By 605 Sports

RAPID CITY — Rapid City Post 22’s Aiden Roberts was awarded the inaugural Clint Sargent Legacy Beyond the Diamond scholarship during Post 22’s senior night Thursday ahead of their game against Napoleon (Ohio) River Bandits during the Firecracker Tournament at Fitzgerald Stadium.

The scholarship is to recognize a senior who embodies the characteristics of former All-State Post 22 player and a Sioux Falls attorney, Clint Sargent.

“What started as a legal relationship turned into a deep, shared belief: baseball shapes who we are,” said Amy Norden, wife of Mitchell Baseball Coach Luke Norden.

Following charges from the Pennington County state’s attorney’s office against Luke Norden related to allegations of failure to report abuse or neglect in June of 2023, Sargent represented Norden in his defense. 

Norden, who has coached baseball for nearly 20 years, was acquitted of the charges against him, led by Sargent.

“Little did I know that one of Post 22’s alums would become a key figure in one of the most difficult — and ultimately most rewarding — chapters of our lives,” Amy Norden said while presenting Roberts with an honorary engraved baseball bat to go along with the scholarship.

Amy Norden also thanked the Post 22 organization, coaches and members for their support they showed the Norden family during the legal proceedings.

According to the SARG27 Scholarship Foundation, Inc., the non-profit organization created to award the scholarship, the scholarship will be given to both Post 22 and Mitchell baseball players who embody what key traits of Clint’s. 

Those include: discipline, hard work, integrity, selflessness and “the belief that baseball’s lessons are bigger than the game itself.”

Norden said while this year’s recipient is solely from Post 22, the foundation plans to give out multiple scholarships to each program in the future.

Amy presented the scholarship on behalf of herself and Luke, along with the foundation. Luke Norden was unable to attend as he had coaching responsibilities for Mitchell Baseball at a tournament in Jamestown, N.D.

Post 22's Aiden Roberts is named the inaugural recipient of the Clint Sargent Legacy Beyond the Diamond scholarship on Thursday ahead of the Hardhats game against Napleon (Ohio) in the Firecracker Tournament. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

“Tonight, Luke and I are proud to launch the Clint Sargent Scholarship to say thank you to a man who gave us strength when we needed it most, and to honor his example in the many years to come.”

Roberts not only played baseball for the Post 22 organization for the past 5 years, but graduated from Rapid City Christian, where he has been a member of the Comets' basketball team for years, including the team’s third-place finish the past spring.

In his nomination letter, Roberts was especially recognized as a lead-by-example player.

“Leadership requires doing things no one else wants to do and Aiden does these tasks selflessly,” the letter said. “Aiden serves his teammates without reserve and completes tasks asked of him from coaches. He is never worried about his own outcomes, very team-oriented.. Aiden is liked by his teammates because he is willing to serve the greater cause, treats others with respect and lays it on the line for his team.”

Next year, Roberts will play baseball at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas.

*Editors note: 605 Sports’ Matt Gade is a board member of the SARG27 Scholarship Foundation.