State amateur baseball
Waconia wins Class C title; other tourney facts
Waconia defeated Jordan 5-2 Monday to win the Class C title at the state amateur baseball tournament at the Mini Met in Jordan.
John Bezdicek held the host Brewers without a hit until there was one out in the ninth when Joe Lucas doubled to right field. He eventually scored on an error to give Jordan its second run of the game. But Bezdicek recorded his 17th strikeout with the bases loaded to end the game.
Bezdicek, who played college baseball at Southwest Minnesota State, threw a no-hitter last weekend against Montgomery.
For the tournament, Bezdicek went 3-0, allowing only three runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out 45 hitters. He was named the Fred Roufs Most Valuable Player for his performance.
According to Nick Gerhardt on the Minnesota Baseball Association website, much of the talk about Waconia on Labor Day weekend centered on Bezdicek, who is in his first season with the Lakers. However, not for his state tournament performance.
Instead, people wondered about his availability.
He missed the other three games this weekend as the Lakers defeated Bemidji 4-1, Bird Island 4-3 and Buffalo 6-3 to reach the title game. Bezdicek missed those games to attend his twin brother’s bachelor party. He returned Monday to start the state championship game.
“When he signed with us, he said, ‘I know this is a long way away but I won’t be there Labor Day weekend,’” Waconia manager Mike Friedrich said. “And we were like, OK, it is what it is. As it got closer (Bezdicek) was like I’ll be back on Monday. The guys just said, ‘Project get to Monday, get to Bezdicek.’ We got three wins out of our draftees. That just works out great. What a weekend.”
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 4, Foley 3 (10 innings)
Sauk Centre 4, Loretto 1
Watkins 7, Carver 4
Fairmont 14, Farming 4 (8 innings)
Red Wing 8, Waterville 1
New Ulm Brewers 12, St. Boni 1 (7 innings)
Sunday, Aug. 25
Sartell 3, Nisswa 1
Courtland 8, Isanti 1
Buckman 8, Fergus Falls 2
Bemidji 3, New York Mills 0
Waconia 6, Mongomery 1
Union Hill 13, Clinton 2 (7 innings)
Bird Island 10, LeSueur 0 (7 innings)
Third round
Friday, Aug. 30
Jordan 9, Sauk Centre 2
Young America 8, Union Hill 3
Bird Island 8, Kimball 1
Saturday, Aug. 31
Waconia 4, Bemidji 1
Buckman 6, New Ulm 4
Fairmont 7, Sartell 0
Courtland 4, Red Wing 0
Buffalo 4, Watkins 1
Sunday, Sept. 1
Quarterfinals
Jordan 8, Buckman 2
Young America 1, Fairmont 0
Waconia 4, Bird Island 3
Buffalo 13, Courtland 8
Semifinals
Jordan 6, Young America 0
Waconia 6, Buffalo 3
Monday, Sept. 2
Championship
At Jordan
Waconia 5, Jordan 2
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
Saturday, Aug. 24
Second round
Champlin Park 6, Minneapolis Cobras 4
St. Louis Park 8, St. Anthony 5
Hopkins 9, Victoria 0
Miesville 8, St. Paul Mudhens 6
Air Freight Unlimited 4, Rochester 0
Minnetonka 8, Eagan 1
Sunday, Aug. 25
Second round
Lyon’s Pub 3, Highland Park 2
Burnsville 4, Moorhead 2
Saturday, Aug. 31
Quarterfinals
Champlin Park 9, St. Louis Park 7
Miesville 9, Hopkins 4
Air Freight Unlimited 2, Minnetonka 0
Lyon’s Pub 4, Burnsville 2
Sunday, Sept. 1
Semifinals
Miesville 4, Champlin Park 3
Air Freight Unlimited 2, Lyon’s Pub 1
Championship
Miesville 12, Air Freight Unlimited 1 (7 innings)
Tournament awards
Class C
JM Brennan Sportsmanship Award
Courtland Cubs
All-Tournament team
Tanner Adam, Waconia
Ben Thoma, Buckman
Tommy Thompson, Jordan
Max Kalenberg, Waconia
Cole Pengilly, Le Sueur
Jackson Bode, Courtland
Josh Lenz, Young America
John Bezdicek, Waconia
Turner Storm, Jordan
Max Otto, Buffalo (Delano draftee)
Calvin James, Buffalo
Matt Tautges, Buckman
Joe Lucas, Jordan
Brice Panning, Young America
Justin Schultz, Waconia
DuraEdge Field of the Year
Jordan Mini Met
MaxBat Maple Slugger
Ben Thoma, Buckman: .357 batting average, .929 slugging percentage, 5-for-14, three runs, two doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI
Matt Davison Most Outstanding Pitcher
John Bezdicek, Waconia: 3-0, 25 IP, 0.36 ERA, 0.6 WHIP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 11 BB, 45 K
Fred Roufs MVP
John Bezdicek, Waconia
Class B
JM Brennan Sportsmanship Award
St. Anthony Hogs
All-Tournament team
Tyler Reichenborn, Champlin Park
Matthew Enck, Air Freight Unlimited
Quinn Kruger, Miesville
Andrew Hanson, Burnsville
Graham Laubscher, Air Freight Unlimited
Ronnie Sweeny, Miesville
Kyle Halvorson, Air Freight Unlimited
John Spanier, Lyon’s Pub
Brennan Swan, Lyon’s Pub
Ben Vujovich, Miesville
Griffen Schneider, Minnetonka
Ethan Mocci, Champlin Park
Matt Van Der Bosch, Miesville
Duke Coborn, Air Freight Unlimited
Alex Hendrickson, Miesville
MaxBat Maple Slugger
Ronnie Sweeny, Miesville: .563 batting average, .938 slugging percentage, 9-for-16, seven runs, three doubles, one home run, 9 RBI
Matt Davison Most Outstanding Pitcher
Graham Laubscher, Air Freight Unlimited: 3-0, 25 IP, 1.08 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 45 K
Fred Roufs MVP
Ronnie Sweeny, Miesville
State champions
Champions from the state amateur baseball tournament:
1924
St. Paul Armour’s
1925
White Bear Lake
1926
St. Paul Armour’s
1927
Mora
1928
Mankato
1929
Albert Lea
1930
A: Fairmont
B: South St. Paul
1931
A: St. Paul Bohn Ref.
B: Maple Lake
C: Madelia
1932
A: St. Paul Milk Drivers
B: Chaska
C: Brooten
1933
AA: St. Paul EMBA
A: St. Peter
B: Harmony
1934
AA: Minneapolis Jerseys
A: Willmar
1935
AA: St. Paul J.J. Kohn
A: Red Wing
1936
AA: St. Paul Comm. Row
A: Windom
1937
AA: Minneapolis Heinies
A: Austin
1938
AA: St. Paul N. St. Env.
A: Owatonna
1939
AA: St. Paul T.H. Shoe
A: Maple Lake
1940
AA: Albert Lea
A: Shakopee
1941
AA: Owatonna
A: New Ulm
1942
AA: Austin
A: Fairfax
1943
AA: Minneapolis Mitby Sathers
A: New Ulm
1944
AA: Albert Lea
A: Springfield
1945
AA: Albert Lea
A: Excelsior
1946
AA: Albert Lea
A: Springfield
1947
AA: Albert Lea
A: Chaska
1948
AA: Albert Lea
A: Winsted
1949
AA: Austin
A: Excelsior
B: Little Falls
1950
AA: Fergus Falls
A: LeCenter
B: Lester Prairie
1951
AA: Litchfield
A: Watertown
B: Soderville
1952
AA: Willmar
A: Cannon Falls
B: Soderville
1953
AA: Austin
A: Delavan
B: Rollingstone
1954
A: Benson
B: Milroy
1955
A: St. Peter
B: Cold Spring
1956
A: Minneapolis Teamsters
B: Bemidji
1957
A: Waseca
B: Braham
1958
A: Austin
B: Pipestone
1959
A: Fairmont
B: Shakopee
1960
A: Bloomington
B: Pipestone
1961
A: Minneapolis Twin City Federal
B: St. Bonifacius
1962
A: St. Paul Ganzers
B: Little Falls
1963
A: Minneapolis A&B Sports
B: Braham
1964
A: St. Paul Como Rec
B: St. Bonifacius
1965
A: Bloomington
B: St. Bonifacius
1966
A: Winona
B: Perham
1967
A: Columbia Heights
B: Arlington
1968
A: Columbia Heights
B: Dassel-Cokato
1969
A: St. Paul Sport Spec
B: Arlington
1970
A: Columbia Heights
B: Deer Creek
1971
B: Chaska
1972
B: Columbia Heights
1973
B: Cold Spring
1974
B: Red Wing
1975
B: Prior Lake
1976
B: Prior Lake
1977
A: Minneapolis Mr. Roberts
B: Bemidji
1978
A: Columbia Heights
B: Miesville
1979
A: West St. Paul
B: Arlington
1980
A: Richfield
B: New Ulm
1981
A: Winona
B: Cold Spring
1982
A: Brooklyn Center
B: Dundas
1983
A: St. Paul Stieichens
AA: St. Cloud
1984
A: St. Paul Frontier Bar
AA: Arlington
1985
A: Minneapolis Halek’s
AA: Arlington
1986
A: Columbia Heights
B: Cold Spring
C: Jordan
1987
A: Bloomington
B: Hammel
C: Chaska
1988
A: Minneapolis J. Botten
B: Dundas
C: Delano
1989
A: Columbia Heights
B: Miesville
C: Morris
1990
A: St. Paul Conquest Rooster
B: Red Wing
C: Bovey
1991
A: Minneapolis Angels
B: Rochester
C: Regal
1992
A: Minneapolis Angels
B: Miesville
C: Sartell
1993
A: St. Paul Highland Park
B: Red Wing
C: Granite Falls
1994
A: Minneapolis Angels
B: Jordan
C: Belle Plaine
1995
A: St. Paul Rosetown
B: Miesville
C: Sauk Rapids
1996
A: St. Paul Highland Park
B: Cold Spring
C: Plato
1997
A: Minnetonka
B: Hamel
C: St. Michael
1998
A: Minnetonka
B: Dundas
C: Glencoe
1999
A: Minnetonka
B: Dundas
C: Buckman
2000
A: Glynn Building
B: Cold Spring
C: Brainerd
2001
A: Minnetonka
B: Cold Spring
C: Watkins
2002
A: St. Louis Park
B: Austin
C: Granite Falls
2003
A: Minnetonka
B: Austin
C: Green Isle
2004
A: Minnetonka
B: Jordan
C: Blue Earth
2005
A: Wesley Homes
B: Mankato
C: Holdingford
2006
A: Minnetonka
B: Rochester
C: Blue Earth
2007
A: Minnetonka
B: Miesville
C: Plato
2008
A: St. Louis Park
B: Mankato
C: Elko
2009
A: Minnetionka
B: Shakopee
C: St. Cloud Orthopedic
2010
A: Minnetonka
B: Shakopee
C: Midway
2011
A: Stockmen’s Irish
B: Sauk Rapids
C: Isanti
2012
A: Minnetonka
B: Victoria
C: Maple Lake
2013
A: St. Paul Shamrocks
B: Sauk Rapids
C: Isanti
2014
A: St. Paul Capitals
B: Cold Spring
C: Sobieski
2015
A: Minnetonka
B: Dundas
C: Plato
2016
A: Minnetonka
B: Miesville
C: Raymond
2017
A: Minnetonka
B: Miesville
C: Kimball
2018
A: St. Louis Park
B: Chanhassen
C: Plato
2019
A: Minneapolis Cobras
B: Chanhassen
C: Jordan
2020
A: Minnetonka
B: Chanhassen
C: Fairmont
2021
A: Air Freight Unlimited
B: Chanhassen
C: Sobieski
2022
A: St. Louis Park
B: Rochester
C: Nissswa
2023
B: Air Freight Unlimited
C: Maple Lake
2024
B: Miesville
C: Waconia