Mitchell Baseball, American Legion at odds

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Mitchell Baseball Association and the South Dakota American Legion have been at odds over the fallout of the rape investigation involving Mitchell’s Post 18 Legion team. However, C.P. Van Delist, department adjutant with the South Dakota American Legion, told KELOLAND News via email Monday that Mitchell Baseball has reached out, looking to communicate.

Athletic-Commission-Letter-of-DeterminationDownload

Six former Mitchell Legion baseball players were initially charged with raping a teammate at a Rapid City hotel in 2023. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the rape charges but eventually made plea deals, with all six eventually admitting to being an accessory to a felony.

Turner County Courthouse being demolished

Prosecutors showed a video of the crime during sentencing; the video displayed a boy held down while others took turns digitally penetrating him. The victim yelled “stop” and “no” as it happened.

A statement released Sunday and now posted on the Mitchell Baseball Association’s website says “issues stemming from the Legion baseball team and the incidents from the summer of 2023 are complex and sensitive.”

The Mitchell Baseball Association’s statement does not include the word “victim” or address what happened to that person in the case.

The_Mitchell_Baseball_AssociationDownload

The association’s statement responds to a late 2024 letter from Van Delist. In that letter, Van Delist says the Mitchell Baseball Association “shall” appoint a new board of directors and pick a new coach if it wants to participate in American Legion Baseball.

Van Delist’s letter accuses head coach Luke Norden, who was acquitted of misprision of a felony and not reporting child abuse in the case, of not doing enough to help young people.

In their Sunday statement, the Mitchell Baseball Association says “Volunteering for any board is a thankless job, but when something like the 2023 incident occurs, it is overwhelming.” The statement also shows clear support for Norden, listing different roles he’s held as well as team awards for sportsmanship. The association’s statement also says “no failure to report within 24 hours” took place.

All six former players who admitted to being an accessory to a felony were sentenced to community service and ordered to pay a $1,300 fine, but none received any time behind bars. The judge said he would follow the victim’s wishes that the former players not serve jail time.KELOLAND News requested interviews Monday with both Van Delist and the Mitchell Baseball Association; both requests were declined. Nathan Sparks, whose name is listed on the association’s website as a board member, told KELOLAND News via email “At this time we decline an interview as our goal is to work with the SD American Legion to resolve this matter.”