{
  "id": 613391,
  "title": "Cornbelt League takes pride in stacking wins at state amateur tourney",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/cornbelt-league-takes-pride-in-stacking-wins-at-state-amateur-tourney",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-11T23:50:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cornbelt-league-takes-pride-stacking-235000035.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mitchell — The Cornbelt League demonstrates its pride in amateur baseball through numerous victories at the Class B state tournament, hosting the most qualifiers (seven) in the 32-team bracket. The league went 6-1 in the first round and 7-1 midway through the second round, with Dell Rapids PBR already in the quarterfinals. Two more Cornbelt teams are guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals after facing one another on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The Canova Gang and Redfield are set to play on Wednesday, keeping the Cornbelt in contention for a third straight year in the quarterfinals, a streak that has lasted nine years. Canova shortstop Justin Miller emphasizes the depth of the league, noting that even teams that lose have the potential to be strong. Dell Rapids Mudcats won the 2021 and 2022 titles, while Canova claimed the 2023 championship and Dell Rapids PBR won the 2024 state tournament. The Sunshine League's Parkston Rays defeated the Cornbelt in 2025 by rallying to top the Gamecocks. For teams that don't make the state tournament, there are often talented pickup players like Dell Rapids PBR's Dawson Bakker, who contributed significantly to Canova's first-round win. The Cornbelt has 10 Class B members, the largest of the seven leagues, resulting in seven slots in the state bracket. The league's record in the Class B bracket over the past decade (2016-2025) is 90-58, with a winning percentage of nearly 61%, second only to the Sunshine League's 89-47 and 65%. This success makes the state tournament more meaningful for the teams and their players, as evidenced by Dell Rapids PBR's Zack Puetz and the league's past matchups against the Sunshine League.",
  "summary": "Aug. 11—MITCHELL — There's a lot of pride in the Cornbelt League for amateur baseball. That pride is also represented in wins at the Class B state tournament, as well. With the most qualifiers (seven) in the 32-team bracket, the Cornbelt went 6-1 in the first round and improved to a record of 7-1 midway through the second round, as Dell Rapids PBR is already in the quarterfinals. Two more ...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}