Tom Appleyard couldn't contain his excitement about being back in Dickinson to take on the Roughriders American Legion baseball team.
Appleyard, the coach of Las Vegas Durango Post 76, has been to Dickinson numerous times - mostly for the Terry Jablonsky Wood Bat Classic - and is bringing a new batch of players through for a nine-inning game at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Southside Municipal Ballpark.
"We love this place, we love this town, the surroundings, just everything about it, that's why we're back here," Appleyard said.
Durango is on its way to the Firecracker Tournament in Rapid City, S.D., and swung through Greeley, Colo., and Dickinson as a warm-up for the seven-day tournament.
"We wanted to come back," Appleyard said. "There are good memories. It's a great town."
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Dickinson coach Cory Hansen said he wanted the Roughriders to see teams they won't see for the rest of the season. He also wanted his team to face pitchers they'll never see again.
"We need to face some good arms and get us prepared for the (West Region tournament), so we're not shocked when we get there," Hansen said.
Dickinson split a Monday doubleheader against Mandan and moved its record to 12-9. Durango, meanwhile, is 17-15.
Appleyard said his team is young and needs to experience playing against teams like Dickinson prior to the Firecracker Tournament, where they'll play teams from Rapid City, Seattle, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin and Wyoming,
"We're a young team. It's a good experience for them," Appleyard said. "We decided to do it was to get out on the road, see good baseball teams, quality situations."
