State amateur baseball
St. Joseph falls; Fairmont plays Saturday
On Sunday, St. Joseph defeated Jackson 2-0 in the opening round of the state Class C amateur baseball tournament at the Mini Met in Jordan behind the pitching of Joey Atkinson.
Atkinson was back on the mound in the second round Friday night and pitched well for five innings but was overshadowed by the other starting pitcher guy toeing the rubber at Tiger Park in Belle Plaine.
Max Otto, a draftee from Delano, struck out 21 batters for Buffalo in a 3-0 win over the Joes. He allowed four hits and did not walk a batter in his first time on the bump since the Athletics were eliminated from the Region 12C tournament on July 19.
Otto came within one strikeout of the state tournament record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Brian Whinnery of Air Freight fanned 22 in a 1-0 win over Stockmen’s in 2005.
Otto is the fifth pitcher to strike out 21. Graham Laubscher of Air Freight did it twice in last year’s tournament.
Most strikeouts in a state tournament game
22: Brian Whinnery, Air Freight vs. Stockmen’s, 2005
21: Don Johnson, St. Boni vs. Belgrade, 1959
21: Jerry Vandermay, Perham vs. Pierz, 1967
21: Tony Kley, Winsted vs. Pelican Rapids, 2014
21: Graham Lauscher, Air Freight vs. Minneapolis Angels, 2023
21: Graham Laubscher, Air Freight vs. Miesville, 2023
21: Max Otto, Buffalo (draftee from Delano) vs. St. Joseph, 2024
Fairmont plays Saturday
Region 13C champion Fairmont plays its first game of the state tournament Saturday as the Martins take on Farming at 6:30 p.m. in Jordan.
The Flames sidelined defending champion Maple Lake 4-1 in the first round last weekend while Fairmont had a bye.
Each of the other two 13C teams lost last weekend, Jackson to St. Joseph and Luverne fell 10-0 to Kimball.
Scores and schedules for the state amateur baseball tournament:
Class C
First round
Cold Spring Rockies 4, Perham 0
Loretto 2, Atwater 1 (10 innings)
St. Boni 9, Wanamingo 4
Buckman 8, Webster 1
Raymond 10, Springfield 1
Union Hill 9, St. Peter 3
Farming 4, Maple Lake 1
Nisswa 4, Princeton 0
Waterville 8, Morris 1
Courtland 10, Richmond 5
St. Joseph 2, Jackson 0
Carver 4, Pierz 1
Le Sueur 10, Madison 4
Kimball 10, Luverne 0
Bemidji 4, Litchfield 2
Waconia 10, Hanska 0 (7 innings)
Second round
Friday, Aug. 23
Jordan 5, Cold Spring Rockies 0
Buffalo 3, St. Joseph 0
Young America 4, Raymond 2
Saturday, Aug. 24
Kimball vs, Foley at Jordan, 4 p.m.
Loretto vs. Sauk Centre at Belle Plaine, 4 p.m.
Carver vs. Watkins at Green Isle, 4 p.m.
Farming vs. Fairmont at Jordan, 6:30 p.m.
Waterville vs. Red Wing at Belle Plaine, 6:30 p.m.
St. Boni vs. New Ulm Brewers at Green Isle, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 25
Nisswa vs. Sartell at Jordan, 11 a.m.
Courtland vs. Isanti at Belle Plaine, 11 a.m.
Buckman vs. Fergus Falls at Jordan, 1:30 p.m.
Bemidji vs. New York Mills at Belle Plaine, 1:30 p.m.
Waconia vs. Mongomery at Jordan, 4 p. m.
Union Hill vs. Clinton at Belle Plaine, 4 p.m.
LeSueur vs. Bird Island at Green Isle, 4 p.m.
Class B
First round
Champlin Park 12, St. Paul Hops 2 (8 innings)
Minneapolis Cobras 4, Elko 3 (10 innings)
St. Louis Park 15, Dundas 5 (8 innings)
St. Anthony 11, Chaska 6
Hopkins 5, Sobieski 1
Victoria 8, North St. Paul 2
St. Paul Mudhens 5, St. Michael 0
Miesville 10, Minneapolis Mudcats 0 (7 innings)
Rochester 11, Minneapolis Angels 1
Air Freight Unlimited 6, Centennial 2
Minnetonka 7, Cold Spring Springers 3
Eagan 5, Stockmen’s Irish 4
Highland Park 7, Andover 2
Lyon’s Pub 6, New Market 5
Moorhead 2, Baseball 365 1
Burnsville 7, Stillwater 4
Second round
Saturday, Aug. 24
Champlin Park vs. Minneapolis Cobras at Jordan, 11 a.m.
St. Louis Park vs. St. Anthony at Jordan, 1:30 p.m.
Hopkins vs. Victoria at Green Isle, 11 a.m.
St. Paul Mudhens vs. Miesville at Green Isle, 1:30 p.m.
Rochester vs. Air Freight Unlimited at Belle Plaine, 11 a.m.
Minnetonka vs. Eagan at Belle Plaine, 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 25
Highland Park vs. Lyon’s Pub at Green Isle, 11 a.m.
Moorhead vs. Burnsville at Green Isle, 1:30 p.m.