Metro Sports Report

Lansing, Esker win state tennis title

WATERLOO - Jon Lansing and Charlie Esker of Xavier enjoyed a remarkable run at the Class 1A state tennis tournament Saturday and captured the first doubles title in school history.

Lansing and Esker topped Luke Willis and Ryan Willis, 6-4, 6-2, in the championship at the Byrnes Park Tennis Center in Waterloo.

Lansing, a junior, and Esker, a senior, were the No. 1 seed in the state tournament and the Willis twins were the No. 2 seed.

Lansing and Esker went 4-0 at the state tournament and did not a set. They won 6-2, 6-0 in the first round, 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-0 again in the semifinals and 6-4, 6-2 in the finals.

"It was pretty awesome," said Xavier Coach Jim Potts. "They're playing their best tennis right now. It's a good time to do it."

Lansing and Esker raised their record to 16-5 for the season.

Potts said the players communicate very well on the court.

"Jon's strength would be his control. He's always in control," the coach said. "And he's phenomenal at the net. A great net player.

"Charlie serves well. He's also very good at the net. Quick hands."

Alex Hinrichs and Ryan Jasper of Xavier also had a good weekend at the state tournament as Xavier's No. 2 doubles team. They won three of five matches and placed seventh out of 16 teams.

Saints march back to state again

The Xavier Saints were sorely disappointed last year when they were upset by Hudson in the opening round of the Class 2A boys state soccer tournament.

Now they hope to make amends.

The fourth-ranked Saints dumped Mount Pleasant, 4-0, in the substate finals Saturday at Heco Field and are heading back to the state  tournament for the 16th time in the last 17 years.

The Saints were one of the top-ranked teams in the state last year  when they lost 3-2 in the first round.

"I think we've had a chip on our shoulder from Day 1," Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic acknowledged. "That was really a bad feeling for everybody."

The Saints (12-4) will face the Marion Indians (11-4) in the opening round of the 2017 state tournament on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines.

Marion is making its first trip to the state tournament in school history. Xavier makes regular trips to state and will be seeking the  eighth title in its rich history.

College softball league begins Sunday

The idea for the Iowa Women's Softball League began last summer when I asked Joe Drahozal what his daughter, Erin, was doing for softball while she was on vacation from Upper Iowa University.

Joe's answer surprised me: Erin would not be playing softball during the summer, except for individual workouts, because there were not any women's collegiate fast-pitch softball leagues in Iowa.

Well, there is now.

The new Iowa Women's Softball League will swing into action this Sunday afternoon with doubleheaders at Kirkwood Community College and Coe College at 2 p.m.

There are 52 players and four teams in the league. That number includes 46 active college players and six former college players who are anxious to get on the field again.

It's taken nearly a year of planning and preparation by the Metro Sports Report and friends, but Opening Day is fast approaching and everyone is ready to roll.

As president of the Metro Sports Report , I'd like to personally thank all the college coaches for their support. We have players from 23 different colleges and they hail from 34 different high school programs.

Rosters for Iowa Women's Softball League

There are 52 players in the new Iowa Women's Softball League that  starts on Sunday, May 28.

The 52 players are from 23 colleges and 34 high schools and include  players from NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NAIA and Junior Colleges.

Here are the rosters: