We are all set for the 2024 season  The league starts on Wednesday the  24th of April.  Sadly, we are not playing on opening day as we have a bye.  But we have 10 other games coming up with our first one on May 1st at 6:15.  In fact, we have a doubleheader that day with our second game at 7:15.  We will be talking a lot about this team in the coming days.  But first, let us take a moment to celebrate the many St. Jacob years of softball.  They have played for a long time and have not won many championships.  In fact, until the last couple of years, the only championship we ever won was 1976.  We are excited to get more information together about that team.  Pastor Hout recently had lunch with one of the players from that team - Jeff Schroeder.  It was terrific to share so many stories!!!  He remembers how they were in a very competitive league with 14 teams in it.  Here is the championship line-up as we were best able to piece it together:

Bill Herman (Frank) Herman - pitcher
Jim Long - catcher
Barry Martin - first base
Jerry Wantz - second base
Ken Brown - short stop
Gary Schroeder - third base and coach
Alan McCabe - left field
Stever Herman - left center field
Jim Wantz - right center field
Jeff or Scott Schroeder - right field
 

The weather is looking good and we are anxious for the upcoming  season.  We are trying to get the team together.  Pastor Hout has also heard from his 69 and over league.  It is an amazing sight to see these guys play.  No, St. Jacob does not have a team in this league but Pastor Hout is going to play.....now that he has qualified with the correct age!!!  Their first game is April 26th.
 

St. Jacob won the Wednesday Co-ed tournament!!!  2023 was our year in many ways.  We did not have any games rained out and we won nine of our ten games to claim the regular season championship.  To top it all off, our team won the big league tournament at the end of the year.  St. Jacob has never won a tournament before!!!  Yes, it was quite a year for us.  How great it is to have our new championship t-shirts.  We are looking for a time to give them out and honor the team.  We also had a big wedding with two of our key players, Derek (pitcher) and Grace (outfielder and head recruiter).  It was a great day for the team as many of the players were at the wedding.

The full schedule for last year is posted below.

Hotline phone number for rainouts - 937-400-2004

Here is our 2023 schedule (as updated on June 12th)...........
 

4/26-7:15 (Away) on field #2 vs. Team Coyle
         (we squeaked by with a 26-1 score)

5/3-7:15 (Home) on field #2 vs. Sandlot Sluggers
        8:15 (Home) on field #2 vs. Isotec
         (we won 17-7 and 23-11.  Can you believe we were behind
           10-3 in the second game before we came back?)

5/10-7:15 (Home) on field #2 vs. Where My Pitches At
        8:15 (Home) on field #2 vs. Team Coyle
         (we won 16-6 and 22-12 - great hitting!!)

5/17-7:15 (Away) on field #1 vs. Sandlot Sluggers
        8:15 (Away) on field #2 vs. Isotec
        (we lost the first one 7-6 and won the second 14-12)

5/24-7:15 (Away) on field #1 vs. Where My Pitches At
        8:15(Home) on field #2 vs. Sandlot Sluggers
        (two big wins 22-3 and 8-7)

6/7-7:15 (Away) on field #1 vs. Where My Pitches At
        (we won the regular season championship with a 22-1 win)

6/14-League tournament
        (we won our first game 22-7 and eeked out a 14-13 win
          to take home the championship trophy)
 

Looking back, 2022 was a special year for us.  Can you believe that we were regular season champions!!!  Sadly, we did not win the league tournament as other teams seem to find ways to load up their squad while we played our players who got us there.  We are not crying, though, and are happy for all the fun and excitement we had in the 2022 season.  We also won the league in 2021 to join the 1976 team as the only league champions in church history.

And here are the 2021 FINAL STANDINGS

St. Jacob.................9-1
Misfitz......................8-2
Sandlot Sluggers......7-3
Team Tricia..............4-6
Woodhull..................2-8
Down the Pike..........0-10