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Softball: Tryouts showcase state's talent
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FarkRAPID CITY — The “Field of Dreams” temporarily moved from the cornfields of Iowa to the Black Hills of South Dakota Saturday, as a select group of women softball players competed for a spot on a regional all-star softball team — the Black Hills Gold.
Not even a two-hour rain delay was able to dampen the hopes of those competing in the final tryouts for an opportunity to compete against the U.S. Olympic softball team on July 15 at Pete Lien Field in Rapid City.
The tryout, held at the Parkview Softball Complex, brought in 24 players from around the state of South Dakota, a set of twins from Salt Lake City — Tara and Kara Bendt who spent childhood years in Rapid City — and a set of triplets from Duck Lake Saskatchewan, Canada, Heather, Kimberly and Jennifer Bourdon who played college ball at Presentation College. A sizable contingent of Rapid City’s best was on the field as well, including Katie Chambers, Brittany and Brooke Garner, Beth Harlow, Stephanie Hillman, Cara Leis, Kari Marsico and Allison Murphy.
“The team is structured to showcase South Dakota talent,” said coach Rick DenHerder. “We established qualifying criteria with that as our primary objective. The players invited have either grown up in South Dakota, played at a South Dakota college or coached at a South Dakota college.”
DenHerder, who has been a major mover in bringing the Olympic team to South Dakota, began the player selection process by contacting South Dakota college coaches and asking them to send the best of their best.
“I asked them to select from their rosters their three or four best players and to advise them of the game and the application process,” DenHerder said.
Approximately 60 players initially responded and 24-four players were on hand for the Rapid City tryout.
DenHerder emphasized that all positions are open, with one very notable exception. Tracie Adix, the pitching coach at SDSU, will be on the team. Adix pitched the DePaul Blue Demons into the 2007 College World Series and has the ability to compete with Olympic quality talent.
She is currently playing professional softball with the Chicago Bandits in the National Pro Fastpitch League where, ironically, one of her teammates is U.S. Olympic pitcher Jennie Finch. The University of Arizona graduate is one of the best known women softball players in America and is a two-time World and Olympic champion.
It is players like Finch that makes DenHerder pause as he ponders the chances of his team in the July 15 contest.
“If I’m nothing, I’m realistic. The Olympic team is not here for the competition. They are on a 60-plus game tour mainly against college-level competition and have lost only one game. But with Adix, we may be able to stay with them for awhile though regional teams have not thus far faired well.”
The U.S. Olympic team has beaten regional teams by scores such as 15-0, 13-0 and 18-0.
The Saturday workout concluded the tryout phase and DenHerder and his staff will then begin the difficult process of making the final selections for the Black Hills Gold softball team. The final roster should be determined by Monday evening and will include as many as 20 players.
DenHerder said the selection process has brought out the desire of the women competing and has caused him to rethink his position on the larger-than-normal squad size.
“This is a once in a lifetime chance for these players and it is hard to not give them that chance.”
The players who make the final cut will reassemble on July 7 and begin two-a-day workouts leading up to the July 15 meeting with the Olympic team. The Gold will play an all-star doubleheader on July 13, which will provide an opportunity for the team meet area fans.
DenHerder said the team will be a representative of the Black Hills Region, thus the name, Black Hills Gold.
“The name signifies three things,” said DenHerder. “One, the Black Hills region, two, ‘Gold’ is used by the American Softball Association to designate its elite teams and, three, to help prepare the Women’s National Team to win Gold in Beijing.”
Sara Seamands, of Pierre, tries out for the South Dakota ASA Regional All Star Team on Saturday at the Parkview Softball Complex. The all stars will play against the U.S. Olympic Softball Team later this summer at Pete Lien Field. (Ryan Soderlin/Journal staff)
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