In his 25th season an an amateur baseball player, Jackson native Bill Dunker announced on Twitter Friday that he would be making his final start on Sunday.
Dunker graduated from Jackson High School in 1997 and began his amateur baseball career with the Bulls that summer.
"Billy was a great kid," said Jackson manager Scott Bahr, who was running the Bulls along with Tyrone Wacker at that time. "He started playing for us when we just started becoming really, really good. He probably would have played on most teams and he had to play a role with us and it shows what can happen in amateur baseball. He was the backup shortstop. When Lincoln (Wacker) went in to pitch he got to play and then he was our Game Three starter so whenever we had a third game he'd get to start."
Dunker played college baseball at Minnesota State University and would eventually move to that area.
"He moved to the Mankato area and matured and now he's been one of the best in the state for 25 years," Bahr said. "He's been really good for baseball. He advocates baseball. He umpires baseball, coaches baseball, he just represents amateur baseball the way it's supposed to be played as a father, as a player and all those types of things. He's been around a long time and that's really cool."
Mike Sticha, president of the St. Patrick Athletic Association, shared his thoughts on Dunker:
Jackson played in the state tournament each of the three seasons he was with the Bulls, starting a remarkable run.
Only once is his career has Dunker not ended his season as a player participant at the state tournament.
That first trip to the state tourney was memorable for Dunker, as he told Sticha in a story he wrote for the Minnesota Baseball Association website in 2018.
“We had a huge battle with Richmond that year and they had an awesome fan base,” Dunker said. “They still do actually. One of our guys got into a smack-talking match with their fans, all in good fun, and after the game they came up to him and shared beers with him.”
Dunker played with Eagle Lake from 2000-2003. He was drafted by Waterville for the 2000 state tournament.
In 2001, Eagle Lake didn’t make the tournament and Dunker wasn’t drafted.
Dunker was drafted by the St. Patrick Irish for the 2002 state tournament and in the opening game of the state tournament vs. St. Francis, Dunker entered the game in relief, and pitched five and two-third innings, only giving up one hit.
Later in that year's state tournament, he pitched the 17th no-hitter in state tournament history in a win over Pierz. That year’s tourney with St. Patrick was one of the more memorable for Dunker, but St. Patrick fell short on Labor Day weekend.
In 2003, Dunker was drafted by the Austin-Hayfield Athletics, who made it to the championship game, losing to Green Isle.
Last year, St. Patrick made it to the state championship game, losing to Fairmont in Springfield.
Dunker moved to the New Prague area in 2004 and his past connections and good fortune with St. Patrick drew him to sign with the Irish.
He continued to play in state tournaments, being drafted in the years St. Patrick did not qualify.
What makes the state tournament special, Dunker says is, “Every player on every team plays all summer to play there. The entire state of baseball gathers in one area for three weekends. It becomes a fraternity of sorts after a while. You run into people that you haven’t seen for a year or more, but you always have something to talk about. There are no strangers. I’ve been so lucky to play in them, given that I know people who have never played in one.
“When you get to the tournament, take some time to enjoy it, you may never play in one again,” he said.
Dunker realizes he’s had some good fortune over this long run.
“I’ve been remarkably healthy injury-wise, and I’ve had such good people around me,” he said. “I’ve been able to take something away from all of them. Learning from coaches, veteran players on my own team and others, and even fans, I feel has helped me along the way. People like Wade Wacker and Pat Frank in the Jackson days, and Kevin Geislinger in Eagle Lake, and Monte Hennen, John Johnson and Jeff Bjerke now with St. Patrick. Those guys have all been there before me, and drawing off that can only help.”
For several years, Dunker added to his inning workload playing and pitching for the 35-and-over St. Patrick Shamrocks, helping that team to three straight Class A Federal League championships in one stretch.
Here's the year-by-year listing of Dunker’s state tournament participation:
1997: Jackson Bulls
1998: Jackson Bulls
1999: Jackson Bulls
2000: Waterville Indians (draftee)
2001: Did not participate
2002: St. Patrick Irish (draftee)
2003: Austin-Hayfield Athletics (draftee)
2004: St. Patrick Irish
2005: St. Patrick Irish
2006: St. Patrick Irish
2007: Elko Express (draftee)
2008: St. Patrick Irish
2009: Cannon Falls Bears (draftee)
2010: Hampton Cardinals (draftee)
2011: St. Patrick Irish
2012: St. Patrick Irish
2013: New Prague Orioles (draftee)
2014: St. Patrick Irish
2015: St. Patrick Irish
2016: Prior Lake Mudcats (draftee)
2017: Faribault Lakers (draftee)
2018: St. Patrick Irish
2019: St. Patrick Irish
2020: St. Patrick Irish