MINOT, ND – The Souris Valley Sabre Dogs are preparing to play in the Expedition League Championship Series this week.
The remainder of the Expedition League regular season has been canceled with departures of two of its four teams, the Red River Pilots and the North Iowa Ragin’ Roosters. On Friday, the league announced that Pilots head coach Matty Holem resigned and dismissed the Pilots’ players. In a press release, Expedition League President Steve Wagner said that Holem’s move to let the players go was “unauthorized.” Then on Monday, the North Iowa Ragin’ Roosters announced on their Twitter page that they are ending their season.

 

That leaves the Pierre Trappers and the Souris Valley Sabre Dogs as the two remaining teams who will play in the best-of-five championship series in Pierre starting Thursday. The Sabre Dogs at 30-1 on the season and have a 25 game winning streak as they seek back-to-back Expedition League championships. They were 9-0 against Pierre this season.
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RISK-HALL OF FAME

 

SAN ANTONIO (NDHSAA) – The North Dakota High School Activities Association is honored to announce that former North Dakota High School Activities Association official Jeff Risk of Minot, N.D. was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame during the 103rd National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Summer Meeting on July 1 in San Antonio, Texas. Risk was one of 12 inductees honored for their contributions to our Nation’s high school state associations and was inducted into the “Officials” category of the Hall of Fame.

 

Risk is now retired from a remarkable officiating career in North Dakota that spanned more than 40 years during which time he officiated more than 5,000 high school and college games in the sports of basketball, football and baseball, as well as another seven years and 1,000 games in professional baseball. Risk, a retired physical education teacher and athletic director, is one of the most decorated and respected officials in North Dakota history. Risk officiated 38 NDHSAA state basketball tournaments, six state football final championship games and three state baseball state championships. Risk was inducted into the North Dakota Officials Association (NDOA) Hall of Fame in 2016. While his time as an active official has ended, Risk remains involved off the field and courts. He continues to serve as statewide supervisor of basketball and football officials, director of summer basketball officiating camps, observes officials at NDHSAA football and basketball state tournaments, and assigns basketball state tournament officials. Nationally, Risk is a member of the NFHS Football Rules Committee. Risk and his wife Tammy currently reside in Minot.
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MSU SOFBALL-WAGNER RESIGNS

 

MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State softball head coach Nat Wagner announced he is stepping down. Wagner, who just completed his third season as the head coach for the Beavers this spring, announced his resignation as of July 1 based on his desire to spend more time with his family. In three seasons as the Beavers head coach, Minot State compiled a 60-48 overall record including a 28-20 mark this past season. Wagner also coached three All-NSIC players, and 26 NSIC All-Academic Team student-athletes during his short tenure with the Beavers. A nationwide search for a new head coach for the Minot State softball program is already underway.
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TWINS-WHITE SOX

 

CHICAGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins were well on their way by the time Alex Kirilloff started knocking the ball over the wall. He just helped put the game away. Kirilloff hit two of Minnesota’s five homers, Jorge Polanco went deep on his birthday, and the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 on Tuesday night. Kirilloff went back to back with Polanco against slumping White Sox starter Michael Kopech in a three-run fifth, and then hit a two-run drive against Vince Velasquez in the seventh. The lefty-swinging Kirilloff drove the ball the opposite way both times in his second career multihomer game. Max Kepler and Jose Miranda also connected, and the AL Central-leading Twins finished one homer shy of their season high.

 

The three-game series wraps up this afternoon, with RHP Joe Ryan (6-3, 3.00 ERA) starting for Minnesota and RHP Lance Lynn (1-1, 4.50 ERA) getting the ball for Chicago. Ryan has a 4.37 ERA in four starts since returning from the COVID-19-related IL. Lynn threw six scoreless innings in Chicago’s 1-0 win at San Francisco on Friday, though he did not figure in the decision.
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TWINS-ARCHER IL

 

CHICAGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins placed veteran right-hander Chris Archer on the 15-day injured list Tuesday because of left hip tightness. Archer had been scheduled to start against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Minnesota recalled right-hander Josh Winder from Triple-A St. Paul to pitch in his place. The 33-year-old Archer is 2-3 with a 3.08 ERA over 15 starts in his first season with the Twins. He agreed to a $3.5 million, one-year contract in March after missing most of last season with Tampa Bay because of tightness in his right forearm. A two-time All-Star, Archer is 63-84 with a 3.84 ERA over 10 seasons with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Minnesota.