ADVERTISEMENTIt was an emotional afternoon in honoring Winner/Colome’s late baseball players Chandler Bakley and Reed Harter before their Pheasants opened the state tournament, paying tribute to the men who died in a January car crash in western South Dakota. Both were longtime players for the Pheasants amateur baseball team, frequently batting next to each other in the lineup and known for being fierce competitors and committed team players. Landon Dierks / Mitchell RepublicIt was a sentimental moment to close a difficult season for the Pheasants, who lost two men who personified all that is great about amateur baseball. Teams throughout amateur baseball this season have honored the two late players, with decals on batting helmets and the players’ initials on hats. Strong bonds are built in a sport like amateur baseball, where players frequently play against each other for many years and begin to know their opponents well both on and off the field.