Defending champs include the Dell Rapids Mudcats (B) & Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels (A)
Forty teams are slated to open play this week in the South Dakota state Class A and B amateur baseball tournaments.
The Class B tourney runs Aug. 2-13 at Mitchell and features 32 teams. Eight teams begin play Friday through Sunday in the opening round of the Class A state tourney at Yankton. Six teams will advance to the final weekend Aug. 11-13 at Mitchell.
Redfield Dairy Queen, which won the Northern Plains League tournament last week, and the Garretson BlueJays, last year's state Class B runner-up, were each disqualified from the state tournament after using American Legion players in postseason games when their Legion seasons were not yet completed.
Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar (12-4) is the lone area team in the state Class A tournament.
Defending state champions are the Dell Rapids Mudcats (Class B) and Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels (Class A).
Northeastern South Dakota teams in the field include the champion Lake Norden Lakers (17-3) and the runner-up Volga Cormorants as well as the Milbank Firechiefs (12-8), Clark Traders (10-6) and Elkton Snappers from District 1B and the Northville Merchants (4-4) and Miller-Wessington Outlaws (1-9) from the Northern Plains League. Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar (12-4) is in the state Class A tournament.
Here are the tourney pairings:
Class B First Round
Wednesday: Lennox Only One vs. Milbank Firechiefs, 5:30 p.m.; and Flandreau vs. Lake Norden Lakers, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Akron (Iowa) vs. Tabor, 11 a.m.; Lennox-Chancellor-Worthing vs. Dell Rapids Mudcats, 1 p.m.; Plankinton vs. Winner-Colome, 5:30 p.m. and Mount Vernon vs. Four Corners, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Platte vs. Lesterville, 11 a.m.; Menno vs. Northville Merchants, 1 p.m.; Canova vs. Elkton, 5:30 p.m. and Clark Traders vs. Alexandria, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Wessington Springs vs. Larchwood (Iowa), 11 a.m.; Humboldt-Hartford Gamecocks vs. Crofton (Neb.), 1 p.m.; Dimock Emery vs. Miller-Wessington Outlaws, 5:30 p.m.; and Kimball-White Lake vs. Elk Point, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Parkston Mudcats vs. Dell Rapids PBR, 11 a.m.; and Madison vs. Volga Cormorants, 1 p.m.
Other Class B
Second Round: Sunday, Monday (Aug. 7), Tuesday (Aug. 8) and Wednesday (Aug. 9) at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals: Thursday (Aug. 10) and Friday (Aug. 11) at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Saturday (Aug. 12) at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Championship: Sunday (Aug. 13) at p.m.
Class A First Weekend at Yankton
Friday: Sioux Falls Brewers vs. Yankton Tappers, 5:30 p.m.; and Black Hills A's vs. Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels, 8 p.m.
Saturday: Friday's losers at 11 a.m. and Friday's winners at 1:30 p.m.; Brookings Cubs vs. Rapid City Diamondbacks, 5 p.m.; and Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar vs. Renner Monarchs, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Saturday evening losers at 11 a.m. and winners at 1:30 p.m.
Class A Second Weekend at Mitchell
Friday, Aug. 11: Semifinal game at 1 p.m. (Cadwell); Elimination games at 1 and 3 p.m. (Drake Field).
Saturday, Aug. 12: Elimination games at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Cadwell).
Sunday, Aug. 13: Championship at noon.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Pairings set for South Dakota state Class B &A amateur baseball tourneys
