the move and what does Saunders have to do to get the team back in the playoffs?

-Dorr: It was a good move, if for no other reason than public relations. Kahn didn’t seem to know much about basketball, and even though some good pieces of the puzzle were put in place during his tenure, I think that was the perception by most fans. The team needs another scorer or two to move up in the standings. I think the best thing will be that Saunders and Coach Adelman are likely to have a good rapport and figure out what the team needs most.

-Marxhausen: Saunders had a big thing going for him all those years as head coach – a star player named Kevin Garnett. It just so happens that the Timberwolves are in the same boat as they were when Saunders was the head coach as well as the new President of Basketball Operations. The first key to put the team in the running for the playoffs is to make sure Kevin Love does not leave. He has to entice him to stay and play for a mediocre team when they are without him, but a playoff team with him in the lineup. Also, losing Ricky Rubio at this point would prove highly detrimental because of his play-making ability at such a young age. The next key is to keep Rick Adelman on as head coach because he knows how to mentor and mold these young players. He has the history and experience of a winning coach and is essential to keeping the team afloat.

-Larson:  Saunders is a good, and popular, choice for the position. While coaching the hapless Washington Wizards he likely picked up on a lot of things NOT to do when building a team. The first thing he should do is add a clause in Kevin Love’s contract prohibiting knucklehead knuckle pushups. Love is a great player but his constant whining over his contract and the make-up of the team makes me wonder if he will ever be happy in Minnesota. The Timberwolves had a decent roster this season and were improved from the 2011-2012 season. Saunders needs to add a player(s) to that mix. And, if Rick Adelman decides to leave, Saunders is the logical choice to return to the bench.

-Johnson: Without question Flip Saunders was a great basketball coach.  Will he be a great President of Operations for the Timberwolves?  I had to research a bit to see exactly what the President of Operations of basketball does.  Among other things, his responsibility is to align the goals and objectives of the organization with its activities.  With this in mind, I think Saunders will be a great fit for the Timberwolves.  His philosophy around building a competitive basketball team will be embraced by a nucleus of talent already in Minnesota.  I think he will also excel in identifying talent in the market that the Timberwolves can bring in to support Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.  Maybe this is the change Minnesota finally needed to see playoff basketball again.

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•Question:  The Big Ten Conference recently announced a new alignment for its football teams beginning in 2014. The new alignment has Minnesota in the West Division with Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin. The East Division will include Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana and newcomers Rutgers and Maryland. Each school will play the other six schools in its division and two schools from the other division in 2014 and 2015. Starting in 2016, schools will play the other six schools in their division and three schools from the other division as the conference moves to a nine-game conference schedule. What do you think of the new alignment and how do you feel it will affect Minnesota’s program?

-Dorr: I don’t know enough about how, or if, they are going to keep rivalries alive. Minnesota and Michigan have the longest-running trophy game in college football and should be allowed to keep that going. But it doesn’t sound like that will happen on a regular basis. As far as divisions go, it should be a good one (weaker) for Minnesota. There will be years now in the conference when the schedules will be unfair because the cross-over games could be against weaker opponents or stronger opponents. There will be some complaining about that. As someone who has followed the Big Ten for more than 60 years, the addition of the new schools is not something I look upon favorably. But they didn’t consult me.

-Marxhausen:  I do not see much of a difference from the previous alignment to the new realignment for the Gophers. Minnesota is not a traditional powerhouse like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska. The Gophers have not been able to string decent seasons together since Lawrence Maroney and Marion Barber were in the backfield for coach Glen Mason (2003-2005). The consensus surrounding the new alignment is that the Big Ten West is much weaker than the Big Ten East. The West is considered weaker because teams like Minnesota and Illinois are in it. I do not see much of a difference for the Gophers except that they might not have to play teams like Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State on a regular basis, which could improve their bowl eligibility. But other than that, they are the same old Gophers.

-Larson:  The new alignment was based on geography and it made sense to keep new members Rutgers and Maryland in the East Division. On the surface the new format looks good for Minnesota. But, if the two, soon to be three, games against East Division foes turn out to be a combination of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State or even Rutgers, the Gophers are back in a gopher hole. Minnesota’s soft non-conference schedule this fall (Nevada-Las Vegas, 2-11 last year, New Mexico State, 1-11, Western Illinois, 3-8) may result in six victories and a bowl bid. After 2013 the Gophers, with nine conference games and just three non-conference games, will have their work cut out to gain the postseason. A positive development, though, is that Minnesota will not be able to schedule FCS teams in the future, meaning the Dakota schools won’t be able to kick the Gophers around anymore.

On a related note, Minnesota Athletic Director Norwood Teague was absolutely giddy Monday when he announced Texas Christian University (TCU) has replaced South Dakota State on the 2015 home schedule. Teague, still reeling from the fiasco created last fall when Minnesota dropped North Carolina (at an estimated cost of $800,000) from its 2013 and 2014 schedules, told Charlie Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that, “The financials are terrific for us.” That’s right, “terrific.”  Let’s hope so.

-Johnson: Minnesota lucked out being placed in the West Division, given the teams in the East Division.  The East Division includes teams that have won the Big Ten championship 9 out of the last 13 years.  Keep in mind that both Ohio State and Penn State were ineligible for the BCS Championship last year.  I like the structure of the scheduling.  I don’t like the admission of Maryland and Rutgers.   I think the Big Ten has a great tradition of holding a strong presence in the Midwest and I would have liked to see it stay that way.  With the continuous restructuring of conferences in recent years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more changes in the next few years.

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Do you have an opinion on any of this week’s questions? Do you agree or disagree with the sportswriters? Let us know by sending an e-mail to editor.millelacscotimes@ecm-inc.com or a note to Mille Lacs County Times, 225 S.W. 2nd St. Milaca, MN 56353. Or comment online.

The post Ask the Sportswriters appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.

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•Question:  The Minnesota Vikings feel they did very well in the NFL college draft. The team picked up defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd of Florida with the 23rd pick, cornerback Xavier Rhodes of Florida State with the 25th pick and then gave up four middle-round picks in a trade with New England to take Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson with the 29th pick of the first round. In a surprise move the Vikings drafted UCLA punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round. How do you feel the team did in the draft?

-Dorr: To tell the truth, I had never heard of one of those players until after midnight the day of the draft. And then I watched the replay of WCCO-TV sports about 1 a.m. and there was sports anchor Mark Rosen, as giddy as anyone could be over the draft. He sounded like a shill for the Vikings. And the next day the same thing went on at the 1500 AM radio station. Those guys – Rosen and the radio guys – cover the Vikings on a regular basis so they must know what they’re talking about. They all seemed to think the Vikings had a great draft. So, going by their expertise, I’d say the Vikings did well. Drafting another punter? GM Chris Spielman said it was “a football move.” That means it had nothing to do with punter Chris Kluwe’s off-the-field stuff. So Kluwe’s job is safe, right? Right.

-Marxhausen: The first round was explosive for the Vikings as they filled three much-needed spots with three quality players. Many were surprised to see Floyd drop so far in the first round as they thought he would go off the board as early as the third pick. Floyd is looking to ease into the defensive tackle position that has been held for a long time by Kevin Williams. With the Vikings’ secondary being the weak point for the past several seasons, the addition of Rhodes was extremely beneficial, especially at the No. 25 spot. It was likely that Rhodes would be taken before the Vikings had a chance to swoop him up, but again another quality player slipped through the cracks all the way to the Vikings. The team originally was projected by many to take Patterson with its first pick and Manti’ Teo with its second, The Vikings showed they wanted Patterson’s raw talents and made the bold decision to trade four picks to snag him in case he didn’t fall to their pick in the second round. The Vikings did excellent in filling holes in positions they needed to so very much. Defensively, the team needed the fresh legs at the tackle and cornerback position. Getting the receiver they wanted after their first two picks was a remarkable move by the Vikings as they top the leader board with the best draft this year.

-Larson:  The Vikings added three players in the first round who most experts feel are destined to become starters, if not this coming season, then in 2014. It could be argued that this draft, barring injuries, improved the team’s roster by quite a bit. Did Minnesota give up too much to obtain Patterson? We’ll find out down the road. There were good receivers taken in rounds two, three and four and the team may have found better middle linebacker prospects in those rounds than they did in the final rounds. Taking a punter in the draft is a wasted pick, unless you’ve already penciled him in on the roster, which the Vikings likely did as they prepare to give Chris Kluwe, one of the NFL’s top punters, the boot.

-Johnson: I think the Vikings had a remarkable draft.  When the 23rd pick arrived, the Vikings were shocked to see Sharrif Floyd still available after many predicted him to have been drafted in the top 10.  Drafting a defensive tackle in Round 1 may not have been in their original plans but Floyd was far too good to pass on. He provides a future on the defensive the line of scrimmage that is full of aging veterans.  Xavier Rhodes should make an immediate impact for the Vikings at cornerback.  The expectations will be high for Rhodes who we will look to in shutting down receivers such as Calvin Johnson.  Quarterbacks around the league have picked apart our secondary for years now and I hope to see Rhodes help put an end to that.  Cordarrelle Patterson should give the Vikings another weapon in the passing game.  This pick has to make Christian Ponder smile, given the lack of production he dealt with in his receivers the last two seasons.  I was very impressed with Rick Spielman’s aggressive approach in this year’s draft and it appears to be a great boost to last year’s playoff team.

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•Question:  The Minnesota Wild needed a 3-1 victory over Colorado in the final game of the regular season Saturday to gain a berth in the NHL Playoffs. The team opens with a best-of-seven series against the Chicago Blackhawks, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. A few weeks ago it appeared that the Wild would breeze into the playoffs but the team slumped at the end of the regular season. What are the Wild’s chances against Chicago and should fans be disappointed with how the team finished the regular season?

-Dorr: I think the players, more than the fans, should be disappointed how the team finished the season. It was a pitiful effort the last couple weeks, especially for a team that midway through March looked like it had a sure playoff spot, and a good one at that, nailed down. I don’t know what happened but the team played very poorly in the final weeks. The chances against Chicago, as the old line goes, are slim and none, and Slim has already left for Texas. But the games still have to  be played and if the Wild can sneak out a win in the Windy City, there would be a chance. If the team comes back to St. Paul trailing 2-0, you can pretty much forget about any chance of moving on.

-Marxhausen: The Wild was in position to make a splash in the playoffs and showed the league it could play together, especially after going 11-4 in March with a seven game win streak included. If Minnesota would have kept rolling, it would have been able to fight for home-field advantage in the playoffs, but it lost nine of 14 in April, killing its chances and leaving only the reality of grasping the eighth seed just to squeeze into the playoffs. The Wild could have faced a lower-seeded team and pushed into the second round, but the Blackhawks are a strong team and are not likely to go home early at the hands of the Wild. The team is learning to adapt and play with each other and needs to be able to build chemistry with one another and that is not going to happen over one-half season. Are the fans disappointed? Yes, but they need to keep their faith for the upcoming seasons ahead. Lebron James did not even win a championship his first year with the Miami Heat, but they had the caliber of players to do it. He only needed one more year. Just as the Wild do.

-Larson:  I’ll answer the second part of the question first. Unless Minnesota upsets Chicago, Wild fans should be disappointed in their team’s overall season, especially the final weeks. Management added enough talent to an already decent team that should’ve resulted in a better season – at least five or six more victories. Thinking about the first part of the question took me to a bookshelf where I pulled out the 1990-1991 Minnesota North Stars highlights tape. The North Stars, seeded eighth, stunned the No. 1-seeded Blackhawks in the opening round, then advanced to the Stanley Cup finals where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Minnesota fans won’t see that kind of run this year. This Wild team doesn’t have the grit the North Stars had 22 years ago when their home ice was at the Metropolitan Sports Center. Chicago wins the opening series in six games.

-Johnson: As much as I have wanted the Wild to win games lately, it just didn’t happen.  After the offseason acquisitions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, I expected the Wild to make a good run for the playoffs. Throughout the season, I watched two different Wild teams play. One that could make a run for the Stanley Cup and one that couldn’t even compete with Coach Bombay’s Mighty Ducks. Time and time again Minnesota  had losing streaks that left me scratching my head.  Not only were they losing games, they were losing games to terrible teams.  I really hope it’s not the latter team that shows up against Chicago because if it does, it may be embarrassing.  Chicago has one of the best teams in recent years in the NHL and is the clear favorite to win the Stanley Cup.  If the Wild’s second and third lines can rally around the first line, it can compete.  Maybe the state of hockey will see another Stanley Cup run like the Minnesota North Stars had in 1991 where they beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 in the opening round of playoffs.

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Do you have an opinion on any of this week’s questions? Do you agree or disagree with the sportswriters? Let us know by sending an e-mail to editor.millelacscotimes@ecm-inc.com or a note to Mille Lacs County Times, 225 S.W. 2nd St. Milaca, MN 56353. Or comment online.

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Baseball

Zimmerman 4, Milaca 0

Softball

Becker 4, Milaca 1

Becker 7, Milaca 1

Track and field

Pierz Invitational

Milaca girls 2nd, Milaca boys 7th

Events Wednesday, May 1

Girls golf

Milaca Invitational, at Stones Throw Golf Course, 11:30 a.m.

Events Thursday, May 2

Baseball

Foley at Milaca, 5 p.m.

Boys golf

Milaca at Foley meet, 4:30 p.m.

Softball

Milaca at Foley, doubleheader, 4 p.m.

Events Friday, May 3

Baseball

Milaca at Albany, , 5 p.m.

Softball

Mora at Milaca, doubleheader, 4 p.m.

The post Scoreboard 5-1-13 appeared first on The Mille Lacs County Times.