American Legion
Minnesota Division I
State Tournament
GAZETTE

 

 

 

 

Volume 6, No. 3 Marshall, Minnesota Saturday, August 10, 2002
Leadership Helps North St. Paul Win Six Survive Into Saturday

Leadership from Jordan Roering and Greg Tubbesing has been a staple for the North St. Paul American Legion Baseball team all season.
The 18-year-old standouts stepped it up a notch Friday in the winners'-bracket semifinals at Legion Field in Marshll. They paced North St. Paul to a 12-0 victory over the Richfield Reds.
Roering, the Most Valuable Player in the Fourth District League this summer, went three for three in the game. For the season, he has stats that would make a Major-League All-Star team envious. He is batting .560 with nine home runs, 45 RBI and 55 runs scored.
What's the secret to the teams success? Roering gives a three part answer:
"We have fun, we expect to win and we hustle," he said. The North St. Paul players sprint on and off the field. They maintain discipline and sportsmanship at all times and they follow the instructions of their coaches.
"Our coaches are great and we have a great bunch of guys on the team," said Roering, who will play for the University of St. Thomas next season. "The majority of our players are 18-year-olds. Nine come from North St. Paul. We have a few from Tartan, one from Cretin and one from Concordia Academy. Playing on our team is a big commitment. We have played a lot of games and we get together for hitting two hours before each game.


Photo by Gail Kalata
Greg Tubbesing and Jordan Roering have provided leadership on and off the field for North St. Paul

 "North St. Paul finished second in the state high school tourney this spring and Tartan also had a winning team. There is good chemistry even though team members come from rival schools.
"We came together really well as a team," said Tubbesing, who pitched and played shortstop for Tartan High. "This week, we know it's time to play."
Tubbesing came to pitch against Richfield. "All three of my pitches were working," he said. "I felt confident against some of their better hitters."
Coach Ron Adams of North St. Paul said he was happy to beat a quality team such as Richfield. "We got some scratch hits, then we got some solid hits, then we got some solid hits," said Adams.
The North St. Paul coach said he was pleased, but not surprised to see Roering have a great game against Richfield. "He's a very special player, " said Adams. "He's a great hitter. He hits when he has strikes on him and he can go the other way. He's not only a great player, he's a great kid."
With a 38-8 record this summer, North St. Paul is looking forward to the last two days of the State Tournament.
"The North St. Paul kids don't brag," said Fourth District Direcgtor Goerge Bodlovick. "They just come and play the game. They play the best they can. There are only seven teams in our league, so it's easy for me to get close to the players. One of the kids said after the Richfield game, "We won this one for George...."
Before the game, Bodlovick had told the players he probably could not take another close game, such as the one North St. Paul won 3-2 over Brainerd the first day of the State Tournament. In that game, North St. Paul needed three runs in the seventh inning to win.
There were no such heroics against Richfield. North St. Paul gave Bodlovick the lead he was looking for and the game was never in doubt.		 The field of 16 has been cut to six and the field of unbeatens has been cut in two.
Only Excelsior and North St. Paul are undefeated as the 2002 Minnesota Ameridcan Legion Division I Baseball Tournament enters its thrid day at Marshall.
In games played on Legion Field and at Southwest State University, four other teams fought their way into play in the losers' bracket today: Alexandria, Apple Valley, Northfield and Richfield.
In games early today, Apple Valley will take on Richfield and Alexandria will will play Northfield. The pairings were changed so that Northfield and Richfield would not play again at this point in the tournament.
The winners of those games will face each other in the afternoon tilt, and Excelsior and North St. Paul will battle in the final evening game.
All games will be at Legion Field.
The tournament will wind up Sunday with the top two teams advfancing to national regional play.

Amazing and Incredible Facts
The very first American Legion Baseball Tournament was played in Mankatoin 1926, and Crosby was the state champion.

Minneapolis Richfield and St. Paul Christie de Parcq have wone the most state titles with seven each. Tri-City Red and St. Paul North End have won five each.

This is the second time Marshall has hosted the state tournament. The other time was in 1986.

The tourney was most often played at St. Paul's Lexington Park, the venue for 16 years. St. Paul's Midway Stadium hosted the tourney 10 times.
Tourney Committee Touches All the Bases
Photo at right by Gail Kalata
Tournament honchos Jim Muchlinski (left), Ken Mukomela, John Feda and Steve Glaeser (right) compare notes in action Friday.

Steve Glaeser, chairman of the host committee for the State American Legion Baseball Tournament, had two reasons to be proud on Thursday, Aug. 8.
First, all the bases were covered at the parks, giving players and fans alike a first-class tournament experience. Second, Glaeser had the opportunity to watch the host team, Marshall, score a 6-4 upset win over Hopkins.
Although Glaeser knows he has to be impartial, he couldn't hide his pride in the local team's victory.
We've had really good kids here throughout the years," said Glaeser. "I'm proud of our team. I am here for one reason -- the kids."
Glaeser has a long history in youth baseball. He played American Legion ball in Buffalo Lake, Minn. When he lived in Benson, he was the VFW coach, then when he moved to Marshall in 1991, he again coached VFW ball.
Seven years ago, Glaeser joined the Legion team as manager. He writes all of the checks and keeps track of the money.
When Marshall had a chance to bid for the State American Legion Tournament, he stepped forward to head the committee.
"There were five of us who got involved 18 months ago," said Glaeser. "The other members of the executive committee are Jim Muchlinski, John Feda, Kenny Mukomula and Doug Hamilton. We kept the group small for a while because we didn't want to burn people out."
As tournament time grew closer, the volunteer group swelled. This week, more than 150 local volunteers will do their best to make this an outstanding tournament.
"We ordered shirts for 100 volunteers, then we had to order more shirts," said Glaeser. Marshall is a good community and there is a lot of interest in baseball."
When he was growing up, Glaeser often spent all day Saturday at the ballpark with his dad, who used to be the 		catcher for Western Minnesota pitching legend Lefty Ranweiler. "There were 11 kids in the family and I remember watching a lot of baseball. My dad really loved the game. He played at the AAA level."
One thing Glaeser learned from his dad was the value of a solid work ethic -- on and off the field. Running a tournament requires a lot of hard work and dedication.
Cooperation is also essential. "One of the keys is communication between the host committee, the State American Legion Baseball Committee and the volunteers," said Glaeser. "[State Director] George Karnas has a lot of experience and I enjoy working with him. He has built this program up. He doesn't hide anything.
Glaeser has been on the phone for many hours with Al Zdon, Baseball Secretary for the Minnesota American Legion. Coordinating with the State organization is essential. "Al has been great," said Glaeser. "He has answered all of my questions. Nothing worries him too much."
About the only thing that will worry Glaeser this week is a dark cloud in the sky. Rain can raise havoc in any tournament, but it's especially true this week because the tournament must conclude on Sunday. The championship game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Legion Field.
The only other concern for Glaeser and his fellow committee members is the bottom line. "We have a budget of $51,000," he said. "We received $30,000 in advertising. We have to make up the difference on gate, concessions and T-shirt sales."
When the tournament ends, Glaeser will be back at work as a government accountant. He has no regrets about spending so much time on State American Legion Tournament business because he has helped provide a quality experience for young ballplayers in Minnesota.
Excelsior's Patience Wins a Game by John Sherman

Photo by Gail Kalata
Fran Glover (left), Marcus McKenzie and Jeff Engle (right) talk baseball with Excelsior American Legion coach Marck (Lunch) McKenzie.

Patience was the key to Excelsior's win over Alexandria Saturday night in the winners'-bracket semifinals at Marshall's Legion Field.
Excelsior trailed 1-0 going into the last of the fifth inning, but no one panicked. Coach Mark McKenzie told his players to step up in the box and hit the ball uyp the middle. They did and their bats produced 10 hits.

 Excelsior tied the score 1-1, then with two outs in the last of the fifth, catcher Fran Glover doubled down the left-field line, scoring two more runs.
Was it the biggest hit of Glover's American Legion career? "Probably," he said, "I hit a slow curveball that was down low."
Glover said the Fire Club is used to winning close games. "We play hard and we have fun," he said.
Prior to Glover's key hit, hustle on the bases by Jeff Engel kept the inning alive. Engel ran hard to second, beating a throw on a force play. That gave Glover a chance to be the hero.
"I was happy I was able to keep the inning going," said Engel. "I knew Fran would come through. We had to stay calm - we knew our time would come."
Excelsior pitcher Marcus McKenzie kept Alexandria offstride with off-speed pitches. "I started a lot of batters with my curve, then I threw my changeup on some fastball counts," he said. "Alexandria has a bunch of tough hitters. They put the ball in play and forced us to make play."
Excelsior has a special incentive in playing North St. Paul in the winners'-bracket final tonight at 7 at Marshall's Legion Field.
"North St. Paul knocked us out of the state high school tournament," said Engel. "We're looking for some revenge."

Game Summaries, Friday, August 9, 2002:

Game 17
Apple Valley 76ers 8, Hopkins 7 (8 innings)
In a game of rally and counter-rally, Apple Valley scored the final run in to top of the eighth when catcher Eric Dunivent was hit by a pitched ball. Matt Mowery and Dan Brosnan each hit a single and a double for the winners. Matt Marcellus and Dunivent each had two singles. A great catch by Marcellus in deep center field saved three runs. Mike Lundin was the winning pitcher for Apple Valley. Brady Olson and Aaron Clark each had two hits for Hopkins, which finished the season 25-15.

Apple Valley     1 0 0   0 6 0   0 1     8   12   6
Hopkins     0 1 0   2 0 0   4 0     7   8   1

Pauza, Ingle (6), Lundin (7) and Dunivent. Olson, Gracyk (5), Nerenberg (8) and Hawes. WP Lundin. LP Nerenberg. Home runs: None.

Game 18
Tri-City Red 13, Coon Rapids 1 (5 innings)
In a losers-bracket game at Southwest State University, Tri-City Red eliminated defending state champion Coon Rapids. Paul Reinen pitched three-hit ball over five innings for the win. Drew Espesett, Jim Pitt, Josh Schultheis and Andy Peters each had two hits for Tri-City Red. Tri-City Red scored four runs in the third inning and four more in the fifth.

Tri-City Red     1 1 4   3 4     13   11   1
Coon Rapids     1 0 0   0 0     1   3   2

Reinen and Huber. Wedwick, Nelson (4), Tucker (5) and Lindstrom. WP Reinen. LP Wedwick. Home runs: None.

Game 19
East Grand Forks 12, Marshall 6
Matt Marek scattered nine hits in a complete-game pitching performance for East Grand Forks. The winners overcame six fielding errors by stockpiling 11 hits, including three each by Marek and Tom Solem. Marek drove in three runs. For the host team, Marshall, Sam Wiener went two for three. Marshall finished the season with a record of 21-19, winning one of three games in the State Tournament. The victory was the 52nd of the season for East Grand Forks, against eight losses. Matt Marek'ss season record is 9-1.

East Grand Forks     0 2 0   6 3 1   0     6   9   6
Marshall     0 1 2   3 0 0   0     12   11   3

Matt Marek and Andrew Marek. Lehman, Kost (4), Dieger (6) and Labat. WP Matt Marek. LP Lehman. Home runs: None.

Game 20
Northfield 3, Rochester A's 0
Northfield used the eighth-hit, shutout pitching of Brett Berry to defeat the Rochester A's 3-0 in an elimination game at Legion Field in Marshall. Jay Kasner pitched a five-hitter in a tough-luck loss. Ted Garry of Rochester went three for three.

Northfield     0 1 1   0 0 0   1     3   5   0
Rochester A's     0 0 0   0 0 0   0     0   9   1

Berry and Deden. Kasner and Smith. WP Berry. LP Kasner. Home runs: None.

Game 21
Apple Valley 76ers 8, Tri-City Red 2

Tom Buske of the 76ers shut down Tri-City Red on a six-hitter, while teammates Jeremy Chlan, Dan Brosnan, Cody George and Mark Prestrud led the attack. The 76ers scored all the runs they needed in the second inning, when they got four runs.

Tri-City Red     0 0 0   2 0 0   0     2   6   2
Apple Valley 76ers     0 4 1   0 3 0   X     8   10   0

Schultheis, Montgomery (2), Peterson (4), Christianson (4) and Huber. Buske and Klefsaas. WP Buske. LP Schultheis. Home runs: None.

Game 22
Northfield 5, East Grand Forks 4
Brett Berry drove in three of his team's five runs as Northfield stayed alive in the losers' bracket with a one-run victory. Chris Rossow was the winning pitcher for Northfield with bullpen help from three teammates. Tommy Solem, Matt Marek, Tom Dostal and Shawn O'Neil led the East Grand Forks attack. East Grand Forks had 12 hits, but stranded 11 runners.

Northfield     1 1 2   1 0 0   0     5   7   0
East Grand Forks     0 1 0   0 3 0   0     4   12   7

Rossow, Amy (5), Wegner (6), Foss (7) and Deden. Gast, O'Neil (5) and Matt Marek. Home runs: None.

Game 23
North St. Paul 12, Richfield 0 (6 innings)
The Fourth District champions from North St. Paul handed Richfield its first loss of the tournament with a 16-hit attack. Jordan Roering led North St. Paul with a three for thr ee performance and two RBI. Clint Bradley drove in three runs with a pair of hits. Jay Horner went three for five. Kye Samuelson and Ryan Peterson contributed to the attack. Spencer Barron led Richfield with two hits. Greg Tubbesing was the winning pitche r for North St. Paul, raising his season record to 4-2.

North St. Paul     0 1 2   3 3 3     12   16   1
Richfield Reds     0 0 0   0 0 0     0   4   5

Tubbesing, McLeod (6) and Horner. Graf, Truedson (4) and Christian. WP Tubbesing. LP Graf. Home runs: None.

Game 24
Excelsior 5, Alexandria 1
Fran Glover's two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning put Excelsior ahead 3-1 and pitcher Marcus McKenzie did the rest, scattering eight hits for the win. Alexandria scored first in the third inning, but Excelsior stuck with the game plan and piled up 10 hits. McKenzie struck out seven to outduel Keith Eckhoff of Alexandria.

Alexandria     0 0 1   0 0 0   0     1   8   1
Excelsior     0 0 0   0 3 2   X     5   10   0

Eckhoff and Schmidt. M. McKenzie and Glover. WP McKenzie. LP Glover. Home runs: None.

Additional Issues:

The Gazette, Thursday, August 8, 2002
The Gazette, Friday, August 19, 2002
The Gazette, Sunday, August 11, 2002
2002 State Tournament Homepage

Last updated: 8/10/02
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