Several changes are in store for the Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo, hosting the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot in October.

This year’s rodeo will be held on October 5-7, with a 7 p.m. start on Friday, Oct. 5, a 1 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. start on Saturday, Oct. 6, and a 1:30 p.m. kickoff on Sunday, Oct. 7.

In past years, the rodeo has had a Thursday evening performance but this year, it is replaced with a Saturday afternoon matinee. The purpose for the Saturday afternoon matinee is two-fold, said rodeo committee chairman Steve Bogden. It will be a convenience for cowboy and cowgirl contestants, as they will not need to be to Minot till Friday, taking away less time from work and school.

Bogden also hopes attendance will increase for the Saturday matinee, compared to the Thursday show.

“We hope we can get families who haven’t had the opportunity to go to the rodeo because of school or sports,” Bogden said.

The committee will offer discounted tickets for the Saturday matinee. Tickets are discounted by $10 from the other performances. Adult tickets will be $23 for gold and $13 for silver. Kids tickets will be $8.

Evening performances will begin a half-hour later than in past years (7 p.m. for October 5 and 6).

Other changes include more mutton busting entries. Sheep riding will be expanded from eight riders per performance to ten, and registration will take place from mid-August to mid-September.

For potential vendors at the Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo, all booths will be located in the Magic Place, the vendor area on the first level to the north of the building.

The Y’s Men’s Rodeo got its start in 1955 and is a not-for-profit event with proceeds supporting the Triangle Y Camp in Garrison.

This year’s rodeo is October 5-7 and tickets will go on sale in September.

For more information, visit the website at www.MinotYsMensRodeo.com.

— Ruth Nicolaus, media contact for Badlands

Circuit Rodeos

MSU baseball splits with Mavericks

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. – The Minot State baseball team split a doubleheader vs. Minnesota State after dropping the first game 1-0 and bouncing back to win the second game 4-2 in Plattsmouth, Neb.

The Beavers are now 6-10 (4-2 NSIC) on the season while the Mavericks move their record of 11-5 (5-1 NSIC).

Game One

Offense was limited in the first game, as Minnesota State limited the Beavers to two hits and zero runs.

The Mavericks scored the lone run of the game in the fourth inning when Carter Elliott connected on a RBI single up the middle.

Dalton Roach improved to 4-0 on the season after throwing the complete-game victory and posting six strikeouts for the Mavericks.

Darrel Doll led Minot State at the plate while collecting both hits for the Beavers while Wyatt Schlosser and Michael Borst also reached base on a walk.

Justin Demary fell to 1-4 on the season after tossing six innings on the mound and giving up one run on seven hits and striking out five batters.

Game Two

Minot State scored the first run of the second game Ethan Fleming singled through the left side to score Trevaun Smith.

The Beavers doubled their lead in the top of the sixth inning when Darrel Doll lifted a 2-1 pitch to left for his team-leading fifth home run of the season to give the Beavers a 2-0 lead.

Minnesota State tied the game in the bottom of the sixth after Ty Buck scored on a wild pitch and Teddy Petersen grounded out to second, allowing Jack Mattson to score the game-tying run.

Minot State answered in the next inning when Logan Morse ripped an RBI double to left center, scoring Smith. The Beavers added one more run in the top of the ninth when Andrew Black launched a solo home run to left, clinching Minot State’s 4-2 victory over the Mavericks.

Fleming led the Beavers at the plate with two hits while Doll, Black, Smith and Morse added one hit apiece.

Starter Reilly O’Rourke lasted 5.2 innings on the mound while surrendering two runs on five hits and striking out three batters.

Jack Gamba relieved O’Rourke and earned his first win at Minot State. The Vallejo, Calif. native tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief while only allowing two Mavericks to reach base on walks and striking out a pair of batters.

Wyatt Moore earned the save while recording the final two outs of the game and striking out one batter.

The Beavers and Mavericks conclude the four-game series with a doubleheader this evening at 10 a.m.

— MSU athletics