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Catfish add OVC coaching legend as 2025 manager (11/22/24)The Cape Catfish found a new manager for the 2025 summer season, as the club announced the hiring of former longtime Austin Peay coach Gary McClure on Friday. “This is a big deal for our program,” Catfish GM Mark Hogan said in a press release. “Gary and I go way back as we battled for years when I was head coach at SEMO and he was at Austin Peay. ...
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Senath State Bank claims victory in inaugural Kennett Co-Ed Softball League Championship (10/19/24)Senath State Bank clinches the first-ever Kennett Co-Ed Softball League Championship, led by MVP Shane McElwrath.
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Westwood Hills claims SEMO Cup for 14th time (10/14/24)Jimmy Vernon and Tyler Norton teamed up for a bogey-free 36 holes while their teammates also played under par as the Westwood Hills Country Club team claimed the SEMO Cup on their home course Saturday. Westwood Hills won for the 14th time and first since 2021 in the event which started in 1989. The course hosted the event just 4 1⁄2 months after a tornado destroyed over 100 trees...
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'Positive momentum' building towards Fields of Faith event (10/9/24)There has been a crescendo of faith building in people throughout Southeast Missouri this fall, as the Southeast Missouri chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has held several “Fields of Faith” gatherings.
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Memory of Carl Townsend honored at Fourth Annual Golf Tournament (9/26/24)MALDEN, Mo. - Board members of the Carl Townsend scholarship and Malden’s Beta Club help put together the fourth annual Carl Townsend golf tournament on the morning of Monday, Sep. 23. The tournament was a three-person scramble put on to honor the memory of former Malden educator Carl Townsend, who passed away in 2020...
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Bernie-based company took a swing and has connected (9/12/24)At last month’s Babe Ruth Baseball World Series, when the teenage athletes weren’t competing on the Capaha Field diamond, it was a safe bet that they were flocking en masse up the hill at a display of vibrantly adorned wooden bats. “This is a metal bat tournament,” David Keathley said, “and we sell wooden bats. We’ve done very well today.”
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The test of time: Cape golf league enduring through three decades (9/2/24)Tiger Woods didn’t stay on top of his game of golf for three decades, but you can’t necessarily say the same about a group of 40 women, who gather each week at the Cape Girardeau Jaycee Municipal Golf Course. The Tee Time Tuesday Evening Ladies Golf League tees off throughout the late afternoon at the course each Tuesday and is celebrating its 30th year of existence this season.
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Kennett Co-ed Sports have opening day at revitalized Jones Park (8/27/24)KENNETT, Mo. - What started off as a vision and dream for Darrell Watson and Kennett Co-ed Sports came into fruition on Saturday, Aug. 24. The newly revitalized Darrell Watson Field at Jones Park hosted its first round of softball games for the inaugural Kennett Co-ed Sports slow pitch softball league...
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COLUMN: Cultural exchange through baseball is the true Babe Ruth World Series prize (8/17/24)When Charleston Fighting Squirrels head coach and Babe Ruth World Series tournament director Michael Minner addresses the crowd after the championship game between Alabama and Kelso, the key phrase he mentioned in between his message was, “We made new friends.”...
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Will Thomas’ one-hitter propels Alabama Rawdogs to Babe Ruth World Series title (8/16/24)Thursday night’s 18U Babe Ruth World Series Championship game was a long-awaited one for the Alabama Rawdogs. After falling to the Southeast Tropics in the 2023 title game and facing ridicule for an infamous age-limit dispute, the Rawdogs coasted to a world championship behind a 1-0 victory over Kelso (WA) at Capaha Park...
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Watson dreams of revitalizing Jones Memorial Park (8/16/24)KENNETT, Mo. - After graduating from Kennett High School in 1983, Darrell Watson left for almost 40 years. Eventually, he began to feel something pull him to come back home. Upon his arrival back at Kennett, his nephew Ryne Branum pitched the idea of a men’s softball team. Along with this, other members of the community began working out plans to bring back a co-ed softball league in Kennett...
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Talan McDaniel's relief heroics propel Squirrels to Babe Ruth World Series quarterfinal win (8/15/24)Talan McDaniel's stellar relief pitching led the Aycorp Fighting Squirrels to a thrilling 12-11 victory over Altoona, securing a semifinal spot in the 2024 Babe Ruth World Series.
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Fighting Squirrels secure top overall seed in dominant victory over Netherlands (8/14/24)The Aycorp Fighting Squirrels clinched the top seed in the Babe Ruth World Series playoffs with a commanding 12-2 win over the Netherlands, showcasing strong offense and strategic pitching.
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Big-Game Benthal has Tropics on brink of another World Series title (8/14/24)Memo to the remaining teams competing in the Babe Ruth World Series on Thursday: You might want to think twice about pitching to Southeast Tropics cleanup hitter Trey Benthal.
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Mexico’s time in Missouri short-lived but enjoyable (8/14/24)Sonora, Mexico, a state known for agriculture, livestock and cowboys is also home to the best Babe Ruth League team in the country. The team from Hermosillo, the state's capital and largest city, won three different tournaments on their way to the World Series in Cape Girardeau...
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Tropics are 'getting hot at the right time' in Series (8/14/24)Every coach, regardless of the sport, wants his/her team to be playing its best when the season is on the line.
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Jake Markowsky comes through for Canada in Babe Ruth World Series win (8/14/24)On a day in which two 3-0 teams lead to a lopsided result, the early evening game between two teams searching for their first win in the Babe Ruth World Series led to the most exciting outcome. Jake Markowsky hit a sharp line drive to bring home Dylan Richmond and deliver Canada a walk-off 7-6 victory over Salina (Kansas) on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau...
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Rodeo crowns champions (8/14/24)SIKESTON — The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, a PRCA Top 40 event, concluded its four-day run on Saturday night, August 10th, awarding over $178,000 in prize money to cowboys and cowgirls across eight disciplines. Oftedahl Ropes His Way to All-Around Cowboy Title...
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Wyatt Friley's grand slam powers Squirrels to mercy-rule victory over Altoona (8/13/24)Wyatt Friley's grand slam ignited a nine-run first inning, propelling the Aycorp Fighting Squirrels to a 13-3 mercy-rule victory over Altoona. The Squirrels remain undefeated in the Babe Ruth World Series.
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Babe Ruth World Series Roundup Day 4: Tropics cap pool play on top (8/13/24)The Southeast Tropics finished the pool portion of the Babe Ruth World Series with a 12-3 drubbing of Stamford (CT) on Monday, Aug. 12, at Capaha Field. Waylon Hale led the Tropics at the plate with a 3-for-4 night and two RBIs. Aaron Dunlap was the only other player with multiple hits...
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Puerto Rico’s Babe Ruth League World Series experience (8/12/24)Puerto Rico has a great history of baseball players, with all-time great Roberto Clemente, St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina and countless other players hailing from the island. This summer Puerto Rico’s 18U team returned to Cape Girardeau to participate in the Babe Ruth League World Series. On day one, the team suffered a bad loss to the Missouri State Champion Southeast Tropics but has since bounced back for three wins in a row...
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Tropics dismiss adversity quickly before exploding for W (8/12/24)One thing that cannot be debated about the Southeast Tropics is that this group of players can be stunningly oblivious to any adversity that confronts the squad.
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Babe Ruth World Series Roundup Day 2: Puerto Rico rebounds from opening-night embarrassment (8/12/24)A lesser team would’ve taken an 18-0 drubbing by the Southeast Tropics in the Babe Ruth World Series’ opening slate of games as an early end of a run. Puerto Rico was not ready to give up, as the team rebounded with a 5-3 win over Mountain View (Ca.) on Saturday at Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Mo...
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Babe Ruth World Series Roundup Day 3: Kelso wins in walk-off style, improves to 3-0 (8/12/24)Kelso (Wa.) edged Lexington (Ky.) 4-3 to become the first 3-0 team in the Babe Ruth World Series on Sunday, Aug. 11, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Boston Caron secured the win for the Pacific Northwest representatives with a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 7th. The catcher powered Kelso with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with two doubles and three RBIs...
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Squirrel Magic: Fighting Squirrels' stunning comeback ices out Manassas late (8/11/24)The Aycorp Fighting Squirrels pulled off a dramatic late-game comeback to defeat Manassas 3-1, thanks to a stellar performance from pitcher Peyton Hodges and some clutch hitting from Owen Osborne.
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Benthal's bat boosts hot Tropics to World Series W (8/11/24)The late summer surge by the Southeast Tropics continued Saturday, as they topped Aruba 6-2 in the second game of the Babe Ruth World Series at Capaha Field.
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Baseball Down Under: Aussie Drop Bears’ unorthodox road to Cape Girardeau (8/10/24)The Aussie Drop Bears' journey to the 2024 Babe Ruth World Series in Cape Girardeau is a testament to their love for baseball. Despite the odds and a grueling selection process, these 12 players are making Australia proud.
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Babe Ruth World Series Day 1 Roundup: Gonzalez impresses as Lexington shuts out Canada (8/10/24)Giancarlo Gonzalez turned in the most impressive pitching performance of the first day of the Babe Ruth World Series on Friday, Aug. 9, at Cape Central High School. Gonzalez threw a complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts to lead Lexington (KY) to a 3-0 win over Canada...
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Aruba’s journey to the Babe Ruth World Series (8/10/24)Aruba, an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a small Caribbean island no more than 30 kilometers long. One of the most popular sports on the island is baseball with a number of Arubans making it to Major League Baseball, this season the 18U team has come over 2,000 miles to take part in the Babe Ruth League World Series in Cape Girardeau...
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Payne, Tropics dominant in World Series opener (8/10/24)The Southeast Tropics wanted to send a message on Friday to the other 15 teams participating in the 2024 Babe Ruth World Series at Capaha Field after winning the tournament a year ago.
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Have Payne, can gain is the motto for the Tropics (8/9/24)Veteran Southeast Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz acknowledges that the road to a championship repeat for his team in the 2024 Babe Ruth World Series won’t be an easy journey.
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Rodeo clown relishes in Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel events (8/9/24)Would you believe a man with a master's degree in finance would be a well-renowned rodeo clown? It's a surprise to everyone including the funny man himself, Justin Rumford, who has been a rodeo clown for 13 years. Rumford is in his fifth year performing at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, which began on Wednesday, Aug. ...
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Eftink, Umfleet brought 'chemistry' to Tropics in their final summers (8/8/24)In some regards, veteran Southeast Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz is living the existence of a minor league manager, whose team advances to the postseason. As is often the case at that level, the manager loses players to September call-ups, right as he could utilize them for his playoff success.
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Bootheel softballers win Arkansas State Championship (8/6/24)
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Catfish manager learns, leads team through down and (eventually) up summer (8/5/24)Every experience in life is an opportunity to learn and guiding a baseball team through the Prospect League for the first time in his career proved that to be the case for Phil Butler.
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Muleskinner Golf Tournament an all-around success (8/5/24)A full field of 36 four-person teams and a chance to see friends old and new added up to a great day for golf Friday at the 16th annual Muleskinner Golf Tournament at Westwood Hills Country Club. The Muleskinner is the biggest fundraiser each year for the Poplar Bluff Mules Booster Club, and this year did not disappoint, said Derek Rahlmann, the booster club president. ...
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Squirrels heating up ahead of World Series (8/2/24)CHARLESTON, Mo. — The mercury isn’t the only thing rising in Charleston this summer. The Fighting Squirrels are on fire, having won 10 of their last 11 games. The latest conquest, a doubleheader sweep of the Missouri Marlins at Hillhouse Park on Wednesday, July 31, clearly indicates that the team is peaking at the right time...
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Catfish 'can't replace a guy like Lane Crowden,' as his storied career ends in playoffs (8/1/24)Lane Crowden's Cape Catfish career has come to an end after the team fell to the Thrillville Thrillbillies 13-6 in the South Division Championship on Thursday, Aug. 1, in Marion, Illinois. Looking back, his impact on the local summer baseball team has been indelible. “Everybody sees (Lane’s) baserunning,” Catfish manager Phil Butler said recently of Crowden. “Lane does so many little things for this team defensively and offensively for this club. You just can’t replace a guy like him.”
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Red-hot Catfish swim into another postseason with dominating W (7/31/24)In the end, betting against the Cape Catfish didn’t prove to be a wise move for the skeptics this summer.
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Missouri Sports Hall of Fame announces Class of 2024 (7/30/24)After one year of retirement from coach, Notre Dame athletic director Jeff Graviett will be enshrined among fellow area legends in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The luncheon will take place at the Drury Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Cape Girardeau at 11 a.m., on Tuesday, Sept. ...
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Catfish legend starting to find it on the mound at the right time (7/29/24)There is no pitcher in Cape Catfish history who has the lore of right-hander Korey Bunselmeyer. So, it is a pretty positive thing that the former University of Illinois pitcher is finding his groove with the Prospect League playoffs nearing.
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“You Can Do It”: The Gurnows’ Rise to Powerlifting Glory (7/28/24)It took Michael and Heather Gurnow less than two years from their powerlifting debuts to shatter national records together. That kind of progress is almost unheard of, but the married couple out of St. Louis made sure everybody heard it with their performances at the World Raw Power Mid-American Regional Championships this past May in Benton, Ill...
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Nazerenus notches the BIG hit in latest Catfish W (7/28/24)Every athlete knows that regardless of their circumstances, it pays to be ready for an opportunity when it presents itself. For former Cooter High School standout, Hayden Nazerenus, he took full advantage of that in Saturday’s 4-3 Cape Catfish victory over Dubois County at Capaha Field in front of 676 fans.
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Issue of Ks no longer perplexing rolling Catfish in rout of 'Dragons (7/28/24)At the start of this month, the Cape Catfish were floundering at the plate regarding the number of times Cape hitters whiffed.
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Catfish are rolling of late following inconsistent summer (7/25/24)This summer has been a rollercoaster for the Cape Catfish, which is a tad unusual for its fan base to follow after watching the franchise methodically achieve success year after year after year since its inception.
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Williams has been a "hit" with the Catfish this summer (7/25/24)As the Cape Catfish summer has turned decidedly in the right direction over the past few weeks, there have been several factors that the Catfish coaching staff can point to as to why that has occurred.
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Kettering crushing in Catfish’s 15-run matinee thrashing of Springfield (7/24/24)On the hunt for a last-ditch bid into the 2024 Prospect League playoffs, the Cape Catfish inched closer to a second-half South Division title with a merciless 16-1 trouncing of Springfield on Wednesday. The first of a two-game set in light of a July 9 postponement, the Catfish made quick work of the Lucky Horseshoes with five, four and seven-run innings in the second, fourth and fifth respectively...
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While Lane Crowden chases record, Catfish chase playoffs (7/22/24)Lane Crowden stole eight bases this past college baseball season at Southern Indiana. However, with the Catfish this summer, he leads the Prospect League with 37 stolen bases and is 15 bags away from the league record set by Slater Schield of Rex Baseball (52)...
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Former Jackson athlete finds his groove at the plate (eventually) for Tropics (7/22/24)The summer baseball season reached a frustrating point for the Southeast Tropics recently when they dropped a pair of games (3-2 and 7-4) to their rivals, the Aycorp Media Charleston Fighting Squirrels, in the Senior Babe Ruth Baseball State Tournament.
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Don't look now, the Catfish are in hot pursuit of a playoff berth (7/22/24)At the beginning of this month, the Cape Catfish signed several new players and gave a couple of existing regulars a few days off during the July 4th holiday. First-year manager Phil Butler felt when he had his full complement of players returning, his squad had a chance to compete among the best teams in the Prospect League.