A few notes I made today in regard to the American Legion regional baseball tournament:

- Jordan's Joe Lucas took a beating in the game last night. In the top of the sixth inning, Lucas was playing third base, where scorchers had been whizzing down the line all night. Another hot shot flew down the line, getting by a quickly reacting Lucas.

"You OK, Joe?" coach Ron Beckman asked.

"Yeah, hit my ear," Lucas replied.

"Where'd it hit you?"

"In the ear," Lucas said, laughing.

I can't remember whether it was before or after the ear incident, but Lucas also was hit in, I think, the backside with a pitch. Might have been his lower back. Either way, it looked painful.

- Every time a runner got to second base for the Clintonville, Wis., team, the third-base coach said, "Gotta score from there. Crack of the bat."

That's it. Every time.

- Even while Clintonville was up 9-1, players were still trying to bunt, sacrifice runs in, and steal bases.

- Tha announcer said it was Kevin and Marlene Adamek's wedding anniversary. Congratulations!

- When Jordan got behind against Clintonville, it was nice to see Beckman encouraging them, saying at one point, "It's easy when things are going good. C'mon, let's battle." The attitude was contagious, as players tried to make big plays, got patient at the plate, ran hard to first base even when they thought they might be out, and kept from criticizing each other for mistakes in the field.

- It's an eight-hour drive to get to Beulah, N.D. I must be crazy to drive this far.

"It's a long drive by yourself," I told pitching coach Todd Oakes before the game.

"It's a long drive," he said, "even with someone."

It'll be worth the drive, I'm sure. Looking forward to today's (Saturday's) game.