John's Journal: Appreciating The Little Things On Opening Day

When the opening pitch of a softball game Tuesday afternoon at Rosemount High School was sent off on its rapid, 43-foot journey toward home plate, it marked the first time that either team – Rosemount and Burnsville – had been outdoors all spring. Such is life in Minnesota.

Thank goodness for inflatable domes, because that’s where both teams had been spending much of their practice time as the season approached.

“Since we've been taking so many reps in the dome, it's just like straight muscle memory from there,” said Rosemount senior Rachel Stone after the Irish opened with a 10-0 win.

Across a large parking lot, the Rosemount and Shakopee boys tennis teams were opening their season, too. And on the other side of the expansive school campus, the baseball teams from Burnsville and Rosemount were doing the same. It was day one of spring 2025 and it was fantastic.

The thermometer may have reached up a couple times to barely slap 50 degrees but the wind was calm for most of the afternoon and a bright sun hung overhead. At Rosemount’s softball field, the sun sits right behind home plate at this point in the year, daring fielders to stare into it while trying to track fly balls. The veterans know to wear a visor and sunglasses, but the sun sometimes wins regardless.

As the tennis teams lined up for pregame introductions, Rosemount coach Dana Hansen said, “The sun is out and it’s a great day for tennis.”

While players warmed up, she was standing between courts when a sneaky little breeze came out of nowhere fast. “I thought there was no wind,” she said. “What’s going on?”

Over at the baseball field, a well-known figure in Rosemount sports threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Dana Peterson has been a school groundskeeper for 45 years, which just might make him the longest-serving employee in the school district.

Before Dana threw a rainbow toss toward home plate, a well-crafted PA announcement included these words …

“Dana's tireless work, unmatched attention to detail and deep pride in his craft has made the RHS baseball field one of the most beautiful places to play in the state. Whether it's early spring snow or the heat of summer, Dana has always gone above and beyond to ensure our players have a field worthy of their effort and passion. His quiet dedication has left a lasting legacy, not only in the immaculate condition of the diamond, but also in the memories made by generations of athletes who've had the privilege to play on it.”

The softball and baseball games included pregame music as well as songs between innings. It was interesting to note how the music changed at the softball field: before the game, the Irish players were presumably in charge, with artists like Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna featured. Once the game began, there was a definite change, with Kenny Chesney featured. Leading up to the first pitch of the baseball game, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” was played.

The ballgames had everything fans expected. Umpires being in the right position to make the right calls, coaches spinning their arms to send rampaging runners on down the line to home plate. Warmup pitches concluding and catchers hollering, “Comin’ down!”

“It's a fun way to start,” said Burnsville baseball coach Justin Banitt after the Blaze won 7-3, ending the game with a 6-4-3 double play. “I know these guys are just itching to go, and they're ready to compete, and we're off to the races.”

Geese honked as they surveyed the scenes from above, and ducks quacked on a pond behind the baseball field.

After the softball game, Rosemount coach Tiffany Rose was asked a few softball questions. As the brief interview session began, she said with a smile, “Can we stand in the sun?” She had spent most of the afternoon in the dugout and a little warmth wasn’t too much to ask. In the distance, the Irish Sports Dome – which has enough room for two indoor softball fields -- was visible.

“We're super fortunate to have the dome, and I love that we have the opportunity to have things like that,” Rose said. “I think it's obviously better than a gym and maybe some of the other teams’ situations. But it's great to be on dirt, this game is meant to be played on dirt.

“We remind the girls that things are just slightly different, especially in the infield. The balls not going to bounce, it doesn't take the same dome bounce.”

The wind, which was nominal most of the time, was blowing out at the softball field and in at the baseball field. The softball game ended after five innings and 90 minutes, and a win by the Irish was not unexpected.

Rosemount owns some serious softball hardware, topped by state championships in 1979, 2006, 2021 and 2022. Last year the Irish finished third at the Class 4A state tournament, and the program’s achievements are memorialized with signs on the outfield fence.

There is also history, and a memorial, at the Rosemount baseball field. The scoreboard in center field carries a sign dedicated to Craig Kusick, who played for the Minnesota Twins from 1973 to 1979 and was Rosemount’s head baseball coach from 1982 to 2004. He was 57 when he died of leukemia in 2006.

As the light breeze came in from beyond the right field fence a group of Rosemount lower-level baseball players, having finished their game on a nearby field, basked in the sunshine on a grass berm beyond left field. Fans at all the opening-day events sat on bleachers or lawn chairs, some with friendly family dogs in tow, and cheered for the kids.

The tennis match ended with Shakopee on top 5-2, the softball game went the way of the Irish and the Blaze began their baseball season on a winning note.

The Burnsville baseball team had been able to practice outdoors for five days leading up to the opener. They had 10 hits over seven innings Tuesday, which is a good way to get things started.

“There can be challenges just keeping everybody locked in when we were inside,” said Banitt. “It's a little bit hard to do that when you're in the gym or on turf somewhere, but the guys have been great.”

Rosemount pitchers Anna Price (four innings) and Jorey Fry (one) combined on a no-hitter while the Irish gathered nine hits in an error-free game, played under a bluebird sky.

“We're excited to be out here, and the weather kind of went in our direction,” Rose said. “So it's good. It could have been a lot worse.”

Shakopee tennis coach Drew DeCorsey, along with everyone else, was grateful for the conditions.

“It's sunny. It's a lot better than last week,” she said. “We had to be inside all last week, and even yesterday it was under 40, so we were inside yesterday, too.

“I always get questions before matches, ‘Are we actually going to be able to be outside?’ And it's always like, ‘Just bring a sweatshirt and sweatpants and we'll be ready to go if we can.’ As long as there's no snow.”

Thank goodness for small blessings.

--MSHSL staff member John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Bluesky at johnmilleamn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at [email protected] or [email protected]