Northstars, Comets host a Sunday of baseball with doubleheaders

For people craving some baseball action, they need to look no further than Legion Field as the Havre Northstars and Havre Comets will both host games on Sunday.

The Northstars, fresh off a nonconference sweep of the Comets, will host the Lewistown Redbirds in two seven-inning games starting at 1 p.m.

The Comets, who swept Lewistown in a doubleheader last Saturday, will face Kate Andrews High School of Coaldale, Alberta, for two games starting roughly around 6:30 p.m.

The Lewistown squad is a bit of a mystery to Northstars manager Mickey Williams. With a pair of losses to the Comets, Lewistown may be a little down from last year's squad that nearly made the state tournament.

However, the Redbirds were missing a couple of solid players against the Comets, and Williams expects Lewistown to be at full strength when it comes here Sunday.

The Northstars will most likely start Ian Spencer and Chase Castloo on the mound for the games. Spencer has actually faced Lewistown already this season, picking up a save for the shorthanded Comets.

Even more of a mystery will be what type of team Kate Andrews brings to Havre.

Havre played them about four years ago up in Canada in some exhibition games. However, the team folded two years later. The high school restarted the program this year, and after having a couple tournaments cancelled, needed to find some more games.

"They are a very young team with the players roughly the same age as the Comets," Williams said. "They wanted some games, so it worked out pretty well."

The Comets and Kate Andrews will hook up again on Monday night for another doubleheader starting at 6 p.m.

With four games in two days, Comets manager Andy Smith will be using almost all of his pitchers, especially with the first conference game of the season against the Northstars looming on Wednesday.

Smith will have a fully rested pitching staff to choose from. Sean Peterson, Tyson Anderson, John Christian, Austin Small, Tom Knudson and Jess McLain will all see time on the mound.

For both teams, the goal is still the same this early in the season.

"We just want to get out, play some games and get more experience, especially for the Comets," Williams said. "Games are sometimes the best practice when it comes to learning situations. It also helps to see as much live pitching as possible."