WESSINGTON SPRINGS PLAYER NATHAN HAINY gets ready to swing the bat during the 2009 State B South Dakota Amateur Baseball Tournament, held at Cadwell Park in Mitchell recently. A pickup player for the Miller-Wessington Outlaws, Hainy set a new tournament record with a .765 batting average over four games. Hainy also sent three home runs over the fence in an amateur baseball park with Major League proportions.

Some of South Dakota’s best pitchers found out what Pony Hills League teams have known for a long time when the 2009 summer classic was played at Mitchell’s Cadwell Park.

Springs Owls slugger Nathan Hainy — a pickup player with the Miller-Wessington Outlaws– set a new State B Tournament record when he went 13-17 for a .765 batting average and a 1.471 slugging percentage. He had three home runs, three doubles, and at least three runs batted in in all four of the Outlaws’ tourney games.

With the help of Hainy’s bat the Outlaws made history when the team went farther than they ever had gone in state tournament competition. The Outlaws lost to the eventual state champion Canova Gang in the semi-finals of the tournament.

“I would like to thank all of the Owl baseball fans who came to support out team at the 2009 State Amateur baseball tournament,” Miller-Wessington manager Steve Ellsworth said. “Our crowds held their own against every team we faced, we always felt like it was a home game no matter who we were playing.”

“It was a dream come true for all of our players as we made history by being the first team from either Miller or Wessington to advance to the semifinals,” Ellsworth continued. “This could not have been done without the help from our fans and especially without having Owl standout Nathan Hainy play as a pickup player for us. He not only helped fill a spot in the lineup, but made play after play in the field and also crushed the tournament batting average record by 15 points!”

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