Stamer, Mavericks host No. 1 Concordia Friday

The notebook is getting full, so I better empty it. Some of this might hit the paper at some point. Some is web exclusive!

Well, first off, congrats to Huskies shortstop Jordan Schwarze on his marriage Saturday down in Madison. Great time! And USA defeated Honduras 3-2, too.

Talked with groomsman Josh Wendland, who said fall ball at Southwest Minnesota State University went really great. It must have been great since he was given the most improved position player award. He should be a starter in the outfield as a junior this season.

Also ran into McLeod West graduate Amanda Nordby (2009) at the wedding and she told me she made the softball team at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

* Speaking of Huskies baseball, they along with Dassel-Cokato, have bid for the 2015 Amateur Baseball Tournament.

Nine bidders have indicated that they intend to bid for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 State Tournaments.

Austin, Belle Plaine-Jordan, Cold Spring-Watkins, Dassel-Cokato- Hutchinson, Delano-Maple Lake, Elrosa-Freeport, Hanska-Sleepy Eye, Northfield-Dundas and Red Wing-Miesville have submitted the required letters of notification to the Minnesota Baseball Association Board of Directors.

According to state rule, no site may have the tournament more than once every ten years. This results in Belle Plaine-Jordan being eligible to bid for the 2014 and 2015 tournaments and Dassel-Cokato-Hutchinson being allowed to bid for the 2015 tournament. All other bidders qualify for all three years.

The 2010 State Tournament will be at Bird Island-Willmar. The 2011 event will be at Glencoe-Brownton and the 2012 Tournament will be held at Putz and Faber fields in St. Cloud.

As for the North Star League, which denied entry to Maple Grove, but did allow Kingston to permanently move to Cokato at its September league meeting, announced awards for the three divisions.

Central
MVP - Chris Volkmann St. Michael
Pitcher - Dan Birkholz Dassel-Cokato

West
MVP - Chris Hardie Monticello
Pitcher - Shane Heber Howard Lake

East
MVP - Andrew Engebretson Maple Plain
Pitcher - Paul Kunz Maple Plain

* Ran into Buffalo Lake-Hector graduate (09) Andy Kalenberg, who helped the Mustangs boys' basketball team to the section finals two years ago and sub-section finals in 2009, is enrolled at Ridgewater College.

His former teammate, Joe Kubesh, is playing football at North Dakota College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D.

* Talked briefly at the Shakopee volleyball match last night with Hutch grad Brittany Stamer, who brought some of her MSU-Mankato teammates to the match. The No. 10 Mavericks host No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul Friday. Mankato hasn't lost a conference match yet this season.

Speaking of Stamer, the sophomore is ranked No. 2 in the Division II Volleyball National Rankings for assists per set in the 2009 season.

Stamer leads Minnesota State with 869 assists, 12.24 assists per set. She is second only to fellow NSIC setter Maggie McNamara, a member of #1 ranked Concordia-St. Paul. With Stamer's great performance, the Mavericks are ranked #3 as a team in assists per set. Minnesota State is also ranked seventh in hitting percentage in the nation and second in kills per set.

Should be a good one Friday.