UMD quarterback Drew Bauer, wearing the don't-hit-me yellow pullover, rolled out to pass during the 42nd annual intrasquad game. Photo Credit: John Gilbert

If you couldn’t find any sports event to attract your interest in the past week, you simply aren’t a sports fan. If you don’t care to follow Stanley Cup hockey, Major League baseball, NBA basketball playoffs, college and high school baseball and softball, and track, you could even find UMD’s annual spring intrasquad football game to attend, or watch the NFL draft.

If all that fails, go fishing.

Naturally there is baseball, and softball, and up here in the Chilly Wet North we are treated to outstanding seasons by the UMD and St. Scholastica baseball and softball teams, while Wisconsin-Superior adds its own contributions.

  The spring season is different because normally the high schools are finished and in state tournament competition before the colleges end regular-season play, but in springtime, the colleges have to finish earlier than the high schools to get their extensive conference and NCAA regional and national tournaments completed before the Fourth of July. UMD’s softball team this week is playing in the double-elimination Northern Sun tournament, as the No. 2 seed.

The UMD baseball team still has regular season play to finish, which means Alex Wojciechowski has a chance to set the school’s season and career home run and hit records somewhere out in the stratosphere where they may never be broken.

On the high school front, the baseball is strong despite the annual late-arriving springtime, and the softball is also impressive. East is undefeated in baseball, while in softball, Hermantown, Denfeld and Superior all have strong programs that could make impacts in the post-season.

UMD’s annual spring football game is always fun, although nobody is allowed to run into trhe quarterback – except for those rare interruptions when an eager linebacker can’t stop himself from running over the yellow-shirted QB.

Drew Bauer, who has been nothing short of sensational for three years as UMD’s quarterback, will return for his senior season, and the question will be whether coach Curt Wiese can find an array of running backs and wide receivers to complement Bauer’s skills. As usual, the typically tough defense and maturing offensive line will be tested if UMD is to make another run at Northern Sun and NCAA honors.

The Maroons beat the Whites 14-10 in the 42nd intrasquad game, if that matters.

The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, have come off their record worst (0-9) start to play decent baseball, and are making an attraction of themselves as they strive to approach .500.

The most questionable starter on a questionable pitching staff is Ricky Nolasco, and the biggest surprise of the young season has been Ricky Nolasco. His fastball, and great control of two different curve balls and a slider have made him a force already – even though he also is making a run at hard-luck player of the month when his strong starts explode with the relievers’ inability to finish off his great starts.

It’s also reassuring to see Joe Mauer simply get hits in every game, and Brian Dozier finally getting untracked as if to provide a 1-2 veteran punch. Meanwhile, newcomers Miguel Sano and Byung-Ho Park have come through more than we could expect so far, and Sano and Oswaldo Arcia produced a pair of game-winning hits against Cleveland on the current homestand.

Maybe the Twins will take inspiration from the Wild and put together the kind of season where fans will never dare risk leaving early.