Dexter High School sophomore, Cody Neldon, has joined an elite fraternity of college-bound athletes from around the country. Neldon was chosen to represent the USA and Dexter, MO as a member of Coast to Coast Baseball in Puerto Rico this summer, July 13th-18th.

During the seven day program, Neldon will compete against top amateur teams from greater San Juan while receiving instruction from Coast to Coast staff who have all played or coached the game at the collegiate or professional level.

Each summer and fall Coast to Coast sees approximately 2000 players at a series of nationwide tryouts. Additionally, the organization evaluates hundreds of applications from players unable to attend a tryout event.

From this pool approximately 250 roster spots - comprising 15-18 teams - are filled with players seeking to play at one of the game's highest levels.

Based in Marietta (OH), the 8-year old program has taken over 1600 players from 46 different states to compete in Germany, France , Belgium , the Netherlands, Australia and Puerto Rico.

The organization's alumni now compete at every level of college baseball and event professionally. Neldon showcased his skills for the Coast to Coast coaches at a tryout last fall held in Cordova, TN. At tryouts, players are evaluated in four areas: hitting, fielding, arm strength and speed.

In addition to his love for baseball, Neldon is a member of the Dexter High School Baseball, Basketball & Football teams and enjoys hunting & fishing. He is the son of Traci & Denny Christian of Dexter and Jamie & Jessica Neldon of Holcomb.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Sawyer Smith didn’t have the best spring.

An elbow injury sidelined him for several months during his freshman baseball season at Palm Beach Atlantic University (West Palm Beach, FL). Then he found out his coach, MLB Hall-of-Famer Gary Carter, had aggressive, inoperable brain cancer.


“I’ve come back 100 percent from my injury,” Smith said. “I had a partial tear in my right posterior UCL (ulnar collateral ligament - the one typically associated with pitchers and "Tommy John" surgery). I had to set out for five months. I’ve been throwing since the beginning of May, and it feels great now. No affect on my game at all.”

“The Kid’s (Carter’s nickname since his rookie year with the Montreal Expos) doing alright,” Smith added. “He’s been going through treatments and stuff right now, but he’s supposed to be back coaching us next season.”

Despite the adversity, the Sailfish, an NCAA Division-II team, were able to have a successful season, finishing 27-22.


“We played in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Regional at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fl.,” Smith said, “where the Cardinals do spring training. We were ranked nationally in the top 30 throughout the year in the NCAA.”


Things are looking up for the DHS alum this summer. He is currently participating in an invitation-only, wooden bat collegiate league.

“My life’s been baseball all summer. Weather permitting, we’re at the field every day at 2 or 3o’clock for practice and then we play every night at 7. We play almost every day - 50 games in two months - and we usually only have one day off on the weekends,” Smith said. “It’s a really competitive league - there’s only four teams because they’ve changed it from the Kit League to the Ohio Valley League. I play for the Tradewater Pirates in Dawson Springs, Ky., and we’re battling for the league lead right now.”


“Playoffs are the last week of July - if we win we’ll keep playing through early August,” Smith added. “They contacted my assistant coach back in the fall and I signed to play with [the Pirates] in the fall for this year, along with three of my other teammates from PBAU.”

Smith noted his team’s great success in the league since it’s inception.

“The team started in 1999 and they’ve won the league almost every year since it started, and we’re fighting for it again this year,” Smith said. “They’ve had a few kids get drafted. Our coaches are Dan Novak and JT Thomas and our general manager is Dwight Seymour. All former collegiate players.”

Smith also noted another unique opportunity afforded to him by this league - he gets to play on a field that was played on by one of the all-time greats of baseball: The Great Bambino.


“The Pirates play in Riverside Stadium, where the Pittsburgh Pirates used to play spring training games in the early 1900’s,” Smith said. “Babe Ruth, Honus Waggoner, Casey Stingel, and Ty Cobb all played here. It’s funny - there’s a picture of Ruth fishing in the river outside the stadium hanging up in the locker room.”

The summer continues to be filled with baseball as many of the traveling teams from the area continue their competitive tournament league play.

The Southeast Missouri Cobras age 16 and Under team traveled this past weekend to Carbondale area the 6th Annual Fun-In-The-Sun 16 & Under Baseball Tournament. The tourney had a 4-game guarantee with two separate divisions for 16U and 18U teams.

The team is comprised of players from 9 different high schools with a roster of 12 athletes. The majority of the Cobras are entering their junior year of high school, therefore the team competes in the 16u age brackets. The team has had the majority of the players playing together since they were 9 years old.

Referred to as the SIU Showcase Tournament, the tournament is an extremely competitive league with teams from throughout the region competing. This three day baseball tournament found five area teams from Champagne, Springfield and three other regional teams squared off against each other.

Games were played in two locations with the Thursday, Friday and Saturday games held at the baseball facilities at John A. Logan College. Saturdays late game and all Sunday games were held at SIU-Carbondale.




The SE Missouri Cobras capped off the weekend by going 3-1 during the tournament. During the tournaments opening game, the SE Cobras defeated the SI Diamond Dogs by a score of 7 to 4.

The Cobras were matched against the Champagne Dream on Friday, winning by a score of 3 to 1. But on Saturday, the Cobras didn't fair as well against the Springfield Mustangs' powerful bats as they were handed a 11 to 1 loss in that contest.

On Sunday, the Cobras defeated the Lids Missouri Bulls 11-0. Brad Potts pitched a 5 inning no-hitter, while striking out 9 in the victory. The SE Cobras' bats turned hot as Calvin Lovig, Caleb Koehler, Travis Phillips, and Potts all had 2 RBI in the victory for the SE Missouri team. The SE Missouri Cobras now stand at 18-7 on the season.

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2011 SE Missouri Cobras Baseball Team Roster

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2011 SE Missouri Cobras Baseball Team Stats

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"We mostly have been playing 18u tournaments, as playing older competition, you only get better by playing better competition," says Anderson, Head Coach of the Cobras.

Only 9 of the Cobra players gained varsity experience in their respective high school programs during the 2011 Spring season. Their work with the Cobras this summer will certainly pay dividends next season for their local high school teams as these young athletes assume leadership and starting roles.

"Keep in mind we have only played 5-6 games against teams our own age," added Coach Brian Anderson. "We are playing mostly 18u or senior level teams."

In early June, the Cobras took the championship at Lake St. Louis in the Midwest Regional Club Championships. This was in fact one of the tournaments where the Cobras played up an age division in the 18 and up catagory.

The team has been led in hitting by Ryan Fortner with a .417 avg ; and Tyler Anderson of Cape Central with a .362 avg.

Pitching Leaders for 2011 has been James Dickerson 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA , Brad Potts 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA, and Trey Tigart with a 4-3 record and 6 saves with a 3.46 ERA. "These statistics are even more impressive when a person considers the age of the competition we are competing against." reminds Coach Brian Anderson. Most of the 2011 scheduled tournaments have been in the category of 18 and Up age groups. The Cobras will continue their play throughout July. With their current record stands at 18-7, the real reward will be delivered for these young men throughout their high school career when they put this experience into action in 2012.

The tournament was sponsored by Diamond Sports Promotions Inc. located in Normal, IL. This group is committed to the support of young people through competitive baseball leagues throughout the Midwest. Interested parties can contact Tim Brownlee at (812)455-2513 or email him at butch.brownlee@comcast.net.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

”Hard work and winning are contagious!”

- John Wooden

Bernie High School will be hosting a basketball camp July 18 - 22 at the BHS gym.


The Mules’ camp is open to all athletes entering the third through eighth grades. Grades three through five are set to practice from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m., with the sixth through eighth graders taking the courts from 10:30 to noon.


Participants are asked to wear clean tennis shoes, shorts, and t-shirts each day of camp, and parents are encouraged to come on the last day (July 22) of camp to watch their youngsters compete in the camp ‘finals’.


Registration is $35, with all checks made payable to Bernie High School.


For more information, contact Brad Botch at (573) 293-5334, ext. 232, or at botschb@bernie.k12.mo.us, or Jason Long at (573) 293-5334, or at longj@bernie.k12.mo.us.

POPLAR BLUFF, MO – Two student athletes from Three Rivers College have been named Academic All-Americans by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Baseball player Cody Holt of Deepwater, Mo., earned the Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence with his 4.0 grade-point average.

Softball player Bethany LeGrand from Ellsinore, Mo., received the Exemplary Academic Achievement honors recognition for her 3.78 GPA.

Holt was a starting outfielder for the Raiders this spring, and is expected to play for Park University in Kansas City next year.

“Just budgeting two things like school and baseball is very demanding,” said Three Rivers head baseball coach Stacey Burkey. “It’s pretty unique for an athlete to go through two years of college with straight As, while also contributing to our baseball team like Cody did. It was just amazing.”

Head softball coach Jack Childress had similar words of praise for LeGrand, an East Carter high school graduate who helped the softball team reach its overall GPA of 3.37.

“She was always the first or second person to make it to practice,” said Childress. “She was looking to step up. At bat, she’d (either) get the hit or draw a walk; she was as good as anybody at getting a hitter’s count.”

According to Childress, LeGrand plans to attend either Southeast Missouri State or Arkansas State University this coming year.

“We are extremely proud of Cody and Bethany,” said Vice President for Student Success Jason Hoseney. “We value these Academic All-American achievements more than any award. These two are outstanding representatives of our athletic program and our college as a whole.”

For more information on athletics teams at Three Rivers College, contact the office for Student Success at (573) 840-9669.

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Photo and story provided by Megan Keathley of the Three Rivers News Service. Additional information about Raider athletics can be found at www.raidersathletics.com.