Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media, Author at Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Dr. Roger Muller

June 12, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Dr. Roger D. Muller, 75, of Carmel, IN, passed away on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. His funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 in the Reformed Church, Dell Rapids. Visitation will be one hour prior to the start of the service. Interment will be in the Logan Reformed Cemetery. www.kahlerfh.com

Indiana services will be held at the chapel at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at 86th & Meridian in Indianapolis. The calling will be from noon-2 p.m. and the funeral will be at 2 p.m. on June 15, 2021. Indiana arrangements were entrusted to Flanner Buchanan – Carmel. flannerbuchanan.com.

Dr. Roger Muller was born on April 13, 1946 in Chester, South Dakota to Melvin J. and Grace Muller. He graduated from Dell Rapids High School in 1964 and then graduated from South Dakota State University in 1968 with a degree in poultry science. He joined the Alpha Zeta chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity where he met many of his lifetime friends.

Roger married his wife Karen McGee Muller in 1968. She taught elementary school in Estelline while Roger obtained his master’s degree in poultry nutrition from SDSU. Roger then earned his Ph. D. in animal science from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa while Karen taught in Boone, Iowa.

Dr. Muller’s career was spent working in Indianapolis for Elanco, which was then the animal health division of Eli Lilly and Company. He worked there nearly 30 years as a technical writer and manager of marketing technical services until his retirement in 2003. He was well known in the SAS industry, receiving many accolades for his presentations. He wrote many of the sales manuals and travelled the world creating multimedia presentations. After retirement, he did many consulting jobs in the pharmaceutical industry. He also formed Roger Muller Videography, where he shot dozens of weddings a year. He truly got to know each one of the couples he filmed and enjoyed helping them preserve their wedding as a family heirloom.

He enjoyed gardening, photography, and woodworking. His gardens were his pride and joy, complete with a stream and hundreds of perennials. He was active in the Central Indiana Woodworkers club and enjoyed making instructional videos on his YouTube channel. He had almost 800 followers and thousands of views. He was a wonderful storyteller and was told by many people that he sounded like Jimmy Stewart.

Roger always said that the best job he ever had was being a preschool chauffeur to Josie and Sydney. One of the last things he said in the hospital was that his granddaughters were precious, and he wouldn’t trade them for the world. He was adored by all of the pre-school moms who loved watching him brush the girls’ hair and put it big bows. The girls could always count on Papa to be behind the video camera at any of their events, enjoying every minute of watching them play or perform.

Roger’s heart as big as it was unfortunately had a lot of issues over the years starting with a heart attack in 1994. Eventually, congestive heart failure led him to live out his last few days in hospice at home. The family appreciates the loving care given to him by the Compassus hospice staff.

Roger is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Karen and son Bryce Muller of Carmel, Indiana, daughter Kari Morarity (Todd) of Fishers, Indiana, granddaughters Josie and Sydney Morarity of Fishers, sisters Carol and Debra Muller of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Marilyn Schoolmeester (Larry) of Edgerton, Minnesota and many nieces and nephews. He is grateful for all of his friends, many of whom were able to say their goodbyes in his final days.

In honor of Roger’s love of flowers and his alma mater, memorial contributions can be given to the McCrory Gardens at South Dakota State University.

PBR Back in Win Column with Win over Colman

June 12, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Dell Rapids PBR got back in the win column with a 13-3 win in eight innings over Colman on Thursday, June 10th at Rickeman Field in Dell Rapids.

Both teams scored a run in the opening inning, but PBR took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning, scoring four runs with two outs. Brandon Geraets had an RBI single and Riley Hoffman had a three-run triple to give PBR a 5-1 lead. Colman had a run in the top of the third, but Riley Calhoon put PBR back in front by four with a home run in the bottom of the inning. Matt Gillogly added a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Dell Rapids an 8-2 lead.

Colman picked up their third run in the top of the sixth inning. PBR responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Geraets had an RBI fielder’s choice ground ball, Keegan Miller scored on an error, Carter Gullickson had an RBI double, and Hoffman had an RBI single. Grant Sweeter drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth to score the 13th run to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Gillogly finished with a home run and two RBIs. Calhoon had a home run and RBI. Hoffman finished with three hits, including a triple and double, and four RBIs. Hanson and Gullickson both had a double and RBI. Geraets had a hit with two RBIs in the game. Miller had two hits, and Tanner Solberg had a hit. David Kirby pitched six innings allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Jake Rechtenbaugh pitched two innings allowing two hits and had three strikeouts.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Colman	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	X	3	5	2
PBR	1	4	1	0	2	4	0	1	X	13	11	2

Dell Rapids Mudcats Post Three Wins in the Week

June 12, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Mudcats got three more wins over the last week. They defeated Salem 15-0 on Sunday, June 6th. On Tuesday, June 8th, the Mudcats got a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Renner. They closed out the week with a 5-1 win in Lennox on Thursday, June 10th.

The Mudcats pounded out 14 hits against Salem while holding Salem to just one in the 15-0 win in five innings.

Ty Hoglund had three hits and two RBIs. Chad Hunt had two hits and two RBIs. Jimmy Bauer and Dalton Allen both had two hits and an RBI. Dalton Lehnen had a two-run home run. Travis Peters had a hit and two RBIs. Josh Roemen had a hit and an RBI. Nate Henry and Logan Stone both had a double. Kris Regas pitched all five innings allowing just the one hit and had 10 strikeouts.

The Mudcats trailed Renner 4-3 heading into the eighth inning on Tuesday. They tied the game on an RBI double by Roemen in the eighth, and then Hunt laid down a suicide squeeze bunt scoring Trevor Freudenthal from third for the game-winner.

Freudenthal and Regas both had two hits in the game. Grant Olson, Lehnen, Roemen, and Hunt all had hits as well. Mark Abrahamson pitched eight innings giving up four runs on two hits with five strikeouts. Hunt pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to pick up the win.

The Mudcats built a 4-0 lead after four innings of play. Dell Rapids got a run in the first inning when Hoglund scored on an RBI single by Bauer. They added three more runs in the fourth on doubles by Bauer, Freudenthal, and Allen. Lennox got their lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Dell Rapids got that run back in the top of the ninth on an RBI sacrifice fly by Roemen.

Bauer and Freudenthal both had two hits and an RBI. Allen had a hit and an RBI. Hoglund finished with two hits, and Lehnen also had a hit. Allen pitched seven innings allowing no runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts t earn the win. John Spaeth pitched two innings giving up a run on three hits with two strikeouts.

The Mudcats will travel to Humboldt to play the Wood Ducks on Sunday, June 13th.

Dell Rapids 14U Records Two More Big Wins

June 12, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids 14U teener team recorded two more big wins on back-to-back nights. Dell Rapids defeated West Central Royals 14U 18-3 on Wednesday, June 9th at Volunteer Field in Dell Rapids. They followed that with an 16-0 win over Tea White 14U on Thursday, June 10th in Tea.

West Central had a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Dell Rapids scored four times in the bottom of the second on an RBI fielder’s choice by Tad Tjaden, RBI single by Cole Ruesink, and two runs by errors. After West Central scored two times in the top of the third to pull within in a run a 4-3, Dell Rapids added five runs in the bottom of the third, and then nine more in the bottom of the fourth to end the game on the 15-run rule.

Matthew Nelson had a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Ruesink finished with two hits and two RBIs. Talan Millage and Brandon Schmidt both had two hits and an RBI. Kenny Swanson had a hit with two RBIs. Quinn Carr also had a hit. Cooper Frost and two RBIs. Tjaden, Noah Larson, Connor Hanson, Tristan Welch, and Nick Snyder all had an RBI. Carr pitched two innings giving up three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Frost pitched two innings allowing a hit and two walks while striking out four batters.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
West Central Royals 14U	1	0	2	0	X	X	X	3	5	3
Dell Rapids 14U	0	4	5	9	X	X	X	18	9	1

Dell Rapids’ offense stayed hot as they scored in every inning the 16-0 win over Tea on Thursday. Dell Rapids scored three runs in the first, nine runs in the second, and four more in the third before the game was called after the third inning. Nine different players had a hit in the game for Dell Rapids.

Nelson had a three-run home run in the second inning for his second home run on back-to-back nights. Lincoln Fersdahl had two hits and an RBI. Grady Lamer had a hit with two RBIs. Ruesink and Millage both had a hit and an RBI. Carr, Larson, Frost, and Ethan Vanderwerf all had hits in the game. Carson Maeschen, Atticus Miles, Carson Crosby, and Swanson all had an RBI. Tjaden pitched two innings without allowing a hit and had five strikeouts. Fersdahl pitched the last inning striking out all three batters.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Dell Rapids 14U	3	9	4	X	X	X	X	16	10	0
Tea White 14U	0	0	0	X	X	X	X	0	0	4

Flandreau Records Win over Tri-Valley White 14U

June 10, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Tri-Valley White 14U held a short-lived 1-0 lead against Flandreau on Wednesday, June 9th. Tri-Valley led 1-0 after their half of the first inning, but Flandreau then scored 14 straight runs to get the 14-1 win.

Tri-Valley’s run was scored on back-to-back two-out singles. Gage Egger hit the first single and then stole second. Landon Schenkel brought home Egger on a single to give Tri-Valley their 1-0 lead. They were then held to just two more hits the rest of the game, both in the second inning. Brenner Struiksma and Levi Kretzshmar both had two-out singles in the inning, but were unable to score.

Struiksma pitched one inning allowing four runs, one earned, on two hits with one walk and one strikeout. Egger pitched an inning as well allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits with a walk and strikeout. Denton Bicknase pitched 2/3 of an inning allowing five runs on four hits and three walks. Benjamin Myhre pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing an earned run on a hit with one walk and one strikeout. Schenkel pitched an inning without giving up a hit.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
Tri-Valley White 14U	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	4
Flandreau 14U	4	4	5	1	0	X	14	10	1

West Central Gold 14U Gets Big Win over Tea Navy 14U

June 10, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Coming off of a second place finish at the I-29 League Tournament, West Central Gold 14U scored a big win over Tea Nave 14U 15-3 in five innings on Wednesday, June 9th.

The game was close through four innings of play. Keaton Vessells had an RBI double in the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 West Central lead. West Central then scored three times in the top of third. Jesse Jost scored on a wild pitch, Cain Grocott had an RBI sacrifice pop out, and Vessells scored on an error to push the lead to 4-0. Tea responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-3. Neither team scored in the fourth inning.

Then West Central’s offense took advantage of nine walks in the top of the fifth inning. Three timely hits combined with the nine walks led to 11 runs in the inning to blow the game open and send West Central home with the win.

Caden Alfson had a triple with three RBIs in the fifth inning. Vessells finished with a double and an RBI. Carter Evens had a hit with two RBIs. Jack Sebert, Grocott, Nick Lorang, and Evan Jaton all had a hit and an RBI. Jost and Jacob Kono also had an RBI. Jost pitched 2 1/3 innings allowing one earned run on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Grocott pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Alfson pitched a perfect fifth inning striking out all three batters.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
West Central Gold 14U	1	0	3	0	11	X	X	15	7	1
Tea Navy 14U	0	0	3	0	0	X	X	3	5	2

West Central Royal 14U Falls to Dell Rapids in Second Straight Game

June 10, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Just days after facing Dell Rapids 14U in the 3rd/4th place game of the I-29 League Tournament in Flandreau, West Central Royal 14U traveled to Dell Rapids on Wednesday, June 9th. Dell Rapids again was victorious, but this time by a score of 18-3 in four innings.

Cooper Mulder helped get West Central on the board first with an RBI single in the top of the first inning. West Central held Dell Rapids scoreless in their half of the first inning, but Dell Rapids scored four times in the bottom of the second.

Lando Whiting started the top of the third with a lead-off single. Landon Holewa followed with an RBI triple to cut the lead to 4-2. Holewa later scored on a passed ball to pull West Central within a run, 4-3. That was as close as they would get though. Dell Rapids scored five times in the bottom of the third inning, and then nine more times in the bottom of the fourth inning to get the win.

Holewa finished with two hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Mulder had a single and RBI. Whiting also had a single in the game. CJ DenBoer started the game on the mound pitching 1 2/3 innings allowing four runs, one earned, on two hits with a walk. Anthony Lanham pitched an inning allowing five runs, none of them earned, on three hits and a walk along with striking out one batter. Ty Sichmeller pitched 1/3 of an inning allowing seven runs on a hit. Gavin DeHaven also pitched 1/3 of an inning allowing two runs.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
West Central Royal 14U	1	0	2	0	X	X	X	3	4	7
Dell Rapids 14U	0	4	5	9	X	X	X	18	6	2

Unlicensed Drivers on Golf Carts Causing Potential Issue on Dell Rapids Streets?

June 10, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

A report was given to the Dell Rapids City Council by City Administrator Justin Weiland during the regular meeting on Monday, June 7th that there have been a couple of instances in the last couple of years of serious accidents with golf carts with unlicensed under-aged drivers.

“I just felt that this has reached a critical point. It has been brought to my attention in the past,” said Weiland. “The number of complaints that have come my way, come city hall’s way, in the last two years regarding the use of golf carts on city streets, and mainly a problem with younger age kids that aren’t licensed drivers driving golf carts on city streets”.

The city council passed a golf cart ordinance a number of years ago that allows for the use of golf carts on city streets. Carts need to be licensed with the city every year for $5.00, and that allows for the use of the carts on city streets.

The city council discussed a couple of directions to remind golf cart owners they need to license the cart with the city and to make sure the drivers have a valid driver’s license. One idea was potentially having a letter or flyer describing the golf cart regulations emphasizing a licensed driver rule. Another idea is to amend the current ordinance that might include stiffer penalties to dis-incentivize underage driving of golf carts.

The biggest thing the city is trying to do is create awareness of the issue that will hopefully end the trend of unlicensed drivers operating golf carts before a major tragedy happens.

Vermillion Blanks Dell Rapids 16U

June 9, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Vermillion held Dell Rapids to just two hits and earned a 9-0 win in Vermillion on Tuesday, June 8th.

Vermillion only scored in two innings, but both were big innings. They got three runs in the bottom of the second inning and then had a six-run bottom of the fourth inning for the win.

Luke Schoolmeester and Ethan Kringen had the only two hits in the game for Dell Rapids. Braden Fersdahl pitched two innings allowing three earned runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Dylan Mathis pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing six runs, all earned, on three hits with one walk and one strikeout. CJ Smith pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing just one hit while walking one and striking out two.

West Central Girls Golf Places Eighth

June 9, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The final high school event of the 2020-2021 year has now come to an end. The West Central Trojan girls golf team played their final rounds of the season at the 2021 South Dakota State A Golf Tournament at Spearfish Canyon Country Club Monday, June 7th, and Tuesday, June 8th.

West Central finished eighth in the team standings with a two-day total score of 832.

Jordyn Driscoll tied for 12th with an overall total of 182 (92, 90 ). Kaylee Olson tied for 46th with a total of 215 (104, 111). Alaina Murphy finished 50th with a two-day total of 217 (107, 110). Dakotah Larson tied for 51st with a total of 218 (104, 114). Emma Grocott finished her tournament with a total of 245 (115, 130), placing 73rd.

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