Winner/ Colome Pheasants take on Colome Chaos

Dan Bechtold/ Winner Advocate Photo
It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball at Leahy Bowl as Winner/Colome Pheasants took on the Colome Chaos. This was the first game of the season at the Winner field and persons enjoyed getting outside to watch some baseball action. Social distancing rules were in place for players and fans due to COVID-19. At the end of the game, there were no handshakes just a tip of the hat by players.

Legion baseball is on for the summer

After a crazy week of on again, off again Legion baseball, the Winner Baseball Association approved a summer season for the Legion program.

The Winner Baseball Association met Friday night and approved a summer season.

Coach Kory Foss said last Saturday the state Legion board came out and said there would have a Legion season. Then the next day the national Legion board said it would not support baseball in any state.

“At that point it looked like our season was over,” said Foss. “But Class A teams began discussing the possibility of playing an independent program outside of the Legion banner,” said Foss.

After a few days of discussion, the South Dakota Legion board came out and said it would allow teams to use the Legion logo and insurance, it just would not be a part of the season. “So with that new information, the Winner board felt comfortable moving forward,” explained the Legion coach.

“We have a lot of excited kids and coaches now that we finally have a true green light. There has been so much uncertainty not just over this past week but since our spring season was postponed before we even got a practice in.

I’m most happy for our players and for our seniors. They’ve had their final school year thrown into such a tailspin. I hope this can help provide some kind of closure to their high school baseball careers,” said Foss.

He added everyone is ready for some kind of normalcy and “I think baseball could be a big part of providing that. Baseball is something we’re all used to every summer.

I think being out at Leahy Bowl on a beautiful night and watching a ball game is something everyone can enjoy, especially after everything we have all experienced these last couple of months.”

Foss explained there are going to be new rules and regulations that the team has never had before when it comes to travel and social distancing whenever possible “but these are small prices to pay to get back out on the field.”

The team will be looking to have signups this week and after waivers are signed the team will be able to hop right out there for practice. Winner cannot play ball before June 5.

“That will give us some time to get ready after such a long period off. We’ll use that time to get arms healthy and see some pitches in cages. We’ll probably look at scrimmaging the junior legion team or things like that where we can simulate some live action.

Whatever the case, I think everyone will just be happy to be back on the field with a glove, a bat or ball in hand,” said Foss.

Winner AAU wrestlers

Ashley Robbins Photography
Members of the Winner AAU wrestling team are in front from left Hunter Kahler, Ash Kaiser, Rylan Robbins, Mason Curtis, Oren Sargent, Legend Benedict, Kash Peterson, Jed Blare, Evan Littau and Peydin Peterson. Second row from left are Gentry Krogman, Hudson Peters, Levi Heenan, Roukyn Robins, Apollo Willuweit, Avery Antelope, Kyan Bartels, Tatum Swan, Cooper Craven, Braxtyn Olson and Easton Shippy. Third row from left are Archer Curtis, Kaysen Storms, Jace Nahnsen, Luke Heim, Addison Wingert-Hempel, Brider Stirling, Blayden Stirling, Nathan Melius, Eli Orel, Blaze Mead, Henry Mayes and Kayden Fryer. Fourth row from left are Owen Novotny, Bentley Moser, Rexton Pederson, Crawston Craven, Remmingtyn Robbins, Bentley Dougherty Hudson Kaup, Rhogan Robbins, Kaeden Flute, Milo Looking Cloud and Brayden Flute.