Community Sports

In the first two seasons of its existence, the Cape Catfish immediately evolved into the most successful franchise in the Prospect League. General manager Mark Hogan followed a simple formula for success: Sign talented AND older players.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Brad Thielemier of Poplar Bluff shot even-par 72 Monday to win his flight at the MGA Senior Series. Thielemier won the 50-54 Open flight by a shot over Tony Nolfo of Festus and Kyle Catron of Carthage. Jimmy Vernon of Poplar Bluff tied for fourth at 2-over 74...

On July 15, the Cape Catfish fell 8-4 to the Danville Dans in Danville, Ill., which was the team’s sixth consecutive loss, and for this franchise, which has been the most successful club in the Prospect League in each of the past two seasons, it was an unfathomable moment.

It isn’t a surprise that when you open the website for www.capecatfish.com, the first thing you see is Catfish pitcher Noah Burkey cheering on his team from the Capaha Field dugout.

Over the past few days, there has been no shortage of familiar faces to take the mound at Capaha Field, as the Cape Catfish close their regular season with five consecutive games against the O’Fallon Hoots.

Poplar Bluff golfer Patty Robinson represented Missouri earlier this week in the 28th annual Four State Team Championships. “We did pretty well in the singles but alternate shot and four-ball we got behind the other states,” said Robinson, who won her singles match 3 and 1...

SIKESTON — The second annual Fred Thatch Jr. Basketball Camp took place at the Sikeston YMCA on Friday, Aug. 29 and Saturday, Aug. 30. About 50 area youths attended the two-day skill development camp that was hosted by the former Sikeston standout and current junior guard for the St. Louis Billikens...

Last week, the Southeast Tropics 19u club recognized the ultimate goal for any Babe Ruth baseball club: winning at regionals and advancing to the World Series in Ephrata, Washington. After a long summer and tournaments for state and regional teams, the Tropics advanced to Washington following a 7-5 win over the McDonalds Fighting Squirrels in the Midwest Regional championship, overcoming numerous teams along the way from Colorado, Iowa and Kansas...

SIKESTON — The 10U all-star team from the Sikeston Youth Baseball League will compete in the 2022 Cal Ripken World Series beginning Friday, Aug. 5, in Vincennes, Ind. The team automatically qualified for the 10u World Series this season after winning a state and midwest regional championship last year at the 9U because there is not a World Series at that level...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The McDonald’s Fighting Squirrels 14U baseball team earned a second-place finish at the 2022 Babe Ruth Midwest Regional after they fell to North Dakota in the championship game at Benny Hillhouse Memorial Park in Charleston, Mo. North Dakota won 15-0 on Saturday, July 30, to earn a trip to the 14U World Series and end the Squirrels’ season...

The 2022 Cape Catfish season has been a laborious journey, and nothing captured that more so than Catfish infielder Zane Wallace taking a pitch off his foot on Saturday against Quincy at Capaha Field.

As players have dropped off the Cape Catfish this summer with injuries (and there have been several), the club has had to piecemeal a roster together to some degree, as it chases one of the coveted Prospect League playoff positions in August.

On Saturday night, Steve Larkin was back in his comfort zone guiding his baseball team, the Cape Catfish, to a come-from-behind 7-5 win over the Quincy Gems at Capaha Field. It was Larkin’s first game back in Cape Girardeau since the passing of his father, Robert Larkin, 86, on July 8 in Cincinnati, and Larkin’s “first hero” wasn’t far from his mind.

The 15th hole proved to be the difference for Brad Nurski in the final round of the 25th Annual Missouri Amateur Stroke Play Championships. Nurski birdied the hole to take a two-stroke lead over Presten Richardson, finishing the tournament 10-under par to win his third stroke play title on Wednesday at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau...

ALBIA, Iowa — The Southeast Tropics 18u squad punched its ticket to the Babe Ruth World Series on Monday, defeating local rival McDonald's Fighting Squirrels 7-5 in the Midwest Regional championship game at Boyd Brittain Field. The Tropics were dominant on their way to the championship game, averaging 14.5 runs per game in pool play ahead of receiving the top seed for the championship bracket...

When asked about the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, it’s always about the green jackets and the magic of the tournament itself. But the drive, chip and putt competition held annually in Augusta just a week before the tournament continues to draw eyes, and recently, the USGA put on a qualifying competition in Cape Girardeau...

Prior to the COVID pandemic shutting down the 2020 high school spring sports schedule, the Sikeston High School baseball program had been on very solid footing.

Hunter Jones’ dream of competing in a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) event is coming to fruition on August 5-7 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Eagle Ridge alum will be competing in his first PBA event and fulfilling a lifelong dream. “I’ve wanted to be a pro (bowler) since I was a little kid,” Jones said. “It’s always been a dream of mine.”...

The Cape Catfish split a pair of weekend games, as they topped Alton 4-3 on Friday at Capaha Field and fell at REX Baseball in Terre Haute, Ind. on Saturday 11-8. In Friday's win, despite being outhit 10-6, the Catfish added a run in the eighth inning to prevail over the River Dragons...

James Naile returned to the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday in a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Naile entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out, a baserunner on first and the Cardinals already trailing 6-3...

Cape Girardeau’s Brevin Giebler got off to a strong start in the first round of the 25th Annual MGA Missouri Amateur Stroke Play Championships. Although his day didn’t start off the way he wanted — bogeying on the first three holes — Giebler birdied on holes five, six, 11, 13 and 18 to shoot a 2-under 70. He currently sits in a five-way tie for first place entering Tuesday’s second round at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carr Vernon birdied the 72nd hole Sunday to finish 11-under par at the Price Cutter Championships presented by Dr Pepper. The Poplar Bluff native tied for 37th in his second career PGA Korn Ferry Tour start at Highland Springs Country Club...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Standing on the eighth fairway at Highland Springs Country Club with only one more hole to play, Carr Vernon was sitting at 4-under-par at the Price Cutter Championships presented by Dr Pepper, dangerously close to the cut line Friday afternoon...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — After gaining some momentum in the middle of his moving-day round Saturday at the Price Cutter Championships presented by Dr Pepper, Carr Vernon couldn’t get to double digits under par. Vernon shot a 3-under 69 at Highland Springs Country Club and is tied for 39th at 9-under heading into the final round of the PGA Korn Ferry event...

A pair of consecutive state championship teams and the only Poplar Bluff High School athlete to earn all-state honors in both football and basketball will join a state champion sprinter in the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame this fall. Tony Webb, Clayton Liles and the Mules 1995 and ’96 golf teams will be honored at the 35th induction banquet, the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors announced...

The above slogan isn’t just an appealing marketing slogan put out there by the Prospect League, there is a whole lot of validity behind it.

The 15u Missouri Marlins earned a trip to the Babe Ruth Regional Tournament in Rapid City, South Dakota after winning the Missouri State Babe Ruth Baseball title. The Marlins defeated the Caruthersville High Heat 4-3 on Sunday in East Prairie, Missouri...

The Jackson Post 158 Senior Legion baseball team came one half-inning away from securing their place in the zone championship series with a 6-3 lead over Festus Post 253 on Thursday night at the Ballwin Athletic Association in Ballwin, Missouri. Late-game heroics proved supreme, as Festus loaded the bases without recording an out, eventually leading to Jaxin Patterson walking the game off with a two-out RBI single into right field to win 7-6 over Jackson...

The Kennett Killer Whales swim team took the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference by storm this year, securing an undefeated season and beating out six other Southeast Missouri schools to win the conference championship meet for the second year last weekend in Cape Girardeau...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carr Vernon will have some work to do in order to stick around for the weekend at the Korn Ferry Tour event. Vernon opened the Price Cutter Championships presented by Dr Pepper with a 2-under-par 70 Thursday at Highland Springs Country Club and is tied for 71st...

The Cape Catfish finally broke out of its malaise on Tuesday with an 8-7 win over Alton at Capaha Field, and the club packed its positive mojo for its road trip Wednesday to Quincy, as the Catfish (16-25, 4-6 second half) won 15-3. A BIG reason for this 48 hours of success has been solid starting pitching, which truth be told, even during the recent six-game losing streak, hadn’t been bad.

The Cape Catfish (14-25 overall, 2-6 second half) can't seem to find much luck this season.

It’s a tough balance for a youth baseball coach to guide his athletes to success, while also instilling a love of the game. However, Clint LeBeau, Shawn Guethle, Brandon Miller, and Nolan Pixley managed to do just that this summer, as the SEMO Titans, an 8-under baseball squad out of Dexter, recently won the USSSA Machine-Pitch Missouri State Baseball championship in Kansas City, all the while having fun.

You can’t accuse the Cape Catfish of going down without a fight.

PERRYVILLE – On a micro level, a key reason that the Sikeston Silver Sox Post 114 baseball squad was able to rally and nearly beat Perryville in the semifinal of the recent American Legion AAA District Tournament at City Park in Perryville, was the play of shortstop Bryce Phelps.

Each day, Cape Catfish assistant coach Dave Lawson follows the same routine, only he is hoping for a different result.

PERRYVILLE – For anyone that doesn’t feel there is pressure in performing in a summer baseball game, they needed to witness Perryville’s 5-4 dramatic win over Sikeston Silver Sox Post 114 on Wednesday in the American Legion AAA District Tournament at Perryville City Park.

In Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Alton at Capaha Field, Cape Catfish player Dante Zamudio found himself in a rare position: On the bench.

ST. LOUIS — Ella Overstreet tied for 10th in the 84th Missouri Women’s Amateur Championships while Taryn Overstreet, Kaydi Rhodes and Allison Bray each finished in the top 25. Ella Overstreet shot a three-round total of 11-over-par 224 at Norwood Hills Country Club...

The Kennett Killer Whales won their final home meet of the year Saturday against Charleston, securing an undefeated season as they look to defend their championship title going into this Saturday's Southeast Missouri Swim Conference championship meet in Cape Girardeau...

The summer of discontent continued for the Cape Catfish on Sunday, as they fell 4-1 to Springfield at Capaha Field.

The Kennett Country Club hosted the sixth annual Holcomb Education Foundation golf tournament on Friday to raise money for Holcomb classrooms. In spite of the heat over 50 participants took to the course in the interest of funding education. Sarah Jo Morgan, treasurer of the Holcomb Education Foundation, said that the foundation's goal every year is for every Holcomb classroom, K-12, to be able to benefit from the money raised during the tournament...

Former Jackson High School standout pitcher Colten Weber has endured his amount of struggles this summer, however, he was sharp on Thursday at Capaha Field in a 6-2 win over Alton.

The Cape Catfish got a grand slam from first baseman Cam Careswell and scored nine runs late in a 12-2 win over Alton on Wednesday at Capaha Field.

A Notre Dame alumnus and current Missouri State Bears golfer, Allison Bray, shot 3-under par at Eagle Bend Golf Course on June 28 in Lawrence, Kansas, to earn a spot at the United States Women's Amateur Championship from Aug. 8 to 14 at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Senior Legion Post 158 team is no stranger to success. Similar to the Jackson high school team, they've garnered a streak of high-win seasons and carry big momentum into the postseason year over year. This season is no exception...

A pair of local 13-year old's earned a spot in the United States of America Volleyball (USAV) Beach Junior National Tournament near the end of July in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Joseph Dodson and Jonathan Palmer, both of Cape Girardeau, won the 14U Gateway USAV National Qualifier on May 28 and 29 in St. Louis...

With a record of 5-5-1, the Southeast Missouri Tropics of the Mon-Clair Baseball league sit just one point behind the St. Louis Spikes for first place in the St. Clair Division. Trey Tigart, manager of the Tropics, said he is pleased with the way his team has started the season...

Cape Catfish pitcher Hunter Ralls has been looking for a “break,” as in his breaking ball being more effective against Prospect League hitters, and he just may have found it.

It was ironic that the Cape Catfish utilized a base on balls to win their Prospect League game on Wednesday at Capaha Field, 5-3, over Clinton. That is because Catfish manager Steve Larkin actually wants his players “being aggressive” at the plate, rather than sit back and hope for a walk.