Thursday, 8.6.15 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net SPORTS DEPT.: [email protected] ress akotan sports P &D PAGE 7 Nebraska Has New Coach, And Same Championship Goals LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — If all goes in the Big Ten. the West Division and appearing in before, we’ve played them, we know each of the seven seasons under according to Nebraska offensive Nebraska is coming the conference title game in Indian- what we’re up against. We know Pelini, and the Huskers were in the lineman Alex Lewis’ plan, he’ll be off a 9-4 season in apolis. how hard we have to work. I think Big Ten title game as recently as fitted for a championship ring at the which back-to-back Linebacker Josh Banderas said as a team, we’re more on the same 2012, albeit a forgettable 39-point end of the season. November losses the defense could be a quick fix page than we ever have been before. loss to Wisconsin. Asked what a satisfying outcome to Wisconsin and for new coordinator Mark Banker. We know where we want to go. High expectations are part of the to the first season under coach Mike Minnesota knocked Banderas called former coach Bo There’s no reason in our minds why culture at Nebraska, and defensive Riley would be, Lewis didn’t hesitate it out of the running Pelini’s defensive playbook “an we can’t at least get to Indianapolis end Jack Gangwish said those don’t Wednesday. for a spot in the Big Riley encyclopedia.” He said Banker’s and put up a good fight and win the change going into a first season “Diamonds on my finger,” Lewis Ten title game. system requires less thinking and game.” under a new coach. said. “That’s what I want. That’s Tommy Armstrong is in line to more attacking. Conference championships once “For me, the thought, ‘Don’t why I came to Nebraska. I came be the third-year starter at quar- Nebraska plays Wisconsin and were the standard at Nebraska, screw up, and let’s make sure we here to win, and I came here to win terback, and De’Mornay Pierson-El Michigan State at home, and its but the program hasn’t won a title win enough games’ — that’s never big. That’s what’s on my mind, and could be one of the Big Ten’s biggest most difficult Big Ten road game is since 1999 in the Big 12. The 15-year really the case,” Gangwish said. that’s what’s on everybody else’s playmakers as a receiver and return at Minnesota. drought is the longest since the “For coach Riley’s sake and the mind.” man. But the Huskers, who allowed “We set our goals nothing short Huskers went from 1941 to 1963 new staff’s sake, I hope we do really The Cornhuskers will begin pre- Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon to of a Big Ten championship. Why with no championships. well. I know every guy wants to win season practice Thursday under the for a FBS-record 408 yards on 25 not?” Banderas said. “We’ve played Typically, coaching changes are a championship. Every guy here 62-year-old Riley, who came from carries, must improve on defense it all these teams before. Even if made when a program has sunk. But wants to win all of them.” Oregon State and has never coached they hope to make a run at winning the coaches haven’t played them Nebraska won at least nine games

S.D. State Amateur Tournament Crofton Seeks Long Tourney Run BY JEREMY HOECK [email protected] Might the loss in the Dis- Freeman trict 6B championship game actually benefit the Crofton Bluejays? Back At State It’s certainly possible, according to manager Carl For First Time Schieffer. Crofton, which lost to Tabor in the 6B Tournament In Four Years final, plays Garretson today BY JEREMY HOECK (Thursday) at 1 p.m. in the [email protected] first round of the South Making their first state Dakota State tournament appearance in Amateur also four years, the Freeman Black Baseball Tour-n For A Full Sox have the unenviable task nament in Schedule Of First of playing Alexandria out of Mitchell. Round Games At the gates. “Going in The State Tour- A tall task, sure, but not with a loss nament, Read: one the Black Sox they’re on our record PAGE 8 unfamiliar with. doesn’t Freeman opens the hurt us any, South Dakota State Amateur because I Baseball Tournament today think it’ll wake up our guys,” (Thursday) at 5:30 p.m. Schieffer said. “That we need against an Alexandria squad to win.” that won the 2013 state title And winning at state is and finished runner-up last what Crofton has done better year. than almost anyone else. “That’s a tough draw,” The Bluejays own a 17-4 Freeman manager Brett record at state since the 2010 Scherschligt said this week. “I tournament, and two of those don’t care who you are, that’s losses (2011 and 2013) came not a team you want to see.” in the state championship Scherschligt, though, game. The fourth came last has beaten the Angels. He year in the semifinals. was the winning for Because Crofton had typi- Wynot (Nebraska) in last cally won the district title in year’s state championship those years, it never had to game. face a fellow district champi- The South Central League, on in the first round at state. as well, hasn’t exactly been That changes this year with blown away by Alexandria at Garretson. the state tournament. Last Garretson, also named the year, Avon hung right with BlueJays, won the District 7B the Angels in the first round, (State Line League) champi- falling by a 4-3 decision. onship and will provide per- It’s not as though South haps the stiffest first-round Central League members tell test Crofton has seen in quite each other how to hold down some time. Alexandria, but the experi- “From what I understand, ence they share facing each they’re similar to us,” Schief- other in league action should fer said. “They play good help, Scherschligt said. defense and rely on their “It’s not something I’m to keep them in too worried about, because games.” of our league,” said Scher- Although Crofton has schligt, who referenced the regularly played non-league two regular season games games against teams from against Crofton and Wynot the State Line, it’s usually in a – two perennial state title situation where neither team contenders. throws their best pitchers, “I told the guys the Schieffer pointed out. other night, we’re playing the “It’s kind of tough to get a caliber of a team we see in good read, because neither our league,” he added. “Now, team in that league is usually we’ll see some pitching we playing their best guys,” he maybe don’t see, but the said. “You’re getting your quality of the team is close to guys playing time. what we see.” “You get some idea, but On the other hand, Free- you still don’t know who isn’t man’s pitching is perhaps the there.” key reason the Black Sox are In order to move past the at state. first round, Crofton knows Scherschligt (6-0, 2.82 exactly what it has to do, P&D FILE PHOTO ERA), Eric Hortness (5-2, 3.40 Crofton’s Alex Mueller, shown bunting during last week’s District 6B Tournament in Irene, will take the field with the Bluejays for today’s (Thursday) South Dakota State Amateur Baseball Tournament opener against Garretson. CROFTON | PAGE 8 FREEMAN | PAGE 8 Bautista, Blue Jays Beat Twins Learning From The Bucks TORONTO (AP) — Jose bottom half against right- reliever J.R. Graham in the Bautista a grand slam, hander Tyler Duffey (0-1), fourth, his 20th. The second- Edwin Encarnacion and Josh who was making his major deck drive traveled an esti- Donaldson homered and the league debut. Troy Tulowitzki mated 462 feet. beat the walked and Donaldson hit his Joe Mauer hit a two-run Minnesota Twins 9-7 Wednes- 29th homer, tying a career single in the fifth and Sano fol- day night for their fourth high. lowed with a two-run homer, straight win. Donaldson has homered his fifth, cutting it to 9-7. Encarnacion hit a three- in three straight games and Hutchison gave up seven run drive and Donaldson six of the past 10. He has a runs, three of them earned, in added a two-run shot. 23-game hitting streak against five . He has allowed Toronto has homered in 17 Minnesota, the longest active an AL-high 81 runs and hasn’t of 18 games since the All-Star streak by any player against a reached the seventh break, with 10 multihomer single opponent. since June 6 against Houston. games in that span. Bautista made it 6-3 in the Liam Hendriks, Brett Cecil The Blue Jays will try second with his fifth career and Mark Lowe all worked Thursday to sweep the four- grand slam and 24th home one inning of relief before game series between wild run of the season. LaTroy Hawkins finished for card contenders. The slump- The slam gave Toronto its his third . ing Twins have lost four in a 38th four-run inning of the TRAINER’S ROOM row and nine of 11. season, more than any other Twins: OF Byron Buxton Miguel Sano homered and team. (left thumb) could begin a had three RBIs for the Twins, Duffey allowed only two rehab assignment with Triple- who had been held to one run home runs in 132 minor A Rochester this Friday, in four of their previous five league innings at Double-A manager Paul Molitor said. games. and Triple-A this season, but Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Sano hit an RBI single and matched that total in two in- Stroman (right knee) is Trevor Plouffe doubled home nings against a powerful Blue scheduled to throw off a two runs as the Twins jumped Jays lineup. mound next Wednesday and, out to a 3-0 lead in the first Duffey allowed six runs if all goes well, could begin a JEREMY HOECK/P&D against Drew Hutchison and five hits in two innings. minor league rehab assign- This young player, left, takes a handoff from Yankton High School senior Sheldon Gant (10-2). Encarnacion made it 9-3 ment Aug. 21. during a Junior Football Camp on Wednesday evening at the fields north of YHS. The Toronto answered in the with a three-run drive off Bucks will open their pre-season practices next week.