Latest Willard Bridge Photos

   

Cowdin Induction In Hall Of Fame

    The Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame will induct its 2017 class  at 6 PM on Thursday, July 13,  at the Downtown Ramada Inn and Convention Center. Tickets are $25 and available at the Shawnee County Parks & Recreation office (785-251-6885) and Seabrook Apple Market.

    Among the new inductees is Bret Cowdin, former coach at Rossville High and Manager of the Rossville Rattlers.  Cowdin coached at five Shawnee County high schools and  launched two college-age summer baseball programs before his death in 2013. He coached at Highland Park, Hayden, Topeka West, Rossville and Washburn Rural high schools.   Cowdin also founded the Topeka Golden Giants and Rossville Rattlers that now play in the Mid-Plains League.  His No. 14 was retired by both the Rattlers and Golden Giants.  The Mid-Plains League championship trophy is named the Bret Cowdin Cup.  A  graduate of Topeka West and Washburn, Bret coached 29 players drafted by major-league franchises.

TCF Softball Tournament

Rattlers Lose In 10th Inning

The Rossville Rattlers played extra innings in the Monday night nite-cap before losing to the Midwest Veterans 6-3.

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Baseball Clinic

Rattlers Take First Game of Monday Double Header

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Midwest Veterans At Rossville

 The Rattlers lead the Midwest Veterans 7-5 after 3 innings at Joe Campbell Stadium  on Monday Evening.

Rattlers Win Against Blues

The Rattlers came out on top of their Sunday evening game with the Baldwin City Blues in Rossville.   The see-saw game ended with the Rattlers ahead 8-6.

Baldwin City Blues At Rossville

The Rattlers are hosting the Baldwin City Blues Sunday evening at Joe Campbell Stadium
After 5 innings,  the score is tied 3-3.

Peggy Baird Passes Away

Peggy L. Conger Baird, 70, Rossville, KS passed away at her home July 1, 2017.  She was born October 13, 1946.

She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1964.  She worked for Rossville City Hall for numerous years, and was also Mayor of Rossville for eight years.  She owned the Rossville Liquor Store for fifteen years as well.

She married Vernon W Baird in May 1964.  He survives.  She has one son, Thomas Baird and one daughter, Karla Shafstall (Chad). Four grandchildren, Kiefer, Kayla, and Kody Hurla and Annasha Baird and many great grandchildren.

Peggy also loved watching her grand kids participate in sports, playing with her great grand kids, and going to the casino.

Graveside services will be held at the Rossville Cemetery July 15, 2017 at 10am.

Rossville Pool Celebrates 10 Years

From the Capital-Journal:

ROSSVILLE — A celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of Rossville Community Pool will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at the pool in northwest Shawnee County, the county’s parks and recreation department said in a news release Friday.

Admission will be free, as a result of an arrangement involving the Rossville Community Foundation.

Free hot dogs, chips, cookies, water and watermelon will be served to the first 150 people to arrive between 11 a.m. and noon, with swimming opening at noon. The celebration will also feature giveaways and games.

Shawnee County’s parks and recreation department, which manages the complex, provided updates for its 10th anniversary that included painting the pool basin, adding a shade structure and adding lockers.

A community fundraising effort involving the Rossville Community Foundation and a local task force brought about the 2007 opening of the pool, which cost about $1.2 million.

County Commissioner Shelly Buhler, who joined that body in 2007 after serving since 2001 as mayor of Rossville, recalled in Friday’s news release how residents of the community had wanted a pool for more than 20 years.

A $5,000 donation made in 2002 launched the fund-raising effort., which included collecting cans and holding concerts.

Major contributors, members of the task force and the Rossville Community Foundation, current and past Shawnee County commissioners, and parks and recreation staff members are expected to be on hand for the July 15 celebration.

Bonnie VandeVelde (49) Passes Away

Rossville-Bonnie VandeVelde, 85, passed away Thursday, July 6, 2017 at her home.

She was born July 30, 1931 at Willard the daughter of John Stanley and Viola Mary Burns Martin.  Bonnie graduated from Rossville High School in 1949 where she was active in the glee club and played basketball.

Bonnie worked for the University Of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City for many years.  She moved back to the Rossville community in the 90’s and worked as a PBX operator at Payless Shoe Source Corporate Office in Topeka.  Bonnie was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and was member of the church choir.

She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, James, John, Robert and Dutch Martin and Nona Haltom; son, Dennis Paul VandeVelde and a grandson, Brandon Keith Snyder.

Survivors include three sons, Timothy, Donnie and Marvin VandeVelde; four daughters, Kathleen Strohl, Bernadette Bye, Dianne VandeVelde and Mary Harden; her brother Raymond Martin, Topeka; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren with one on the way.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Friday, July 14, 2017 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville.  Interment will be in the Rossville Cemetery.  Mrs. VandeVelde will lie in state and the family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Thursday at the church where a rosary will be recited at 7:00 P.M.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Bonnie VandeVelde Memorial fund and sent to Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, Kansas 66536.  To leave an online condolence please go to www.piperfuneralhome.com.

Roduner Helps Giants Beat Rattlers

Rossville High graduate Christian Roduner  was more than happy to take one for the team.

Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, Roduner was hit by a pitch in the middle of his back to bring in the winning run in the Topeka Golden Giants’ 2-1 victory over the Rossville Rattlers on Friday at Jerry Robertson Field.

“I just told myself I was going to get him in one way or another,” said Roduner, who was hit by the first pitch from Rossville pitcher Nick Cole. “If I was taking a pitch, that’s what I was going to do.”

Roduner also was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, and his RBI single in the third drove in the Giants’ first run.

“That’s always my approach. If anything is going to hit me, I’m just going to let it no matter what,” he said.

Roduner, a third baseman from Rossville, has had a strong summer for the Giants after an impressive freshman season at Colby Community College. He was a walk-on with the Trojans and was a Jayhawk Conference West Division all-conference selection as a utility player.

“I just keep working,” he said. “Anything you put your mind to and put your time into, you can do it. Rossville is a big football school and people never really talk about baseball. I’m a 6-foot kid who runs a 4.7 40 from a 3A school so I wasn’t going to do a whole lot at the next level in football. Colby gave me a chance and I was lucky to have a good year.”

The Giants (16-8) remained in first place in the Mid-Plains League West Division, taking two-of-three games in the series with the Rattlers (6-17). All three were one-run games with the winning run scored in the ninth inning.

Along with his two RBIs, Roduner also had a hand in the Rattlers’ run. His fielding error in the sixth allowed Keishon Brown to each first, then Brown then stole second and scored on Dylan Watts’ single.

“I let the ball get behind my eyes and I tried to catch it out front,” Roduner said of the error. “I just misjudged it, but it happens to the best of us.

“I was ready to make up for it when I got to the plate.”

Cole retired the first two Giants in the ninth, then Carson Green and Casey Wulfkuhle singled and Brett Owen walked to bring up Roduner.

After the offenses and defenses dominated the first two games of the series, pitching took over Friday. Giants starter Zach Ebert allowed one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts and one walk in seven innings, and Jaxon Passino retired all six batters he faced for the win.

“Zach had a great start,” Roduner said. “He’s been really good for us all year and one (run) is usually enough for him, but you always need some insurance.”

Rattlers starter Joe Fragano allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in five innings.

Rossville    000001000— 1 3 0
Topeka       001000001— 2 9 2

Fragano, McClung (7), Cole (8) and Maxson, Watts (7). Ebert, Passino (8) and Green. W — Passino. L — Cole. 2B — Rossville: Dees.

For video of this game,  go to:  http://www.wibw.com/content/news/Golden-Giants-win-series-over-Rattlers-with-walk-off-hit-by-pitch-433226873.html

Giants Get 2-1 Win Over Rattlers

   The Rattlers lost a close one Friday night against the Topeka Golden Giants.  Once  again the Rattlers lost the game in the bottom of the 9th inning when the Giants broke a 1-1 tie.

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