Linn-Mar Softball

Linn-Mar's new fields ready for play

When it was first proposed, the goal for those involved in the planning and construction of the four-field Linn-Mar baseball/softball complex was simple.

“Everybody wanted to make sure it was done right,” said first-year Lions softball coach Mike Shipley. “It’s a tribute to the district, the superintendent (Katie Mulholland) and the school board that this facility has been done the right way.

"It will be the same type of showcase facility that we have with the new football stadium.”

Shipley, who was the longtime sophomore baseball coach before making the move to softball for this summer, and his baseball counterpart, Chad Lechner, can’t wait to officially start drills at the complex. Baseball practice begins on Monday with softball opening a week later on May 6.

Read more...

Shipley named Linn-Mar softball coach

Mike Shipley, an assistant baseball coach at Linn-Mar High School for 13 years, has been named the new head softball coach at the school.

Shipley coached the sophomore baseball team from 2009 until this past season. He also worked with the varsity and freshman teams in previous years.

Shipley succeeds Jon Harms, who resigned as softball coach.

Tonya Moe, Linn-Mar's associate athletic director, said Shipley has the right tools to lead the Lions back to their glory days.

"We are very excited here at Linn-Mar to have Mike Shipley as our next softball coach," Moe stated in a news release. "The game of baseball and softball have a lot of similarities and obviously some differences, but Coach Shipley has the knowledge, dedication, motivation and drive that we are looking for in a head coach.

"This has been something he has aspired to do for a few years and he has done his research on what it takes to make this transition. We are very excited to have him on board."

Shipley graduated from Linn-Mar in 1993 and received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Loras College in 1997. He has worked at Excelsior Middle School in the Linn-Mar district since 2004 as a student assistance specialist.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to lead the Linn-Mar softball program," he said. "There is a solid group of girls returning and I'm looking forward to working with the coaching staff."

Shipley and his wife, Carina, have two children, Michael, 9, and Elly, 7.

Harms resigns as Linn-Mar softball coach

Jon Harms has resigned as the softball coach at Linn-Mar High School, the school announced Monday morning.

Harms had been the head coach at Linn-Mar since 2007. The Lions placed fourth at the Class 4A state tournament in 2007 and finished fifth in 2008.

Harms was an assistant at Linn-Mar from 2003 to 2006.

The Lions compiled a 20-18 record this season.

Linn-Mar foiled by Rams in 10 innings

The Linn-Mar softball team will play in a brand-new stadium next year as part of a new joint baseball/softball complex in town.

Unfortunately for the Lions, the final game at their old field was not a happy occasion.

Dubuque Senior defeated Linn-Mar, 9-6, in 10 innings in the Class 5A regional semifinals.

The Lions began the game with a roar. They scored five runs in the first inning on a three-run homer by Maggie Rizor and a two-run single by Lauren Swanson.

After that, they were held scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when they needed a run to tie and stay alive. Rizor provided the run with an RBI single.

Rizor almost supplied the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh, but Dubuque's Haley Zenner threw out Kelsey Duggan at the plate.

In the end, the Rams showed more consistent execution and that proved to be the difference.

“It was a little too hard to overcome the extra outs we gave them during the game,” said Linn-Mar Coach Jon Harms. “We felt like we had a good shot coming into the game, we just came up a little short.”

Rizor led the Lions with three hits and four RBIs. Her biggest hit may have come in the third inning when she lined a shot off Dubuque pitcher A.J. Medinger.

They retired Rizor for the third out, but Medinger was done for the night. Natalie Jacobsmeier relieved and pitched eight innings for the win.

“The pitch I hit out was a low pitch and I didn’t think it was a home run until I saw coach Digmann going crazy at first base,” said Rizor. “I sort of feel bad for A.J, she threw me a pitch that was right down the middle and that was where I hit it. I hope she will be all right.”

Alexis Kelsey and Kortlan Ollinger collected two hits for Linn-Mar. Kelsey pitched the first two innings, was replaced by Cheyenne Hansen in the third and then re-entered on the mound in the sixth inning to finish the game.

“Through the season I was asked to pitch more and more and by the end of the season, I was pitching regularly,” said Kelsey. “I just have to pitch as well as I can.”

Kristie Sommer and Liz Reuter collected two hits for Senior while Sydney Tigges and Zenner hit solo home runs.

“To commemorate the last game on the field, we thought we would honor all of the girls who have played on this diamond by leaving our shoes at home plate at the end of the game, to pay respect to all those who have played here before,” said Harms.

Linn-Mar finished with a 20-18 record. Dubuque Senior advanced to the regional finals with a 33-7 mark.

DUBUQUE SENIOR (9)
Ka Sommer, ss, 5 1 1 1, Gerardy 3b, 4 0 0 0, Kr Sommer, c, 5 0 2 2, Zenner, rf, 6 1 1 1, Medinger, p, 2 0 1 0, Westhoff, lf, 3 1 0 0, Tigges, 1b, 5 1 1 1, Jacobsmeier, lf/p, 3 3 1 0, Blatz, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Reuter, cf, 4 2 2 3. Totals 39 9 9 8.

LINN-MAR (6)
Ollinger, cf, 5 2 2 0, Duggan, 2b, 5 0 1 0, Kelsey, p/ss, 3 0 2 0, Decker, cr, 0 1 0 0, Rizor, 1b, 5 1 3 4, Ryan, ss/rf, 4 1 0 0, Hansen, dp/p, 5 0 1 0, Harms, rf, 0 0 0 0, Larson, pr, 0 0 0 0, Kolf, lf, 5 1 1 0, Swanson, 3b, 5 0 1 2, Yearling, c, 4 0 0 0. Totals 43 6 11 6.

Dubuque Senior    030 020 001 3 - 9  8  2
Linn-Mar               500 000 001 0 - 6 11 4

Medinger, Jacobsmeier (3) and Kr Sommer; Kelsey, Hansen (3), Kelsey (6) and Yearling. W - Jacobsmeier. L - Kelsey. HR - Rizor, Tigges, Zenner. SB - Ka Sommer, Kr Sommer, Zenner, Reuter.