American Legion
Minnesota Division I
State Tournament
GAZETTE

 

 

Volume 11, No. 2 Bloomington, Minnesota Friday, August 10, 2007
Twelve survive first day of 2007 state tournament
Four went home, four went undefeated, and eight will try to fight their way back through the losers' bracket after the first day of the 2007 Minnesota American Legion State Baseball Tournament in Bloomington.

Grand Rapids, Mankato, Perham and Bloomington Gold lost their initial two games and were eliminated from the tournament.

Eden Prairie, Centennial, Apple Valley and Cambridge won both their games and will play in the winner's bracket today.

Meanwhile, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Lakeville North, Holy Angels, St. Cloud Chutes, Willmar, Tri-City Red and the Rochester Patriots will have to fight their way back through the losers' bracket on Friday.
 The double-elimination tournament will conclude on Sunday.

Games on Friday will be played at Red Haddox Field in Bloomington and Alimagnet Park in Burnsville.

The day came to a conclusion at Haddox Field when a light panel blew and threw the game into darkness with two outs in the top of the ninth, with Eden Prairie leading Lakeville North 7-0. Lakeville conceded the final out and avoided a suspended game.

Two Minnesota teams will advance to the national regional tournaments starting August 16.

In Ely today, the Division II tournament will get underway, featuring the top eight small-school teams in the State, in a single-elimination tourney.
Tri-City pitcher, Rosin, mows 'em down
by John Sherman


Seth Rosin struck out eight vs. Coon Rapids in Friday's action.

Back in June, while he was mowing the lawn at his parents' home, Tri-City Red pitcher Seth Rosin was called into the house for a phone call.

It was a Minnesota Twins scout on the line, and he informed Rosin that the Twins had made him their 28th-round pick in Major League Baseball's amateur draft.

"I was both proud and humbled," said Rosin, a 6-foot-6, 240 pound 2007 Mounds View High School graduate.

Thursday in the first round of the State American Legion Tournament at Bloomington's Kelly Field, Rosin was back in mowing mode. He justified the Twins' faith in him by beating Coon Rapids 5-1. The big right-hander scattered seven hits.

"Coon Rapids is a fast team that likes to take the extra base," said Rosin. "Their 3-4-5 hittters are really tough. My changeup was kind of weak today, but I was able to locate my fastball and curve."

Rosin said his fastball has been clocked between 88 and 90 mph on a good day. Scouts who watched him in Thursday's game observed some Major League heat, even in the late innings. The big guy proved he had the stamina to hold a good hitting team in check for nine innings. The win boosted his season record to 6-1 and kept his earned run average below 1.50.

Rosin credited his defense for helping him with big plays. Shortstop Brian Marshik made the biggest play in the seventh inning when he alertly covered third and made a tag. "I have played with Brian since we were in Babe Ruth, " said Rosin. "We have a fast team and we are very good defensively."

Looking to the future, Rosin said he has accepted a partial scholarship offer to play at the University of Minnesota next season. In addition to starring on the mound, he has posted a .313 batting average this summer.

"I want to do well with the Gophers and eventually play professionally," said Rosin. But his most immediate concern is battling some of the state's best American Legion hitters, as Tri-City Red tries to earn a regional berth.
 Stars of the Day
Danny Miller hit a three-run homer to help Eden Prairie to a 6-5 victory over the Rochester Patriots. Later in the day, he hit a two-run homer and pitched a three-hitter in a 7-0 victory over Lakeville North.

Preston Ghizoni of Coon Rapids had five hits in a 14-2 win over Mankato.

Joe Ramberg of Cambridge struck out 15 Perham batters and hit a two-run triple in his team's 4-1 first-round win.

Billy Sommers of the St. Cloud Chutes pitched all 10 innings in a 6-5 victory over the Burnsville Cobras.

Matt Peck of St. Cloud Chutes had the game-winning hit in the 6-5 extra-inning victory over Burnsville.

Seth Rosin scattered seven hits as he pitched all nine innings of Tri-City Red's 5-1 first-round victory over Coon Rapids.

Kyle Harrison of Coon Rapids went four-for-four with five RBI's in a 14-2 victory over Mankato.		 Anderew Stitt of Apple Valley had five hits in his team's 25-9 victory over Mankato.

Ben Moen and Eric Knutson had home runs in the Rochester Patriots' 16-12 victory over the host team, Bloomington Gold.

Alex Mack, Bloomington Gold's center fielder, had a double and a triple in the 16-12 loss to the Rochester Patriots.

Matt Seehusen of Willmar went three-for-five at the plate in an 11-8 victory over Perham.

Steve Maher had eight strikeouts in a relief appearance, as Holy Angels held off Willmar 3-2.

Craig Henry of Centennial went five-for-five, in a 15-4 victory over Centennial.

Joe Erb of the Apple Valley 76ers picked up his 11th win of the season, by defeating Tri-City Red 13-4.

Carter Sackett, Burnsville's catcher, went four-for-five, in a 14-12 victory over Grand Rapids.

Sam Solberg, Cambridge, had five hits and six RBIs, in his team's 10-9 victory over Holy Angels.

AV's Young notches 600th
By John Sherman

There was very little fanfare Thursday when Apple Valley Legion coach, Bruce Young, posted his 600th career win in a 25-9 rout of Mankato at Kelly Field in Bloomington.

No one tried to carry him off the field and, although there were three Gatorade buckets in the dugout, no one even considered dumping one over Young's head. The 23-year Legion coaching veteran said he wanted to keep the milestone low-key.

"There are so many people who contribute to a record like this," said Young. "The players, the parents, the Legionnaires; if there is a better coaching job in the state, I don't know where it would be."

Young came to Apple Valley in 1994, after coaching nine years for Minneapolis Hellenic Legion.

A friend of mine, Larry Engen, told me the Apple Valley job was open, so I applied," said Young. "I had an interview with Dick LeSavage, Tom Maurer and Barry Fritz. They gave me a couple situations and asked what I would do. Apparently, they liked the answers, because they called the next day and offered me the job. Over the years, the Legionnaires at Post 1776 have been phenomenal. The team gets 100 percent support."

Apple Valley earned the state Legion title in 2002 and finished second in state in 2004. In both instances, they qualified for regional play. Although he has not yet been to a Legion World Series, Young has a 5-4 career record in regional play.

Young praised the Apple Valley coaching staff for playing a key role in the program's success. Long-time first base coach, Tom Butler, and bench coach, Jeff Buck, are mainstays on the staff. Mike Wilfahrt joined the 76ers this summer, replacing veteran pitching coach, Jeremy Engen.

"The year we won [2002], we had a lot of luck go our way," he said. "Winning the state title was a great experience."

The 76ers have an abundance of talent this year with center fielder Steve McGuiggan as the key player. He finished the regular season with a .404 batting average and 41 RBIs. Cory Eul leads the 76ers with a .416 average and Andrew Stitt has a .414 average. Joe Erb leads the pitching staff with a 9-1 record.

 Young said his greatest keepsakes are not the trophies he has won, but the relationships he has had with Apple Valley players over the last 14 seasons. About a dozen 76ers have gone on to play NCAA Division I baseball. More importantly, Young said, they have succeeded as students, and many have started successful careers after baseball.

"The greatest reward for me is when they go on to be successful in life," said Young. "It's a good feeling when someone who played for us comes back years later and says, Thank you."

Even with 600 victories under his belt, Bruce Young still drives the team bus.

Game Summaries, Thursday, August 9, 2007:

Game 1
St. Cloud 6, Burnsville 5 (10 innings)
Billy Sommers of the St. Cloud Chutes pitched a complete game, as his team upset Burnsville, the top-ranked team in the state American Legion Baseball Poll. Sommers allowed nine hits and struck out three in 10 innings. Eric Schwinghammer hit a home run in the second inning for St. Cloud and Matt Peck had the game-winning hit in the 10th. Keven Wenner went three-for-four for St. Cloud. Matt Trocke had two RBIs to lead Burnsville. Trocke, and teammates Billy Stitz and Carter Sacket, had two hits each.

Burnsville Cobras     0 0 0   0 1 1   3 0 0   0     5   9   6
St. Cloud Chutes     0 3 1   0 0 0   0 0 1   1     6   11   4

Solyntjes, Siegfried (7), Zetah (9) and Sackett. Sommers and Schwinghammer. WP-Sommers; LP-Zetah. Home run: Schwinghammer, St. Cloud Chutes.

Game 2
Centennial 15, Grand Rapids 4 (7 innings)
Catcher Craig Henry of Centennial went five-for-five at the plate and his teammates added eight more hits. Ryan Rodeck scattered eight hits over six innings to get the win on the mound.

Grand Rapids     0 1 0   0 1 0   2     4   8   4
Centennial     1 0 2   9 0 3   X     15   13   1

Wood, Skrbec (4), Kleindorst (5) and Shaw. Rodeck, Goertzen (7) and Henry. WP-Rodeck, LP-Wood.

Game 3
Tri-City Red 5, Coon Rapids 1
Tri-City Red opened the tournament with a 5-1 victory over Coon Rapids Thursday morning at Gene Kelly Field. Seth Rosin pitched a complete game for Tri-City, allowing seven hits. Blake Searles led Tri-City Red with three hits, while teammates Brandon Porten, Brian Marshik, Tommy Thompson and Brett Cleveringa each had two hits. Preston Ghizoni and Andrew Kinney each had two hits for Coon Rapids.

Tri-City Red     0 0 0   1 1 2   0 0 1     5   13   1  
Coon Rapids     0 0 0   0 0 1   0 0 0     1   7   0  

Rosin and Anderson. Frogner, Evans (5), McMahaon (7), Hable (9) and Oberfoell. WP-Rosin, LP-Frogner.

Game 4
Apple Valley 25, Mankato 9
Andrew Stitt of Apple Valley led his team with a five-for-seven day at the plate. Teammate Brandon Peterson went four-for-five. David Sampson was the winning pitcher. Mike Kiefer and Greg Holzhueter each had three hits for Mankato.

Apple Valley     8 1 0   1 2 4   2 0 7     25   22   3  
Mankato     0 0 0   1 4 1   3 0 0     9   12   3  

Huls, Sampson (3), Lyden (7), Novak (8) and Buck. Westphal, Allore (1), Lamm (7) and Helget, Mulvihill (7). WP-Sampson. LP-Westphall.

Game 5
Holy Angels 3, Willmar 2
Luke Frechette went two-for-four with a triple and drove in the winning run for Holy Angels. Steve Maher came out of the bullpen to strike out eight in 4-2/3 innings.

Holy Angels     0 0 0   0 1 2   0 0 0     3   7   0
Willmar     1 0 0   0 1 0   0 0 0     2   4   0

Scheffler, Lotthammer (7) and Malmgren. Meacham, Maher (5) and Kelsey. WP-Maher. LP-Scheffler.

Game 6
Cambridge 4, Perham 1
Cambridge pitcher Joe Ramberg dominated with 15 strikeouts, plus he had the game-winning hit -- a two-run triple in the fifth inning.

Perham     0 0 0   1 0 0   0 0 0       1   4   0
Cambridge     0 0 0   1 2 1   0 0 X       4   7   0

Moenkedick and Kratzke. Ramberg and Valentyn. WP-Ramberg. LP-Moenkedick.

Game 7
Eden Prairie 6, Rochester Patriots 5
Danny Miller's three-run homer in the seventh inning helped defending State Legion champion, Eden Prairie, to a comeback win over the Rochester Patriots Thursday morning at Red Haddox Field. Scott Lindner had three hits for Eden Prairie, while Miller, Dan Fagerhaug and Lucas Skjefte each had two hits. Bryce Odegarden and Brian Ness had two hits each for Rochester.

Rochester Patriots     0 1 0   1 0 1   0 2 0     5   7   0  
Eden Prairie     0 0 2   0 0 0   4 0 X     6   14   2  

Hovick, NEss (8) and Odegarden. Boer, Hericks (9) and Thorney, Mohn (7). WP-Boer. LP-Hovick. Home run: Miller, Eden Prairie.

Game 8
Lakeville North 14, Bloomington Gold 1 (8 innings)
Lakeville North took advantage of seven walks in the first inning to defeat Bloomington Gold in a first-round game at Red Haddox Field. Lakeville North pitchers allowed just one walk in four innings each. Evan Lucius led the Lakeville offense with three hits.

Lakeville North     7 1 1   0 0 1   0 4     14   7   1
Bloomington Gold     0 0 0   0 0 1   0 0     1   7   1

Mitchell, Baker (5) and Kvasnicka. Aber, Gregg (1), Wilcox (8) and Kaulbars. WP-Mitchell. LP-Aber.

Game 9
Burnsville 14, Grand Rapids 12
All nine Burnsville starters had at least one hit during a 20-hit barrage. Burnsville catcher Carter Sackett went four-for-five. Josh Threlkeld had three hits for Burnsville. Kyle Kleindorst of Grand Rapids hit a grand-slam home run.

Burnsville     0 0 5   1 2 0   2 3 1     14   20   8
Grand Rapids     0 0 0   2 6 1   0 1 2     12   15   3

Engberg, Siegfried (6), Meacham (8), Zetah (9) and Sackett. Schmitz, Figgins (8) and Shaw. WP-Siegfried. LP-Schmitz. Home run: Kyle Kleindorst, Grand Rapids.

Game 10
Centennial 13, St. Cloud Chutes 1 (7 innings)
Ryan Childes sparked the Centennial offense with five RBIs, while teammate Nick O'Shea had three hits. Winning pitcher Kyle Biddle threw a four-hitter over seven innings. Eric Schwinghamer led St. Cloud with two hits.

Centennial     2 0 4   1 5 0   1     13   11   1  
St. Cloud Chutes     0 0 0   0 0 0   1     1   4   2  

Biddle and Henry. Theis, Schmidt and Matt Peck. WP-Biddle. LP-Theis.

Game 11
Coon Rapids 14, Mankato 2
Coon Rapids scored in all but one inning in an elimination game with Mankato at Kelly Field. Kyle Harrison hit a home run during a four-for-four performance for Coon Rapids. Teammate Steve Schroer also hit a home run. Preston Ghizoni went five-for-five for the winners.

Coon Rapids     2 1 1   0 3 5   2       14   19   1  
Mankato     2 0 0   0 0 0   0       2   2   6  

Sather, Hable (5) and Morrisette. Kennedy, Cattrysse (7) and Helget. WP-Sather. LP-Kennedy. Home runs: Kyle Harrison, Coon Rapids, Steve Schroer, Coon Rapids.

Game 12
Apple Valley 13, Tri-City Red 4
Joe Erb earned his 11th win of the season against one loss, while Erik Fabry led Apple Valley's offense with four hits in five at-bats. Fabry and Cory Eul each drove in three runs. Brett Cleveringa and Brian Marshik each had two hits for Tri-City Red.

Apple Valley     0 0 4   0 3 3   2 1 0     13   18   2  
Tri-City Red     1 2 0   1 0 0   0 0 0     4   7   1  

Erb and Buck. Porten, Searles (6), Cleveringa (8), Pedersen (9) and Anderson, Tetrick (7). WP-Erb. LP-Porten.

Game 13
Willmar 11, Perham 8 (10 innings)
Second baseman, Kyle Townswick, of Willmar knocked in the winning run as his team stayed alive in the state tourney. Willmar scored four runs in the ninth -- and four more in the tenth. Herschel Masinas led Perham's attack with three hits.

Willmar     0 0 2   0 0 1   0 0 4   4     11   10   3  
Perham     0 0 0   1 0 2   0 4 0   1     8   8   0  

Lotthammer, VanHauen (8) and Malmgren. Mac Stoll, Anderson (9) and Kratzke. WP-VanHauen. LP-Anderson.

Game 14
Cambridge 10, Holy Angels 9
Sam Solberg had six RBIs for Cambridge and supplied the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth at Dred Scott Field. Holy Angels scored three runs in the top of the eighth to tie the score 9-9. Ben Kelsey had three hits for Holy Angels.

Holy Angels     2 0 0   0 1 0   3 3 0     9   13   2      
Cambridge     3 0 0   4 1 0   1 0 1     10   14   1      

Restrepo, Kwak (2), Sheehy (6) and Margarit. O'Connor, Nelson (8) and Valentyn. WP-Nelson. LP-Sheehy. Home run: David Budin, Holy Angels.

Game 15
Rochester Patriots 16, Bloomington Gold 12
In a slugfest at Red Haddox Field, the Rochester Patriots eliminated Bloomington Gold 16-12. Each team had 16 hits, but Rochester got long balls from Ben Moen and Eric Knutson. Brent Odegarden and Knutson each had three RBIs for the winners. Alex Mack hit a double and a triple for Bloomington Gold. Ryan Kaulbars added three hits for Gold and teammate John Gregg came off the bench to get two hits.

Bloomington Gold     4 1 2   0 0 1   4 0 0     12   16   2  
Rochester Patriots     1 2 1   6 4 1   1 0 X     16   16   2  

Kackman, Sunder (4), Gist (5) and Haram, Kaulbars (6). B. Moen, Norvet (3), Mullin (6), Ness (7) and Odegarden, J. Moen (6). WP-Norvet. LP-Sunder. Home runs: Ben Moen, Rochester Patriots, Eric Knutson, Rochester Patriots.

Game 16
Eden Prairie 7, Lakeville North 0
Eden Prairie's Danny Miller pitched a three-hitter through 8-2/3 innings; then a light panel malfunctioned at Red Haddox Field, and the field went dark. Lakeville North conceded the final out to avoid a suspended game. In addition to pitching, Miller provided a two-run homer in the eighth inning.

Lakeville North     0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0     0   3   1  
Eden Prairie     1 0 0   2 0 0   0 4 X     7   10   0  

Parker, Baker (8) and Kvasnicka. Miller and Dunleavy. WP-Miller. LP-Parker. Home run: Miller, Eden Prairie.

Additional Issues:

The Gazette, Thursday, August 9, 2007
The Gazette, Saturday, August 11, 2007 (Friday's action)
The Gazette, Sunday, August 12, 2007 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday's action)
2007 State Tournament Homepage

 

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