Some quick notes before vacation

I know posts have been light lately, but hey, that's summer for you. I'm off until next Monday but before I go, here's a couple interesting nuggets you might like.

-- Galen Morton is out as Dickinson State's sports information director/assistant track and cross country coach. The distance crew at DSU will miss him, he was a big asset for them and he's been a good S.I.D., putting in lots of late hours to get stats on the Internet and such. Morton is moving back to California to be with his family and teach science at a high school 15 minutes away from his home. Hey, family comes first sometimes.

-- On a similar DSU coaching note, Jace Schillinger is out as assistant football and track coach. Schillinger is the new head football coach at Park High School in Livingston, Mont. This is a great move for Jace. He is going to be a good young coach and it wouldn't surprise me if he one day found his way back to the college ranks.

-- The Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo is coming up Thursday and Friday. It's a PRCA rodeo, just like the Roughrider Days Rodeo here in Dickinson. If you live in Killdeer or are a rodeo fan, chances are you're already checking it out. But if you're a rodeo newb and liked the Dickinson rodeo, I recommend make the 30-minute drive to Killdeer and check it out.

-- The Dickinson Roughriders American Legion baseball team suffered the fourth loss of their season on Wednesday afternoon when Rapid City Post 320 pitcher Adam Carroll tossed a seven-inning no-hitter to beat the Riders 2-0. Grant Kovacs only allowed three hits and walked three for Dickinson. Unfortunately, two of his walks led off innings and those players eventually scored the game's only runs.

-- The Dickinson Roughriders alumni baseball games are scheduled for the Fourth of July at Southside Municipal Ballpark. Some pretty decent former players are going to be playing in these games, I recommend you check it out. The first game starts at 4 p.m. The second game is at 6 p.m.

Posted by: monke on 7.02.2008 at 6:30 PM | Comments (6) | Permalink

Bronc riders like coming to N.D.

Just got off the phone with Morgan Forbes, the 18th-ranked saddle bronc rider in the PRCA world standings. He is one of eight ranked bronc riders coming to the Roughrider Days Rodeo this weekend. The top cowboy on that list is J.J. Elshere of Quinn, S.D. Elshere is ranked third in the world standings and was the 2006 National Finals Rodeo average champion.

Forbes said one of the big reasons for the amount of quality bronc riders coming to the three-day rodeo is because of the quality of stock that is traditionally provided for them here. Elshere made similar comments.

Southwest N.D. has always held their saddle bronc riding to a high degree and have produced solid cowboys for a long time. For example, Dickinson's Dusty Hausauser is currently ranked 26th in the world standings and has won two rodeos this season. Unfortunately, he won't be able to attend the Roughrider Days Rodeo for a second consecutive year, something I bet Hausauer isn't happy about.

Anyway, if you like bronc riding, check out the Roughrider Days Rodeo this weekend. Here is a list of the bronc riders coming, along with their world ranking.

3, J.J. Elshere, Quinn, S.D. (Monday)
18, Morgan Forbes, Kaycee, Wyo. (Saturday)
22, Bryce Miller, Buffalo, S.D. (Saturday)
24, Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D. (Sunday)
28, Rollie Wilson, Buffalo, S.D. (Monday)
45, James Willert, Kadoka, S.D. (Monday)
46, Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D. (Monday)
49, Marty Hebb, Eagle Butte, S.D. (Saturday)

Some notable locals: Kane Gjermundson, Marshall; Ty Manke, Hermosa, S.D. (standout at National American); Lee Steffan, Mandan; Tate Eck, Kindred.

Posted by: monke on 6.26.2008 at 2:58 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Frenzel gathers recruiting steam

Just got done chatting with Dickinson shortstop Cole Frenzel about a few things, including the Jablonsky Wood Bat Classic that begins tomorrow morning at Southside Ballpark.

A quick Internet search makes it obvious that Frenzel is a sought-after baseball prospect. He's been a star since the eighth grade, has the raw skills for the game few possess and can hit the ball a ton when teams pitch to him.

But, I didn't really understand just how valuable some college coaches see him before what he told me today.

He's only going to be with the Roughriders for the Jabo on Thursday and Friday because he's heading to the Team One West Showcase, a scouting camp at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif. Frenzel is the only N.D. player (and one of only a few from the northern states) heading to this tournament-style camp. Because Cole has been to tons of camps across the country over the past couple years (including one in Arizona which caused him to miss the Legion season opener), he's beginning to appear on Class of 2009 Top 100 prospects lists. He's already on Baseball America's list at No. 94.

Frenzel says he should catch up with his team by next Wednesday, July 2 when they're at the Newhouse Wood Bat Classic in Miles City. The day the team returns home from Miles City, Frenzel is supposed to get an in-home visit from Nebraska coaches. This is set to happen on Monday, July 7, the same day the Roughriders host Jamestown in a doubleheader.

Cole said he has been receiving calls from some elite teams in the college baseball world, including Kansas (where Minot's Zac Elgie is headed), Oregon State and Virginia amongst many others. But, he doesn't know what he wants to do yet and would like to wait until next spring to make a decision. Elgie didn't wait, chose Kansas early and then was taken by Oakland in the 12th round of the MLB Draft.

Through nine Legion games, Cole's numbers are this: .529 BA, .882 SP, 1 HR, 16 runs, 14 RBI, 14 BB, 9 H, 3 2B. In the field, he's committed two errors.

No matter what, Cole is going to get his shot at playing baseball beyond the high school level. Now, it seems, it's only a question of where.

Check this out: Here is a video of Cole that was put together for him by the people at the International Power Showcase he attended in St. Petersburg, Fla., at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Cole was North Dakota's representative and hit two home runs in the ballpark, which isn't bad for a high school kid. About half the kids invited to this tournament actually tagged one out of the park.

Posted by: monke on 6.25.2008 at 1:40 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Boulder newspaper's Q/A with Dufault

Here is a Q/A the Camera, the daily newspaper in Boulder, Colo., did with Killdeer's Austin Dufault for their Web site, The BuffZone, which is dedicated to Colorado Buffaloes' athletics. It's a pretty sweet. Again, they pepper Austin with the questions seemingly every reporter from outside of North Dakota (and even some inside) seem to ask him. Even though we know Killdeer is a small town, it's amazing how small a 700-person town is in the eyes of the rest of the country.

Posted by: monke on 6.23.2008 at 7:21 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Wild Bill is big time in rodeo

Bill Palanuk, also known as radio DJ and rodeo expert "Wild Bill" in these parts, is no longer with Clear Channel Communications in Dickinson. Instead, he's working on a few things and is hosting a talk show on the Web site, www.pbrnow.com/radio that airs a 7 p.m. Mountain Time on Tuesdays. If you like hearing about rodeo, there really is no one better to listen to than Bill. For one, he knows his stuff. Plus, he is really well connected in the rodeo circuit, which means tons of cowboys don't have to think twice about coming on his shows.

Posted by: monke on 6.14.2008 at 1:11 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink