2006-07 Pioneer baseball signees announced

The Miles Community College baseball family has officially grown by nearly a dozen, as the Pioneers have announced the signings of 11 players to letters of intent for next season. The list:

LHP- Andy Carlisle – Rupert, ID

RHP/C- Jared Tracy- Rupert, ID

IF- Phil Perez- Florence, MT

RHP/IF- Colby Tognetti – Lewistown, MT

LHP/OF- Dustin Scotten- Lewistown, MT

IF- Brian Dukart- Billings, MT (Scarlets)

IF- Nate Anderson- Three Forks, MT

RHP/IF- Thomas Boyce- Three Forks, MT

RHP/IF- Shane Thurston- Three Forks, MT

OF- Ryan Dennehy- Butte, MT

C- Joe Studiner- Absarokee, MT (Scarlets)

Iowa Central wins Northwest District Series

Fort Dodge, IA -- What had been a dream turned into a nightmare for Miles Community College baseball on Saturday here at Ed Barbour Field.

No. 7 Iowa Central Community College will take its sixth trip to the Division II World Series, thanks to 4-3 and 2-0 wins over the Pioneers.

The Pioneers (43-17) still had some great pitching, with starters Clint Marcott and Tony Campbell throwing well, and Jeremy Knowles solid from the bullpen. However, the offense was handcuffed by the Triton pitching staff in both of Saturday's games.

Iowa Central (43-15) will play Grand Rapids in the first round of the Division II World Series next weekend in Millington, TN.

Pioneers catch breaks, beat Madison for Region XIII title

If you want to topple the top team, you have to do the right things, and catch the breaks at the right time.

And with the Region XIII Championship and a berth into the District Round of 16 at stake, the Miles Community College Pioneer nine made some of their own breaks, had some others delivered, kept their heads, and have practice on Monday night.

The amazing Pioneer baseball season continues, as MCC takes their first Region XIII title, beating Madison in the winner-take-all game, 7-1, in Mandan, ND.

While the Pioneers -- who have set a new team record with 43 wins, and their 43-15 record is guaranteed (for at least one more week) to be no worse than the best in school history -- lost the first championship game, 3-1, they received a big break when Wolfpack shortstop Blaine Rutledge was ejected in the sixth inning for an unsportsmanlike act while trying to score on a double.

MCC catcher Steven Larson stood his ground, and Rutledge, despite being out by 10 feet, attempted to run through Larson. The freshman from Ronan, MT, did not budge -- and ended up throwing the ball at Rutledge. That set off a bench-clearing situation, and ended in the automatic ejection of Rutledge -- who had doubled, homered and singled in the game.

Larson, who went after Rutledge after the collision, was separated by both the umpire and Madison coaches. The out was the third of the inning, so while the action was stopped, and while cooler heads prevailed, the intensity heated up again when the Madison coaches were informed that Rutledge was ejected. For the record, the umpires did not see the ball tossed at Rutledge by Larson, otherwise, it may have been one aside.

While it didn't change the outcome of the first game, it meant that Rutledge, according to NJCAA and NCAA rules, had to sit out the next game. The Wolfpack (35-23-2) was never the same after that situation.

Jeremy Knowles made sure of that, tossing a two-hitter and getting two big pick-off plays -- one at first of the Wolfpack's top base-stealer, Jacob Spaeth, and the other by Steven Larson from the plate after Michael Pena had been hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in their lone run. Pena was the pick-off victim, and the Pioneers were not threatened after that.

Tony Isbell homered, while Brandon Larson had two hits and three RBI -- all of that with two out -- to lead the Pioneer offense.

The Pioneers will play Iowa Central Community College, a 6-3, 11-inning winner over Kirkwood Community College in the first Region XI championship game on Monday. The best-of-three series will be played on Saturday and Sunday in Fort Dodge, IA. Game one of the best-of-three will be played at Noon CT on Saturday, with Game 2 to follow, and (if necessary) Game 3 would take place beginning at Noon CT on Sunday.

Miles Community College baseball made it to their first Region XIII Championship game through thr winner's bracket since 2004 with a 10-1 win in eight innings over Williston State College on Saturday at Mandan Memorial Ballpark in Mandan, ND.

Steven Larson had three hits and two RBI to pace the Pioneers, who have tied the school record for wins in a season, and have clinched at least a tie for the best overall record in school history. The 2005 squad finished 42-17 to set the current standards.

Zach Wiedenaar homered to close out the game in the top of the eighth inning, and Clint Marcott retired the side in order in the home half to clinch the win.

The Pioneers will play the consolation survivor in the Region XIII Championship round, beginning at Noon CT.

Box Score  Play-by-play breakdown

Chauncey Handran gets it now.

The freshman outfielder struggled when he first picked up the aluminum the first time at batting practice on Monday, and quickly was getting a handle on hitting line drives.

Of course, on Friday, those line drives went much further.

Handran homered twice, and led the way as the 5th, 6th and 7th place hitters in the Miles Community College baseball lineup paved the way for a 12-1, five-inning rout of Bismarck State in the Region XIII Tournament opener for the Pioneers.

Nick Harris singled, doubled and tripled, while Brandon Larson -- who hit between the two in the sixth slot -- doubled three times in the win. The Pioneers also took advantage of three errors in scoring the 12 runs.

James Lester pitched very well, allowing just three hits and a run in five innings to move his record to 6-2 on the season.

Also in Region XIII, Williston State needed a three-run home run by Jeff Katchmar in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Madison Area Technical College, 8-7. And Bismarck State beat Minot State-Bottineau, 8-2, behind a three-hitter by Rob Bird Horse. Bottineau (3-23) and Madison (31-22-2) were to play an eliminaton game on Friday evening.

The Pioneers will play Williston State on Saturday at 10 a.m. MT.

Click here for the preview.

Click here for the bracket.

Click here for directions to Ressler Field at Mandan Memorial Park.

Craig Parry is playing relaxed baseball. That is bad news for anyone playing Miles Community College in this postseason.

Parry -- who is now playing in left field until Jordan Shine returns from a broken bone on his right hand -- had three hits as the Pioneers buried Dawson Community College, 9-1, to win their 5th Mon-Dak Conference Tournament title in their six years of existence.

The Pioneers (40-14), who are two wins away from tying the school record for wins in a season, scored four runs in the first inning off of starter Casey Anderson, and rode the four-hit pitching of Jeremy Knowles to the win.

Miles CC will now head to the Region XIII Division II Tournament in Mandan, ND. They will play the winner of the Bismarck State/Minot State-Bottineau game on Friday at 3 p.m. MT.

We will be making copies available of most of the games broadcast on Classic Country KMTA and Hot Country 92.3. Not all dates are available, but generally most of the broadcasts from the time of the MCC Tournament and beyond should be available. Not every recording is complete, either, since we have been experimenting with different ways to record the games.

If you are interested, please e-mail Ben or call him at the office between 9 a.m.-Noon MT at (406) 234-5626 or 888-535-1050. There will be a charge for the service.

(at Kolberg Field, Glendive, MT)

Friday

Bismarck State 11, MSU-Bottineau 1

Williston State 1, Dawson Community College 0

Miles CC 8, Bismarck St. 1

Saturday

Dawson CC 8, MSU-Bottineau 7

Championship Semifinal : Miles CC 9, Williston St. 3

Dawson CC 2, Bismarck St. 1 (10)

Semifinal #2: Williston State 3, Dawson CC 3 (suspended)

Sunday

Semifinal #2 -- Dawson CC 7, Williston St. 4

Championship Game -- Miles CC 9, Dawson CC 1