Blue Jays still optimistic: Jamestown looks to turn it around at West Region tournament

Mike Soulis sees glimpses of promise, but knows his Jamestown High School softball team isn’t very consistent right now.

“We’re playing like a young, inexperienced team,” Soulis said.

But the coach still expressed optimism heading into Friday’s West Region tournament in Dickinson. The Blue Jays, seeded sixth, meet third-seeded Dickinson at 1 p.m.

“We have a chance of getting into a state-qualifier,” Soulis said. “You have to give yourself a chance. You have to give yourself an opportunity to be in it at the end of the game.”

Soulis pointed to a recent doubleheader loss to Dickinson as an example. The Blue Jays lost 18-0 in the first game, but only trailed 6-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning of the nightcap.

“We’ve proven that we can be very competitive against Bismarck High,” he said. “We’ve played with Minot as well, when they were down here.”

If the Blue Jays win, they play at 10 a.m. Saturday. If they lose, they’ll play immediately after against the loser of the Bishop Ryan-Turtle Mountain contest.

“Whatever happens in the end, we’ll take,” Soulis said. “As long as we don’t make it easy for the other team.”

Muhs heads to state meet

Jamestown’s Sarah Muhs likely had an unusual week of practice.

The No. 1 player on the girls tennis team was the lone Blue Jay to make the state meet, which starts today in Fargo.

Team competition gets going today, but Muhs doesn’t take the court until Friday when singles action begins. Fourth-seeded out of the West Region, Muhs squares off against East Region No. 5 seed Sarina Olson of West Fargo.

“She’s got a pretty strong opponent,” JHS coach Pat Mullowney said. “She’s a very solid player in a really strong program. We will have our hands full in that match, (but) I don’t think it’s anyone (Muhs) can’t hit with or play with.”

Muhs is coming off a fourth-place finish at the West Region tournament last weekend in Bismarck, thanks in part to a change in strategy.

“We basically worked out a pretty good game plan,” Mullowney said. “She just executed it to perfection, really. She was basically unpredictable.”

Blue Jays hit home stretch

The Jamestown High School boys golf team finishes up its regular season this weekend.

The Blue Jays visit Hawktree Golf Club in Bismarck for the St. Mary’s Invite on Friday. Then, they play at Tom O’Leary Golf Course for the Century Invite on Saturday.

The West Region meet is Wednesday at Heart River Golf Course in Dickinson. The Class A state meet is set for June 5-6, also in Dickinson.

Sun sports writer Chris Aarhus can be reached at (701) 952-8462 or by email at caarhus@jamestownsun.com.

Tags: sports, jays, softball