Local Notebook: Red Wing's Boldt in training camp with Tampa Bay Rays
Mar. 8—Red Wing's Ryan Boldt is currently in training camp with the Tampa Bay Rays, in Florida.
Boldt is in the big league camp as a non-roster invitee (he's not on the team's 40-man Major League roster).
The 26-year-old Boldt is a left-handed hitting outfielder who is 6-feet-2, 210 pounds. He started a game in right field against the Minnesota Twins this past week.
Through the first few spring training games, Boldt was 0-for-4 at the plate with a couple of walks and three runs scored.
Boldt was a second-round draft choice by the Rays out of Nebraska in 2016. But his playing time has been very limited the past two-plus seasons due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic. He reached Class AA ball in 2018, but played just 62 games due to injuries.
He then missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) arm. He and the rest of the players in minor-league baseball had to sit out when the 2020 season was called off due to the pandemic.
Boldt is now trying to make up for lost playing time. In three seasons in the minor leagues, he has appeared in 225 games and has hit 13 home runs, scored 117 runs, has 111 RBIs, a .274 batting average and an OPS of .736.
Tampa Bay is coming off an excellent 2020 season. The Rays won the American League pennant to reach the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
------
The Rochester United FC women's soccer franchise will be offering a reserve team to its third-year Women's Professional Soccer League franchise this season.
The collection of "reserve" players will be 15 years old, or older, and according to Rochester United FC owner Matthew Fatehi, the team will have a resoundingly local flavor.
Among the reserve players already signed up are Dover-Eyota junior Morgan Wehseler and Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa junior Mia Schmoll. Both were named to the Post Bulletin All-Area team this past high school season.
Fatehi notes that part of the purpose of having a reserve team is to groom players to be on the main Rochester United FC team in future years.
The reserves will begin play at the end of April and finish in mid-July.
The cost to join the team is $400. Contact Fatehi to sign up at (507) 261-0209.
------
Rick Boyer, the longtime baseball coach at La Crescent-Hokah High School, has died at the age of 68.
The 68-year-old Boyer was a 1970 graduate of La Crescent High School. He played college baseball at Wisconsin-La Crosse and returned to La Crescent to coach for 45 years, the last 17 as the head coach.
Boyer had a stellar 326-143 record at La Crescent and he guided the Lancers to the Class AA state championship in 2009, a third-place finish in 2010 and a state runner-up finish in 2011. Overall he guided six teams to state appearances.
The 2021 season was expected to be his final season coaching the Lancers.
Boyer also played and coach amateur baseball for a number of teams. He lived in La Crosse, where his family had owned and operated a furniture store for more than 100 years.
Our hearts are heavy, as we mourn the passing of Coach Rick Boyer! As a 1st year head coach, May 2014, Coach Boyer was an immediate mentor to me. I'll always remember his work-ethic, character, & passion for Lancers Athletics.
We'll do our very best to honor you tonight Coach!
— Ryan Thibodeau (@officialTBO) March 1, 2021
Basketball players for La Crescent-Hokah with makeshift warmups to honor Rick Boyer tonight #lctsports pic.twitter.com/9nG6Xc91rC
— Todd Sommerfeldt (@SommerfeldtLAX) March 2, 2021
------
The Rochester Honkers have signed three players for the upcoming Northwoods League season.
The three players all play college ball at Cal State Fullerton. The California natives are left-handed pitcher Sam Gomez, infielder JJ Cruz and outfielder Miguel Ortiz.
Gomez is in his first season at Cal State Fullerton after playing two years of junior college ball at Citrus College.
Cruz, a left-handed hitting middle infielder, is a sophomore at Cal State. He played in nine games as a freshman and batted .200 with three RBIs.
Oritz played in 14 games as a freshman in 2020 before the season was shutdown due to the pandemic. He batted .281 with three RBIs.
Guy N. Limbeck is a sports writer for the Post Bulletin. His Local Notebook appears each Tuesday. He can be reached at glimbeck@postbulletin.com.
