The Chaska Cubs have played 42 amateur baseball games this summer.
Most were wins – 28 in all – and others were rather frustrating losses.

But the last game, a 2-1 loss in 13 innings Tuesday at Prior Lake with a spot in the state tournament on the line, resulted in a rather sleepless night for Cubs manager John Seifert.

“I’m a little salty about it,” Cubs manager John Seifert said Wednesday morning. “We had three hits in 13 innings.”

It took all summer long, but the Chaska Cubs finally shut down Shakopee.

The Cubs topped Shakopee 4-1 in the Section 3B amateur baseball Final Four bracket to get one step away from the state tournament.

Chaska was down 1-0 after the fourth inning, but got two runs across in the top of the fifth and added another in the sixth and eighth frames.

Shakopee had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Cub righthander Ryan Seifert got the final two outs to nail down the victory.

The Cubs had seven hits in the game, while Shakopee had nine hits and two errors.

The Chaska Cubs finally gave up a run to Green Isle in the second game of the Section 3B amateur baseball playoffs on Wednesday.

But the Cubs had more than enough to finsh off the Irish.

Chaska prevailed 7-1 at Green Isle's Park Wednesday night to win the best-of-three series and move on to the 3B's final four bracket.

It was the fourth meeting between the teams this season, with Chaska winning the first three by shutout, including a 1-0 playoff win on Sunday at Athletic Park.

Though there’s only one “Golden Ticket” to the “American Idol” stage, Eden Prairie’s own Casey Carlson is looking to write her own ticket back to Hollywood.

It’s a dream shared by millions – to audition for American Idol and receive one of those rare golden tickets to Hollywood for a chance to be the next musical sensation.

Each year, hundreds of thousands seek to make that dream come true, standing in long lines among the good, the bad and those just looking for their 15 minutes of fame. In reality, few succeed. Some don’t have the talent. Some don’t have the looks. But 21-year-old Casey Carlson has both.

A Chaska vs. Green Isle amateur baseball game usually contains a top-flight pitching matchup.

And that's what fans saw in the Section 3B playoff opener on Sunday evening at Athletic Park.

Chaska ace Ryan Seifert outdueled Irish righty Mac Zachow for a 1-0 Cub victory.

Seifert's gem made an early Cub run stand, as Tony Lane came home on a Kyle Geason sacrifice fly in the first inning.

It was the third shutout this season for the Cubs vs. Irish. Chaska prevailed 7-0 and 10-0 in the regular season, with Seifert starting both games.

If you take one look at Terrence Fogarty’s work and get a sense that you’ve been there before, his mission is accomplished.

The Victoria artist specializes in oil on canvas paintings that evoke a sense of sports nostalgia. And Chaskans will appreciate that his latest piece focuses on a hometown favorite – a Chaska Cubs game at Athletic Park.

Chaska did not nab one of the two first-round byes to start the Section 3B amateur baseball playoffs.

But things are not all bad in Cubbieville.

The Cubs are the No. 3 seed in the six-team 3B roundup, and begin the playoffs with a best-of-three series against Green Isle.

Green Isle visits Chaska's Athletic Park on Sunday, Aug. 2 for the opener, which starts at 6 p.m.

A second game follows at Irish Park on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. A deciding game is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7 at Athletic Park, if necessary.

When Sally Barris moved to Nashville 17 years ago, she dreamed simply of putting out her own recording someday.

These days, the Chaska native is celebrating a Grammy nomination for one of her songs and touring for her third album. She’ll return to the Twin Cities on July 24 to perform with Brandon Sampson at the 318 Café in Excelsior.

“I’m still pinching myself,” said Barris who couldn’t be happier with her choice to move to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

It’s that time of year again – time for Chaskans to head to City Square Park to celebrate the annual River City Days festivities.

In the final week before the event kicks off, organizer Tim Sebenaler is a whirlwind of activity, barely able to collect his thoughts at times.

“Some people do marathons,” he said. “This is my marathon.”