Lennox Post 174 pitcher Jared Fodness is going to throw some of the most important pitches of his young career Wednesday in Iowa, and they won't even come in a game.

Fodness has been invited to tryout for a scout from the San Diego Padres at an event in Akron, Iowa.

Since graduating from Lennox High School in 2012, Fodness has stayed active in legion ball, going 8-3 last year with a 2.18 earned run average.  So far this season he's 1-1.

Coming out of high school, he initially signed to pitch at Mount Marty, but opted not to go to Yankton, while he considered other college and pro offers.

At 6'6 and 245 pounds, with a fastball that hits 90 miles per hour,  his size and pitching style have attracted the attention of coaches and scouts; and while Fodness is confident in his abilities at this stage of his career, he realizes he is a work in progress.

Fodness has logged plenty of mound time in his career, even pitching with scouts in the stands, but never in a setting like the one on Iowa this week.

These kinds of invitation to tryout are sometimes few and far between for players in South Dakota, where geography poses some obstacles when it comes to getting the attention of major league scouts.

In other baseball news, former South Dakota State right hander Stephen Bougher has signed with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association.

Bougher is from Papillion, Nebraska, and went 8-2 with a 2.85 ERA for the Jackrabbits this season.

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