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Boyer Valley baseball coach suspended after public intoxication charge

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Jay Petersen

Jay Petersen

A high school baseball coach in western Iowa has been suspended following an allegation that he was drunk at a game.

Coon Rapids Police say the incident occurred Friday night and involved Boyer Valley coach Jay Petersen. Police Chief Joel Roetman responded to the baseball field on a report that Petersen was consuming alcohol during the game. A sobriety test found Petersen’s blood alcohol content at .20, or more than twice the legal limit for driving (.08).

Petersen, who is also a physical education teacher and head football coach at Boyer Valley, was charged with public intoxication. He’s been suspended for the rest of the baseball season.

Photo from Boyer Valley website.

Nets added to Principal Park to protect fans from foul balls

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New nets are in place down the foul lines at Principal Park.

New nets are in place down the foul lines at Principal Park.

A popular summer pastime for many Iowans will have a different look this season.

Officials with many minor and major league baseball teams, in the interest of fan safety, have installed more safety netting around their ballparks.

At Principal Park in Des Moines, the home of the Iowa Cubs, the netting behind home plate now extends down to the ends of the first and third base dugouts.

Iowa Cubs assistant general manager Nate Teut says more fans are distracted these days by their cell phones and other handheld device, so they’re not always watching for a foul balls or bats flying into the stands. “We’re constantly reminding fans to follow the Iowa Cubs on Twitter, check us out on Facebook, or go to IowaCubs.com, and those type of things. So, if we’re asking fans to engage with the Iowa Cubs on social media and that involves looking down at your phone, then the least we can do is try to protect them as much as we can,” Teut said.

Some baseball fans might not like the slightly obstructed view of the playing field, but Teut believes they’ll get used to watching the game through the netting. “You know, they’ll notice it, especially the fans who’ve had season tickets in that area of the ballpark for several years, even decades. I think it will take several games for those fans to get acclimated to the net,” Teut said.

The Iowa Cubs open the 2016 season against Round Rock this Thursday (April 7) at 3 p.m. at Principal Park in Des Moines.

Sports Business Journal ranks Quad Cities as top minor league market

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The Quad Cities River Bandits are one of the reasons the Quad Cities ranks as the top minor league market in the Sports Business Jounal.

The Quad Cities River Bandits are one of the reasons the Quad Cities ranks as the top minor league market in the Sports Business Jounal.

The Quad Cities is now ranked the number-one minor league sports market in the country, according to the Sports Business Journal.

Every two years, the publication rates more than 200 communities nationwide with nearly 400 teams. Two local teams are very popular, the Quad Cities River Bandits baseball team and the Quad City Mallards in hockey.

Joe Taylor is president and CEO of the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau and he chairs the Quad Cities Sports Commission. Taylor says the teams scored well in every facet of the Sports Business Journal study. “The fans continue to come to the games, the facilities are constantly updated, and the clubs each have a long tenure,” Taylor says. “It’s the perfect combination for our study.”

Dave Heller, owner of the River Bandits, notes that four years ago, the Quad Cities ranked 86th on the list, while two years ago, they’d moved up to 48th. Now, to be number-one is a huge achievement. “We are so humbled by this and we are so grateful to the people of this community for supporting us so strongly,” Heller says. “This is not a River Bandits award. It’s not a Mallards award. It’s a Quad Cities award.” The Convention and Visitors Bureau says more than half of all hotel room nights in the Quad Cities can be attributed to these two teams and other local sporting events.

Des Moines placed at number 6 on the list this year. Other cities in the top ten include: Tulsa, Fort Wayne, Toledo, Charleston, Sioux Falls and Grand Rapids.

(By Herb Trix, WVIK, Rock Island/Photo courtesy of the Sports Business Journal)

 

State baseball attendance down compared to last year

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Rainy weather may’ve impacted attendance at the state baseball tournament. The unofficial attendance was 26,311, about 8,000 below last year and the lowest total since 2007.

The first three championship games Saturday were decided by 10 runs. Newman won its fifth state title, downing Pleasantville 10-0 in Class 1A. Clear Lake downed Columbus Catholic 11-1 in the 2A state title game. Waverly-Shell Rock won its first state baseball title in 5 innings 11-1 over Harlan.

The 4A title game was the closest, as Southeast Polk beats Iowa City West 6-2 for its second straight title.

 

Mason City Newman and Pleasantville to play for 1A title

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Top ranked Mason City Newman is headed back to class 1A title game. The Knights too advantage of several Martensdale-St. Marys miscues to crush the 5th ranked Blue Devils 11-1 in a semifinal round game.

Newman will be making a fourth straight trip to the title game, the most recent a loss to Twin Cedars in last year’s championship. Martensdale-St. Marys committed five errors and Blue Devil pitchers hit four batters and close the season with a record of 34-6.

Zeb Adreon was the winning pitcher and helped his own cause by slamming a two-run homer over the right field wall as fourth ranked Pleasantville beat North Linn 6-3 in the other class 1A semifinal round game.

North Linn pitchers issued nine walks and the Lynx only run came across on an infield groundout in the final inning.

A young North Linn squad ends the season with a record of 34-11.

 

Boone takes advantage after rain delay, Waukee avoids upset at state baseball tourney

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A the state baseball tournament, a new day brought a fresh start and Boone took advantage in class 3A. Trailing Sergeant Bluff-Luton 1-0 after an inning and a half when the game was halted by rain on Tuesday night, the Toreadors scored runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take the lead for good in a 9-1 victory.

Boone pushed across the tying run moments after the game resumed. Jake Mallas pitched two innings on Tuesday night before play was halted. He came back to finish the job and gave up only five hits to get the win.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton coach Rick Admire says Boone took advantage of its opportunities. The loss brought Admire’s career to an end. He is retiring after 36 years in coaching.

Class 4A

Matt Mullenbach rescued top-ranked Waukee. The senior finished the game with four RBI, including a two run game winning triple in the bottom of the seventh as the Warriors rallied for a 6-5 win over North Scott in the class 4A opener.

Waukee was playing without three of its top players who were suspended for the tournament for a violation of team rules.

Waukee avoided a second straight opening round upset at the tournament as the top seed. North Scott scored in the top of the first and led nearly the entire game. But the Lancers failed to shut the door in the final inning. The Lancers end the season with a record of 20-21.

 

Roland-Story, Waverly-Shell Rock win 2A quarterfinals

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The Class 2A quarterfinal round at the state baseball tournament is finally complete. Jacob Jones tossed a two-hitter and struck out seven as Davis County blanked Roland-Story 6-0. The start of the game was delayed by rain and there was another half-an-hour delay midway through the second inning.

Roland-Story closed out the season with a record of 25-15 and coach Chris Hill says he was proud of a senior class that was a part of three consecutive trips to the tournament.

Alex Robson gave up only two hits in six innings of work as second ranked Waverly-Shell Rock blanked Vinton-Shellsburg 6-0 in a class 3A quarterfinal.

Waverly-Shell Rock broke through in the bottom of the second by scoring an unearned run and Robson says that gave him a shot of confidence.

Vinton-Shellsburg closes the season with a 25-17 record and Struve says the future of the program is bright.

Heavy rains cause delays at state baseball tournament

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It was worth the wait for top ranked Cascade. The Cougars survived a solid effort by upset minded Mediapolis and a five-hour rain delay to post a 5-2 victory in a class 2A quarterfinal round game. It is the program’s first-ever win at the state tournament.

“To sit around for about five hours and not get something done…you got guys in there falling asleep…it was certainly worth the wait, there’s not doubt about it,” Cascade coach Roamn Hummel said.

It was Cascade’s fourth trip to the state tournament and the first time they came away with a win. Hummel said it is huge to get that win after having great success in the program, but never winning in the tournament. Hummel hopes the pressure will be off after getting that elusive first win.

Mediapolis coach Gary Sharp says the Bulldogs just tried to rest and get some focus during the rain delay. The Bulldogs close out their first-ever trip to the tournament with a 21-10 record.

Columbus Catholic starter Luke Farley struck out ten to help the Sailors down the Hinton Blackhawks 3-0 after a three-run 4th inning. Clear Lake starting pitcher Brock Adams only allowed three baserunners after the second inning on his way to a complete-game shutout as the sixth ranked Lions beat Treynor Cardinals 5-0 in quarterfinals of the Class 2A tournament.

Because of Monday’s rain delay the fourth 2A quarterfinal matching Davis County and Roland-Story has been moved to nine this morning. It will be on to the 3A quarterfinals…. #2 Waverly-Shell Rock will play Vinton Shellsburg. Boone plays Sergeant Bluff Lluton, 7th ranked Harlan battles Dubuque Wahlert and top-ranked Pella meets Dallas Center-Grimes.

Mason City Newman returns to 1A baseball tourney

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Mason City Newman is no stranger to Principal Park and the top ranked Knights will make their 8th straight trip to the state baseball tournament on Friday when they take on Gladbrook-Reinbeck in the class 1A opener. Newman coach Tony Adams says the biggest adjustment is the size of the outfield in the triple-A stadium.

Adams says the biggest question for the teams playing on Friday night will be who is available to pitch? It will be only two days between the substate final and the opening round of the state tournament. He says that quick turnaround makes it hard to have the number 1 guy go, but they are fortunate to have a good stable of pitchers.

Adams says he does not know much about Gladbrook-Reinbeck and says that is fairly common in the first round of the state tournament. He says they always worry about what they do and that should give them a chance.

The other first round matchup on Friday will feature a pair of rated teams as fifth ranked Martensdale-St. Marys takes on number-six Coon Rapids-Bayard.

Iowa Conference adding a Nebraska school

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The Iowa Conference is expanding beyond the borders of the state. Nebraska Wesleyan will become the ninth member of the 93-year-old league. Nebraska Wesleyan has been a part of the Great Plains Athletic Conference since it was founded in 1969 as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference but has maintained a dual membership in the NAIA as well as NCAA Division III.

Iowa Conference Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen says the league began to seriously consider expansion after Cornell College left in 2012 to join the Midwest Conference. “This was a time when we all felt most comfortable with a serious discussion about adding a school,” Yrigoyen says.

Yrigoyen says the league will work to alleviate the additional travel that will come with the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan. He says they will work on the scheduling and financial aspects of adding them to the conference. Yrigoyen says the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan is part of an overall strategic plan for the conference that could include a name change. “Clearly the name of the conference will be on the horizon. Sometimes these strategic plans come with a branding or rebranding element, and we will probably discuss that as well,” Yrigoyen says.

The loss of Nebraska Wesleyan leaves the GPAC with ten members who compete in men’s and women’s sports as well as the College of Saint Mary, which offers eight womens sports.

GPAC Commissioner Corey Westra says they are still in great shape, though he says it is a loss. He says Nebraska Wesleyan’s dual membership in the NAIA and NCAA Division III will allow them to make an immediate transition.

Westra admits the move by Nebraska Wesleyan came as a surprise. “Although I will say over the years as things have changed in conference affiliation around the country I think we had a sense if the Iowa Conference ever wanted to change their charter to go outside the Iowa borders, Nebraska Wesleyan was certainly going to be a target,” Westra says.