The Angels will have a busy week coming up as they travel to Perham on Saturday the 18th to play the Pirates in a 3:00 game.  The time has been pushed back from the original 1:30 scheduled start.  On Sunday the Angels will host the Dent Wildcats at 1:30.  Then on Wednesday the Fargo Mets will make a return trip to DL to play the Angels in the second meeting of the season between the teams.  The week will conclude on Saturday with a 2:00 game against the Wolf Lake Wolf Pack at Washington Park.    The Angels steak fry fundraiser was scheduled for 6:00 that night but it has been cancelled.   The players decided to pay a $50 per player fee instead of having the Steak Fry.   There will still be activity at the Sandbar that night as Mike Gilson the father of Angels players Chris and Jon will be singing from 8 to 9.   This was originally scheduled to go along with the steak fry and follow the dinner.  Mike was a member of the band  The Unbelievable Uglies  that was a hit in the upper midwest.  The band opened for such artists as The Beach Boys.

Brian WierimaDetroit Lakes Online

A three-run home run by veteran Phil Kirchner put a four-run gap between the visiting Fargo Mets and the home team Detroit Lakes Angels Wednesday.

Nick Polejewski made his first start of the season on the mound for the Angels.

In the first inning, the Mets scored an unearned run, as the leadoff hitter reached on an error and would score from third on a wild pitch.

The Mets scored again in the second, as Mike Bernier walked to start the inning and would score on a two-out single by Casey Smith.

The Angels cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second, as Reed Oistad doubled to lead off the inning and would score on a Trevor Tappe sacrifice fly.

The next inning, the Angels tied the game as Phil Kirchner doubled with two outs and scored on a Doug Dickey double to deep left center.

The Mets scored an unearned run off of Reed Oistad in the 8 to make the final score 6-3.

Polejewski pitched the first four innings for the Angels, while Buhr pitched innings five through seven. Oistad came in for the eighth and Trevor Tappe picked up a save as he pitched the final frame.

Tom Poulson started for the Mets, but Morgan Schruff took the loss in relief.

Angels results -Fargo at Detroit Lakes, Wednesday, May 15

Mets 110 000 010 – 3 8 2
Angels 011 103 000 – 6 13 3

Detroit Lakes
AB R H Bi
C. Gilson 4 0 2 1
B. Buhr 5 1 2 0
N. Polejewski 0 0 0 0
P. Kirchner 5 2 3 3
D. Dickey 5 0 2 1
R. Oistad 4 1 3 0
M. Bentley 2 0 0 0
R. Berg 1 0 0 0
T. Tappe 3 0 0 1
T. Manning 4 1 0 0
J. Hofland 2 1 1 0
Totals 35 6 13 6
HR: Kirchner 2B: Kirchner Dickey, Oistad
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k): DL – N. Polejewski 4-4-2-1-1-0; B. Buhr (WP) 3-3-0-0-1-2; Oistad 1-1-1-0-2-1; Tappe (SV) 1-0-0-0-0-2

(Follow Brian Wierima on Twitter at DLSportsGuy)

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Vikings sign Mankato receiver Adam Thielen

 

Brian WierimaDetroit Lakes Online

After being invited to try out for the Minnesota Vikings last week during the team’s rookie mini-camp at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Detroit Lakes’ native Adam Thielen has a new job.

The former Laker impressed the Viking’s coaching staff enough to offer him a contract and the chance to make the 53-player roster during training camp, which starts July 26, at Thielen’s college alma mater Minnesota State University Mankato.

Thielen took the most of his opportunity after being invited to try out for the Vikings Thursday through Sunday, with the hurdle of being star struck non-existent.

“They gave me every opportunity that they gave everyone else and I went in with the mindset that I belonged there,” Thielen said of the rookie mini-camp. “It just reminded me how much I love the game of football.”

Thielen ran plenty of routes during the five-day mini-camp, which had all of the Vikings’ 2013 draft picks, along with the first and second-year invitees.

The Viking draft class included No. 29 overall pick Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, whom Minnesota traded up with the New England Patriots to select.

“C.P. is a real good guy and he helped me out a lot,” Thielen said of Patterson. “It was fun meeting with him and striking up a friendship with him.”

But make no mistake about it, Thielen didn’t enter the mini-camp intimidated or just being happy making it that far.

Vikings’ receivers coach George Stewart gave positive reactions to Thielen throughout the mini-camp, giving the Maverick wideout plenty of encouragement and advice.

“Coach Stewart is an amazing coach and he’s been around the NFL a long time,” Thielen said. “In the four days I was there, I learned a lot from him.”

Which led to Thielen’s meeting with Vikings’ head coach Leslie Frasier, who broke the news to him Sunday the team was going to offer him a contract after he takes a physical Monday.

“You’d think one would be star-struck, but I felt comfortable talking with Coach Frasier and I already felt a part of the team,” Thielen said.

Thielen’s college numbers speak for themselves, as well.

He posted 74 catches for 1,176 yards with eight touchdowns his senior season at Mankato. He finished as the Mavericks’ second all-time leading receiver, with 198 receptions, and third in yardage with 2,802 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Thielen has legit NFL receiver size at 6-3 and 200 pounds, while possessing top-end speed (4.45-4.49) and reliable hands.

With the full team reporting to Winter Park for workouts and OTA’s next Monday, Thielen will start getting to know his new teammates.

Maybe you’ve heard of them?

Star-studded names such as Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, Greg Jennings and the players who will be delivering the ball to him in quarterbacks Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel and Joe Webb, just to name a few.

Thielen also worked at punt and kick returning during the rookie mini-camp and it’s a path the former DL Laker knows he may have to take, if he is to make the team.

It’s also something he excelled at in Mankato, after becoming one of the team’s all-time punt returners.

“Playing special teams is another way to make the team, so I am going to focus on getting better as an overall football player,” Thielen said. “I am not going to worry about the issues I can’t handle, but just to become the best football player I can be for the Vikings.”

Thielen will now have a spot on the training camp roster, which is held on his former home field on the Mankato campus.

“Yeah, that’s really cool, playing on the same field I played on in college,” Thielen added. “It will take some nerves away.”

Thielen is expecting the basic minimum NFL contract, but he is focusing on other matters first. It’s getting better as a player which is first and foremost on his mind.

But if Thielen earns a spot on the final 53-man roster – which will be decided after training camp - the minimum rookie salary in 2012 was $390,000.

Another option is the practice squad, which consists of eight players, who can practice with the team (like a scout team), but not play in actual games.

The minimum salary for a practice squad player was $5,700 per week in 2012.

“The biggest thing I am looking forward to is to see how much better I can get as a player, though,” he said. “I’m looking forward to football becoming my job.”

It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and after Monday, work will begin for the first-ever NFL player who hails from Detroit Lakes.

 

 

 

The game at New York Mills on June 15th will be rescheduled for Sunday night June 16th at 7:00.    The Angels will be adding a couple of new players to the team this year.  The first player we wish to announce is that Joe Hofland who has played for both the New York Mills Millers and lastly for the Wolf Lake Wolf Pack will be wearing an Angels uniform this season.  Joe is an outfielder and pitcher, Joe's Angels debut will be the 2nd weekend of the season.   We also expect to add a college player or two once the college season is completed. 

The Angels will be losing one valuable team player from previous years.  Jon Tolbert graduated from college and will be working as a minister in southern mn and will be playing down there.  More info on that will be provided once i find out more details.  Jon missed most of the 2010 and 2012 seasons as he was doing his interns in Michigan and Colorado.  Jon concludes his Angels career with a 2 and 5 record with a save.  We wish Jon the best and hope to see him at a few games this summer.

Brian WierimaDetroit Lakes Online

 

Adam also played centerfield for the Lakers High School and Legion teams.

As a youth growing up, Detroit Lakes’ Adam Thielen and his father, Pete, attended dozens of Minnesota Viking games inside the Metrodome, where he was one of thousands of fans cheering.

Come Thursday, Thielen will be attending another Viking function, but he isn’t going as a fan.

After a very productive college career at Minnesota State University Mankato at wide receiver, Thielen’s days as a football player are not over.

The former Laker wideout has been invited to try out for the Vikings during their rookie mini-camp, which will be held Thursday through Sunday at Winter Park.

Now, it’s time to get down to business with his first “interview” with a potential big-time employer.

“I’m not going there as a fan, but as a player who is trying to make the team,” Thielen said. “I am so thankful for this opportunity and I want to prove to the Vikings that I belong on this level.”

It’s an obvious dream come true for Thielen, who started his potential path to the NFL after being invited to the Super-Regional Combine, which was held in Dallas in early April.

Thielen was an integral part of the Mavericks’ successful run over the course of the last four years.

He posted 74 catches for 1,176 yards with eight touchdowns his senior season, and finished as the Mavericks’ second all-time leading receiver, with 198 receptions, and third in yardage with 2,802 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Thielen has prototypical NFL receiver size at 6-3 and 200 pounds, while possessing top-end speed and reliable hands. He also can contribute as a punt returner, in which he finished as one of the best in MSUM’s history.

His journey as an NFL hopeful started after the Mavericks’ season ended, when he took part in a combine held in Chicago, Ill.

Thielen was one of 200 players invited to the Super Regional Combine in Dallas, where scouts from all 32 teams were in attendance.

“I trained specifically for the combine and the drills held there,” Thielen said.

“My biggest goal there was to show my speed and the long-term goal was to catch the eye from some scouts.”

He did just that, as Thielen ran 40-yard times of 4.45 and 4.49, which is just as fast as many of the receivers who were drafted last weekend.

“I definitely improved my 40 time a lot,” Thielen said.

After the Super Regional, scouts from a couple of NFL teams talked with Thielen directly, while others asked for video.

Teams which were interested in Thielen included the Vikings, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Atlanta and San Francisco.

But it was Minnesota which called Thielen last Saturday during the NFL Draft and invited him to try out for the team during its rookie mini-camp.

“My main goal was to just get a chance and now that I have that, I’m very excited to show them I belong in the NFL,” Thielen said.

Thielen will see at least one recognizable face during the mini-camp in former MSUM teammate and wide receiver LaMark Brown.

The rookie mini-camp includes five practices.

“It’s good to have someone I know and has been through it so I can ask questions and learn from him,” Thielen said.

But Thielen’s opportunities don’t end this weekend with the Vikings, as the Carolina Panthers are up next if the Vikings don’t sign him to a contract.

Earning a contract will ensure Thielen a chance to work out during OTA’s (offseason camps) and eventually training camp, which starts in late July.

“I am now focused on making the Vikings team this weekend and go from there,” Thielen said.

“It really hasn’t sunk in, yet, because it’s been a quick turnaround and not a lot of time to think about it.

“I just want to get back at it and get ready to play some football again.”

This time, though, Thielen will be vying to extend his football career on the highest level, as an NFL player.

 

 

Angels to have same look as 2012

 

2013 season. BRIAN BASHAM/RECORD

Brian Wierima, detroit lakes online

Angels to have same look as 2012 Region 14C championship team

So what’s the best path for the Detroit Lakes Angels to take to follow one of their best seasons ever? Stay the same.

That’s exactly the course of action the Angels are setting for the 2013 season, as they return the vast majority of their 25-15 state-qualifying squad from a year ago.

The Angels are poised to defend their Region 14C championship with a deep pitching staff and a potent batting lineup once again.

“Our goal every year is to make the regional playoffs and state,” said co-manager Phil Kirchner.

“We have some deep pitching and some good bats returning this year.”

The Angels’ team batting average last year was a solid .279, as the entire lineup were tough outs.

Region 14C MVP Mark Gulseth returns after a spectacular 2012 season where he hit .429 with seven homers and 27 RBIs.

“It’s always nice to return a player like Mark,” Kirchner said.

Taylor Fuhs also had another good year for the Angels last season, hitting .463 with 17 RBIs.

Chris Gilson is coming off a solid Concordia College career playing football and baseball, and will be looked upon for good numbers this season after he hit .302 with seven homeruns and 25 RBIs.

College player Connor McLeod will be a full-time player this year and will be another bolstered bat in an already high-octane lineup.

He finished with a .319 average in limited duty last year.

“Our top six to seven hitters are proven hitters, with lots of home runs,” said Kirchner, who rang up six round trippers last year himself, along with 25 RBIs and a .265 average.

“But to win in baseball, you need good pitching and defense.”

The Angels will not only have a deep rotation on the mound, but a good, top-heavy one, as well.

That staff will be led by University of North Dakota pitcher Brock Johnson, who can overpower batters.

 

 

He had a very impressive 0.94 ERA in 2012, while striking out 55 in 48 innings of work, and went 6-2 on the season.

Not far behind in the pecking order is another ace in Gilson, who had a 1.46 ERA with a team-high 61 strikeouts and a 5-1 record in 55.2 innings of action.

“We pitched 11 guys last year and we will need every one of them again this season since we have a 26-game regular season schedule,” Kirchner said.

The depth is solid, with Nick Polejewski returning along with Matt Huberty, Reed Oistad, Bryan Buhr and Trevor Tappe.

The pitching staff will be handled by two reiliable veteran catchers in Fuhs and Doug Dickey (.262 batting average).

At first base, Gulseth and newcomer Max Bentley will have reliable leather, with a host of infielders playing, including McLeod, Fuhs, Oistad, Ryan Berg and Buhr.

 

 

Kirchner and Gilson bring plenty of experience in the outfield, as well.

The Angels also will have a couple of Laker high school players seeing time in catcher Kirk McLeod and infielder Austin Eiter.

Other veterans who will contribute include Jon Tolbert (pitcher), T.J. Manning (outfield) and Nate Eidenschink (outfield).

Mark Jorgenson returns as co-manager, while Dean Jorgenson is back as statistician and Kim Fuhs as business manager.

The Hi-10 favorites will once again be Bertha and Detroit Lakes, with Perham returning a solid core and Breckenridge being a new addition to the Countryside League.

The Angels have two tournaments this summer, the first being in Sartell, June 1-2 and the second in DL at Washington Ballpark, June 7-9.

The team’s annual steak fry fundraiser will be Saturday, May 25, at the Sandbar, starting at 6 p.m. Cost is $20, with the meal and drinks included.

The Angels will face Wolf Lake at Washington Ballpark at 2 p.m. that day, with former Incredible Uglies band member Mike Gilson performing from 8-9 p.m. that evening after the steak fry.

Tickets can be purchased from Angels players or by contacting Kirchner at 841-0157.

The Angels will open up play in the Sartell-St. Stephen Tournament at 1:00 on Saturday June 1 against Lastrup in Sartell.   With a win the Angels will play  at 6:00 against the Winner of Sartell and Big Lake.  With a loss the Angels will play at 3:30 against the loser of the Sartell and Big Lake game.   The other teams in the tournament include St. Stephen, Nisswa, Isanti and Springfield.

When the snow finally does clear for the 2013 Detroit Lakes baseball season, the Lakers will be fielding a quite inexperienced and young team.

With a couple of crucial injuries carried over from the winter season, along with a big graduating class last year, the Lakers will have plenty of new players in new positions.

“We really have about four guys who saw a lot of innings last year, after that, it’s pretty inexperienced,” said DL head coach Steve Fuhs. “Right now, it’s hard to judge the players we do have because we’ve been indoors every day.”

The Lakers will have some seasoned arms in the starting rotation in seniors Tyler Gebhart, A.J. Matter and Austin Eiter.

From there, it will be a mix and match of pitchers to fill in the rest of the rotation.

“Those three had some innings last year and they will be our go-to guys,” Fuhs said. “They will have to throw a lot of innings.”

With the potential of having up to four to five games a week due to postponements early in the season, Fuhs will have to put some first-time varsity pitchers out on the mound.

The junior class does have a bevy of arms, including Jackson Lyngaas, Sam Voz, Brandon Dahring, Jeff Gailfus and Ben Thompson.

“We won’t have a lot of strikeout pitchers, so the key will be to play good defense and make the routine plays,” Fuhs added.

The infield will be relying on three-year starter Kirk McLeod at catcher, who will be the field general and helping run the pitchers.

Eiter will be at shortstop when not pitching, while Matter returns as an experienced first baseman.

“I expect a great year from Kirk and he will be able to help the pitchers out and contain the running game,” Fuhs said.

Junior Ryan Wokasch will back up McLeod at catcher.

Gebhart and Voz will also see time at third base, while senior Nick Groth gains his chance to hold down second base, along with junior Cole Hegg.

Lyngaas and Gailfus also will see time at shortstop behind Eiter.

The outfield will be manned by senior Richie Grossman, who brings the most experience, while Dahring, Thompson and junior Chris Roach will help fill the other slots.

The Lakers will start the season without senior Taylor Magnuson and Reed Johnson, who both would have filled pitching and infield duties.

The top of the batting order will feature the most experienced bats in McLeod, Matter, Eiter and Grossman, while the middle and back end of the order will be filled with the new players.

“It will be a work in progress, no doubt,” Fuhs said. “But we will have to improve each week.”

Perham will be the hands-on favorites in the Mid-State Conference and Section 8-2A, while Fergus Falls and Roseau will also be in the mix at the top of the section.

Terry Eiter will assist Fuhs, while Mike Even will coach the B-team and Jake Blow the ninth grade team.

If weather permits, the Lakers open at home against Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Tuesday, April 9, before hosting Fergus Falls April 12.

The Angels schedule has been updated, a few more exhibition games will be added.  Any team looking for a game should contact me.  We have a few open dates in May.  If you would like a game in June or July email me and we will take a look at the calendar.  One change is that the Angels have moved the New York Mills game originally scheduled for Sunday night June 16th to Saturday night June 15th.  The Angels will be playing in Bertha at 1:30 that day and New York Mills at 7:00 that same night.   The final weekend of the regular season has been left open for a possible return to the Jamestown ND tournament.

The Angels are currently selling ads in their game program.   The ads are $100 and along with the sponsor appearance in the program  each sponsor will also be given 2 season tickets.  These tickets are good for all Angels games at Washington Park.  All sponsors will also be recognized on this website.   Anyone wanting to purchase an ad can contact Phil Kirchner at 218-841-0157.

The Detroit Lakes tournament will have the following teams this year.  From the Hi-10 and Countryside league Perham,DL and Pelican Rapids,  from North Dakota the Jamestown Merchants and Jamestown Elks,  from the Lake and Pine League the Huntersville Horseflies and Staples Lumberbats, the Ada A's will also return to the tournament from the Norman Polk League.  Matchups and schedules to be sent out soon.

The  7th annual Detroit Lakes Angels steak fry fundraiser will be on Saturday May 25th at 6:00 at the Sandbar in Detroit Lakes.   The Angels will be playing a game at 2:00 that day with the dinner to follow.     Tickets will be available from any Angels player as well as at the door that night.  Along with the Steak Fry there will also be a silent auction with numerous items.

The Detroit Lakes Angels are looking forward to the 2013 season and another year of Hi-10 baseball at Washington Park.  No significant changes are expected for the Angels with the majority of the players expected to return.  We however are interested in adding any quality baseball players who are dedicated to a being on a very competitive team that will play alot of games.   If you are interested in playing for the Angels please call or email me through this website or you can also contact Phil Kirchner.  We do play alot of games (40 each of the last two seasons) but we do not expect players to make all of the games.    You can look at our stats and see that games played ranges greatly.    Players must get into 4 league games during the seaon and we ask that once playoffs come around that you make every effort to make the games.   If you are on the team and come to the games you will get to play a significant amount.

Looking into the season the Angels are scheduled to play in the Sartell-St. Stephen tournament on May 31, Jun 1 and June 2.  We will be hosting our annual tournament the following weekend of June 7,8,9.   The last two years we have played in the Jamestown ND tournament in July.   I am hoping to return to that tournament as Jamestown has been a fun place for the team to spend a weekend.  We will be making a decision on that tournament in the near future.  The dates havent been announced for sure but it looks like its going to be the same weekend as the final weekend in the Hi-10 schedule.  This could cause some issues if we play in the tournament and have to worry about make up dates in league play.

2013 will be the 7th year of Angels baseball in Detroit Lakes.  During this time the Angels have won 3 region titles and made the state tournament 3 times.  We have won 133 games and lost 66 in those 6 years.  Two Angel players have been named Region MVP's  Matt Olson in 2008 and Mark Gulseth in 2012.

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By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online


It was a one-and-done scenario for the Detroit Lakes Angels, as they ran into a buzz saw in the form of the Blue Earth Pirates in the second round of the Class C state amateur baseball tournament in St. Cloud Saturday.

More specifically, the Angels were thumped by Pirate third baseman Kane Malow, who tied a state tournament record with three home runs to key an 11-4 victory.

Malow also becomes the first player in state tournament history to hit three homers in a game with a wood bat.

“Blue Earth is very good and was one of the favorites to be playing for a state championship coming into the tournament,” said Angels’ co-manager Mark Jorgenson.

Blue Earth collected 14 hits and used Malow’s three homers to build a 6-4 advantage through five innings of play.

But a four-run seventh inning put plenty of separation between Blue Earth and DL for the 11-4 margin.

The Angels sent Carlos draftee Neil Jenzen out to the mound to start, as the Pirate hitters were patient at the plate and started hitting him early.

DL tied the game in the bottom of the first at 1-1, after a Mark Gulseth double scored Taylor Fuhs.

The two teams exchanged runs in the second, but Blue Earth started pulling away with two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings.

DL answered with a pair of runs in the fifth, after loading the bases with one out, but ended up stranding two runners in scoring position.

“If we could have scored a few more runs in that inning, it could have been a different game,” Jorgenson said.

The Angels had a total of four pitchers throwing, including Wadena-Deer Creek draftee Travis George, DL’s Nick Polejewski and Nimrod draftee Alex Brockphaler.

DL was without two of their top aces in Brock Johnson and Chris Gilson, who each were absent due to college. Johnson pitches for the University of North Dakota baseball team and a D-I rule states a player can’t play for two teams at the same time.

Gilson is in the midst of the Concordia College football preseason and had a scrimmage Saturday.

Fuhs and Gulseth each went 3-5, as DL collected 11 hits against one of the better pitchers in the state.

The season ends with a 25-15 mark for the Angels, who made their third appearance in the state tournament in six years.

It was also a season of record-setting performances, as Fuhs set a team record with a .463 batting average, topping Mark Gulseth, who hit .434 in 2011.

Johnson set a season ERA record of .94. Other records include a total of 28 players who played for the Angels, with 17 players seeing action on the mound and 11 who picked up wins, which tied the team record set in 2011.

“We had lots of young players who stepped up, mixed in with good veterans,” Jorgenson said.

Midway lost its second-round game to Howard Lake 2-0, while Fergus Falls advanced with a 2-1 victory over Prior Lake.

The Canes will face Milroy Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Putz Field in St. Cloud.

Brian from the Detroit Lakes paper was at the game on Saturday taking pictures. When he places the game recap with the pictures up on the DL Online website i will post the story and the pictures on here.

The box score for the Blue Earth game is now up and can be viewed in game results section. The season stats are completed. There could be a couple of changes to the stats as i need to check on a few at bats. I know the team or individuals set records this year. 21 homers by the team was a new team record, 40 games tied the team record for games played in a season. Taylor Fuhs set a team record with a .463 batting average topping Mark Gulseth who hit .434 in 2011. Brock Johnson set a season ERA record of .94. Other records include 28 players played for the Angels, 17 players saw action on the mound. 11 players picked up wins for the Angels and that tied the team record set in 2011.

By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online


It’s the exact temperature the Detroit Lakes Angels want to be as they head into the Class C state tournament Saturday evening — hot.

The Angels (25-14) went ballistic at the plate during their Region 14C championship run, outscoring their opponents by a hefty 36-8 margin, while playing solid defense and having stellar pitching.

“You can’t ask us to be playing any better heading into the state,” said Angels co-manager Phil Kirchner. “When we have our full lineup, we are a good team.”

Detroit Lakes gained a first-round bye in the 32-team Class C state bracket play and will face Blue Earth Saturday, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Faber Field in St. Cloud.

Blue Earth beat Chanhassen 2-1 last weekend.

“Every team down at state is good, so we’ll have to keep playing well to advance,” Kirchner added.

The Angels will be deep in pitching, after drafting Wadena-Deer Creek’s Travis George, Carlos’ Neil Jenzen and Nimrod’s Alex Brocphaler.

But they will be without ace Brock Johnson, who is finished playing due to a Division I rule where an athlete can’t play on two teams during the college season, which started already.

Johnson pitches for the University of North Dakota baseball team.

“Those are the rules, so we have to abide by them,” Kirchner said. “But we have some good pitchers on the team to help replace Brock, along with our draftees.”

Other questions the Angels will have to deal with are losing their other college players, including their other ace, Chris Gilson, who is playing with the Concordia College football team and outfielder/shortstop Connor McLeod, who plays college baseball in Iowa.

But the Angels still have plenty of potent hitting and pitching to make a deep run in the state tournament.

The offense is led by Region 14C MVP Mark Gulseth, who pounded out 14 RBIs in the four playoff games, including four homers. He is hitting .405 on the season in limited regular season action, while second baseman Taylor Fuhs is a hitting machine with a .455 average in 77 at-bats.

Gilson and McLeod each have .300-plus averages, with Gilson also having 25 RBIs.

But overall, the Angels’ entire lineup is producing with a .278 team batting average, with the bottom of the order producing well.

“We are hitting well one through nine,” Kirchner added.

Nick Polejewski will be present as one of DL’s top pitchers with a 3.96 ERA and is effective out of the bullpen, as well.

Each of Johnson and Gilson have ERAs under 2.00, with the former at .94 and the latter at 1.46.

The Angels are also mostly home-grown, with the majority having Detroit Lakes roots.

If the Angels win Saturday, they will play the winner of Stewartville-Racine and Maple Lake, Saturday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Faber Field.

The quarterfinals and semifinals are Sunday, Sept. 2, while the championship will be Monday, Sept. 3, at Putz Field in St. Cloud, starting at 3 p.m.

Detroit Lakes gains bye in State Playoffs

By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online


Although Detroit Lakes slugger Mark Gulseth wasn’t able to play much during the Hi-10 League regular season, saving up his hits for the Region 14C playoffs wasn’t such a bad thing for the Angels.

Gulseth’s pillaging of the Region 14C opposing pitchers continued into the championship game Saturday in New York Mills, wasting the Bertha Blazers for five RBIs as the Angels cruised to an 11-0 victory and a bye through the first round of the Class C state tournament.

The Class C state tournament will be held at Putz Field and Faber Field in St. Cloud, starting Saturday and running through Sept. 3.

Gulseth’s grand slam in the fifth inning put DL over the top, which came at the heels of a seven-run second to seal the Angels’ Region 14C championship, their third since their reformation in 2007.

The Angel slugger earned Region 14C MVP honors after he finished the playoffs with 14 RBIs and four home runs.

Backing up the Angels’ offensive explosion was their ace Brock Johnson, who struck out 12 Blazer batters for a complete-game shutout (the game went seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule).

The wrappings of the championship started in the second inning, as the Angels scored seven runs.

Taylor Fuhs started the inning as he reached on an error on the second baseman, while Doug Dickey drew a one-out walk.

Reed Oistad doubled in Fuhs, Buhr singled in Dickey, and the hits continued with Trevor Tappe singling.

Gulseth drew a two-out bases-loaded walk, forcing Bertha to replace Ethan Bakken with Jared Hoemberg on the mound.

Fuhs came up with a two-run single and Dickey singled in Kirchner to put the Angels up 7-0.

The game was put to rest on the swing of Gulseth, as he picked up four quick RBIs with his fifth-inning grand slam.

Bertha previously beat Carlos to advance to the championship game earlier on Saturday.

The Hi-10 League has been a force in Region 14C since the emergence of Bertha and DL, as Angels’ co-manager Mark Jorgenson wrote on the Angels’ website.

Bertha will also play in the state tournament as a No. 2 seed.

Bertha and the Angels each formed teams and entered the Hi-10 League in 2007.

The Angels have won Region titles in 2007, 2008 and 2012. Bertha won titles in 2010 and 2011.

This is the first year since the realignment of Regions 14 and 16 back in 2002 that two teams from the same league have advanced through the Region tournament into the state tournament.

“Both teams have solid players with some veteran leadership and lots of youth,” Jorgenson said.

“With the improved play of Perham, who finished fourth in the Region tournament, the Hi-10 should be strong in the Region tournament for the next several years.”

The Angels drafted Neil Jenzen and Alex Brocphaler. They previously drafted Wadena-Deer Creek pitcher Travis George before the region playoffs.

DL will await the winner of Blue Earth and Chanhassen in the second round of the state tournament. The Angels will face the winner of that game Saturday, Aug. 25, at 5:30 p.m. on Faber Field.

Bertha opens in the first round against Maple Plaine this Saturday at 5 p.m., while Midway will face Shakopee in the first round Sunday at 4 p.m.

Countryside and Region 16C champion Fergus Falls will face the victor between Richmond and Prior Lake Saturday, Aug. 25, at 1:30 p.m.

By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online


After a long up and down season for the Detroit Lakes Angels baseball team, the only way their arrow is pointing now is up — and it’s perfect timing.

A five-run seventh inning in Sunday’s State Class C play-in game against Bertha in New York Mills typified the Angels’ Region 14C run, besides clinching their first state berth in four years.

Getting hot at the right time was exactly what the Angels (24-14) did to a shocked Bertha Blazer team, which looked as if it was cruising to an easy victory after building a 7-1 margin.

But DL had other things in mind and mounted one of the biggest comebacks in the region playoffs in awhile and it came off the bat of one of the Angels’ hottest hitters — first baseman Mark Gulseth.

The slugger extended his homerun streak to three playoff games, as he drove a Bertha pitch over the fence for a three-run blast to put DL up 8-7 and officially erasing a 7-1 deficit.

“We couldn’t scrape anything together in those first six innings and Bertha was hitting everything,” said Angels co-manager and centerfielder Phil Kirchner. “But Bertha kind of started running out of pitching and we didn’t give up.

“When we have our full lineup there, we can hit the ball.”

That’s exactly what DL did, as they collected six of their 15 hits in the seventh inning alone.

It all started with a Connor McLeod double, he and he moved to third base on a Bryan Buhr single.

The facet kept running full, as Taylor Fuhs singled in McLeod for the first run, which brought up Gulseth.

He launched his three-run homer to put the Angels up 8-7, which added to his two other homers for the weekend.

With one out, Doug Dickey hit the second of his two doubles, as Andy Fondrick ran for him. A two-out single by Trevor Tappe would score Fondrick and give the Angels a 9-7 lead.

“We just kept playing and starting hitting in that seventh inning,” Kirchner said. “Mark Gulseth is hitting like a professional.”

Gulseth missed much of the season, due to his assistant coaching duties for the Legion Post 15 team, but out of his 14 hits this season, six have been homers.

The Angels also received some help from their Wadena-Deer Creek draftee Travis George, who relieved starter Nick Polejewski in the third inning.

George slowed down the Blazers’ bats by pitching 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and two runs, neither earned. He also struck out eight.

“Travis is a hard worker and he pitched well for us,” Kirchner said. “We are very happy we were able to draft him.”

Bertha took advantage of four DL errors leading into the big seventh for their 7-1 lead, but DL did put a dent in the margin with three runs in the fifth on RBI hits by Buhr and a clutch two-run shot by Taylor Fuhs, who went 4-5 with three RBIs on the day.

Gulseth went 3-5 with three RBIs, while Dickey was 3-4 with an RBI.

Reed Oistad picked up the save by shutting Bertha down in the top of the ninth.

DL had to work hard to even make their state play-in game with Bertha, with an impressive 6-1 win over previously undefeated Carlos Saturday in New York Mills.

Chris Gilson pitched a complete-game gem, as he cuffed Carlos’ bats for just seven spread out hits and striking out five.

The Angels had only four hits in the game, but took advantage of four walks in the fourth inning to go along with a two-run single by Oistad.

Ryan Berg had an RBI ground out and the Angels also scored on a double steal.

Gulseth added a backbreaking two-run homer in the fifth to put the Angels up 6-0.

Neil Jenzen would have an RBI double in the eighth to knock in the Cougars only run.

DL opened up the playoffs a day late, after Friday’s opener was postponed due to thunderstorms.

But the delay didn’t quell the Angels’ thirst for hits, as they pummeled Staples for 14 hits in a 10-0 win, with homers by Gilson and Gulseth. Gilson had three hits, while each of Connor McLeod, Gulseth, Trevor Tappe and Oistad had two.

Brock Johnson mowed through the Lumberbats’ lineup for the complete-game win, allowing six hits and striking out six.

“We’re excited about getting back to state,” Kirchner said. “To make a playoff run like this, you need to be playing your best, and right now, we are.”

The Angels now await a Saturday night match-up with either Perham, Bertha or Carlos for the Region 14C title.

Perham and Carlos will play Friday night at 8 p.m. in NYM, as the winner will play the Bertha Blazers Saturday at 5 p.m. in NYM.

The Angels will play the winner at 8 p.m. for the title.

If either Perham or Bertha defeats Carlos this weekend, it will be the first time since the areas major realignment in 2002 in which two teams from the same league have advanced through the Region tournament to the State in Regions 14C or 16C.

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The Detroit Lakes Angels have secured a trip to the 2012 State Tournament in St. Cloud by posting 3 wins this past weekend.

On Saturday the Angels won the first round game by a 10-0 score over the Staples Lumberbats. Brock Johnson was the starting pitcher and pitched a complete game. Chris Gilson and Mark Gulseth had homers for the Angels

Saturday night the Angels defeated the previously undefeated Carlos Cougars by a score of 6-1. Chris Gilson pitched a complete game scattering 7 hits. Mark Gulseth had a 2 run homer.

On Sunday night the Angels defeated the Bertha Blazers by a score of 9-7 in a come back win. The Angels were down 7 to 1 before making a late rally. Nick Polejewski started but was relieved by draftee Travis George in the 3rd. Travis picked up the win as he pitched through the 8th. Reed Oistad pitched the 9th to pick up the save. Taylor Fuhs had a 2 run homer to pull to with 7-5 in the 5th. Mark Gulseth had a 3 run homer to put the Angels up 8-7 in the 7th inning. The Angels added another run in the inning on a single by Trevor Tappe.


The Angels and Blazers have played 4 times this season with the Blazers winning the first 3 games.

The Angels now await a Saturday night matchup with either Perham, Bertha or Carlos for the Region Title. Perham and Carlos will play on Friday night at 8:00 in NYM, the winner will play the Bertha Blazers on Saturday at 5:00 in NYM with the Angels playing the winner at 8:00 for the Title.

If either Perham or Bertha defeats Carlos this weekend it will be the first time since the areas major realignment in 2002 that 2 teams from the same league have advanced through the Region Tournament to the State tournament in Regions 14 or 16.

Home-grown talent keys consistency

By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online

After the Detroit Lakes Angels were resurrected in 2007, there was a goal of keeping the players home grown.

With the Angels recording their 100th victory since their resurrection in 2007 Monday during the annual July 4 game against visiting Frazee, the local amateur baseball team can literally be thought of as a “Detroit Lakes” one.

Throughout the five seasons of the Angels, over 95 percent of the players have hailed from Detroit Lakes, despite the usual turnover which comes with the territory of running an amateur baseball team.

By keeping the talent in-house, the Angels have been a team of consistency, averaging 20 wins per season, while collecting two state tournament berths in their first two seasons after over a decade-long layoff of having a team in DL.

“The big thing we’ve been able to do has been to keep the top one, two or three players from the DL high school team,” said co-manager Mark Jorgenson, who along with Phil Kirchner, spearheaded the effort to bring the Angels back in 2007.

“We have kept our DL kids, while other towns end up splitting up their young talent among two or three other teams.”

The Angels crawled back out of obscurity May 6, 2007, when they opened the season with a 15-0 victory over the visiting New York Mills Millers at Washington Ballpark.

Since then, DL has rolled up 99 more wins, finishing 29-7 in their inaugural season, following that with records of 18-15, 15-15, 20-10 and currently sitting at 18-8 in 2011 for a combined mark of 100-55.

If it wasn’t for local players, the Angels wouldn’t exist, either.

“We have people who are dedicated in making this team succeed,” said Kirchner, who has been amongst the team leaders in batting all five years and leads the team in most career offensive stats. “We have good leadership at the top and have had a good mix of young players and veterans.

“Our players like playing on a winning team and for the most part, we’ve done just that.”

In DL’s first season, the team was based on many veterans, with the majority coming from the Perham Pirates.

That so happened to be the Angels’ best season, as they posted 29 wins and made it to the second round of the Class C state tournament, before losing to Sauk Rapids.

That team boasted of such former Laker standouts as Nick Omberg, Kyle Danner, Taylor Fuhs, Chris Engberg, Shawn Ohman, Matt Olson, Zach Fulmer, Max Saarinen, Nick Schroeder and Chris Sieling.

The veteran-laced lineup also included Kirchner, Noah Johnson, Matt Nustad and Terry Haus.

It ended up being a perfect match, as the Angels boasted of one of the top pitchers in the area in Olson, who was DL’s horse with 101 innings pitched, while going 12-2 with 81 strikeouts and a stellar 1.87 ERA. Olson also leads all Angel pitchers in wins with 18, followed by original Angel Bryan Buhr and DL native Matt Huberty with 15 each.

With Olson — who hasn’t pitched for DL the last two seasons — heading the pitching staff, the Angels through the five seasons have had a deep pitching rotation.

This year maybe their deepest yet.

“Already this season we’ve had 10 different pitchers start games and 13 who have seen time on the mound,” Jorgenson said. “Taylor Fuhs has developed into one of the better pitchers in the league, after starting his (Angels’) career at catcher. Winning 100 games in that many seasons does show consistency.”

Fuhs has been one of DL’s most versatile players, as well as one of the most reliable and consistent.

His .325 career batting average for the Angels is second only to Kirchner’s .361 mark, while providing the team his glove pretty much at every position.

The former Mayville State University player Fuhs credits the up-and-comers for keeping the Angels rejuvenated year in and year out.

“We have a solid Legion program in DL now and the young guys are good coming out of high school,” Fuhs added. “We have a lot of college players, as well, and the chemistry is good every year, with Phil (Kirchner) doing a good job with that.”

This year’s roster includes a dozen former Laker players, with every player but one or two having college baseball experience.

And that has been the case every season since 2007, with the latest being Mark Gulseth, who is a former Major League Baseball draftee and minor league player.

“We are getting the best three players each year from the DL High School program and Legion program and that will keep us consistent for years to come,” Jorgenson said.

Another luxury the DL team has is solid funding, which ultimately goes back to the community.

Solid support from community businesses has allowed the Angels the advantage of not worrying about funding a team.

And after each season is completed, the leftover money is donated to the DL Youth Baseball programs.

“We donate from $500 to $1,000 a year to the youth baseball programs,” Kirchner said. “That’s our goal, is to support and help the youth baseball teams. And Kim Fuhs (Taylor’s mother) does a terrific job on our financial end of matters.”

Having fun also goes hand-in-hand with success. The Angels are looking to getting back to the state tournament, and have the horses to doing so.

Their deep pitching staff boasts of a potential ace in DLHS graduate Brock Johnson — who is currently pitching for the Legion team, but has his four required games in to play in the Angels’ playoff games.

The lineup is also bolstered by Concordia College two-sport athlete and DL grad Chris Gilson and other former Lakers Nick Polejewski, Brandon Johnson, Jon Tolbert, Matt Huberty and Fuhs.

Transplant Trevor Tappe is also coming along strong, as is Buhr, so adding onto that 100th win is an expectation for this 2011 group of players.

“It’s been a lot of fun playing the last five years,” Fuhs said. “I’ve never been on a losing team (on the Angels) and we are hopefully looking to make it back to state.

“That’s our goal.”

With the century mark behind them, the Angels definitely are not looking to stop at 100.

Angels capture win No. 100 in Walk-off fashion

By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online

Clutch hitting and pitching marked up two more important victories for the Detroit Lakes Angels, who remain on their quest to wrap up the regular season Hi-10 League championship.

Mark Gulseth’s walk-off single Monday kicked off the fireworks for the Angels, who sealed their 100th victory since being re-established in 2007.

DL made a Washington Ballpark rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, after trailing 2-1 to the visiting Frazee Flames — and it was ignited by a pair of original Angels.

Taylor Fuhs started the comeback with a leadoff single, followed by co-manager and right fielder Phil Kirchner’s double. Fuhs was able to plate the tying run on a throwing error.

The game ended on Gulseth’s third hit of the game, a single which scored Kirchner and the winning run.

“Winning 100 games (in four and a half years) shows there is a commitment to baseball in Detroit Lakes,” said Kirchner, who helped spearhead the return of the Angels in 2007. “We do keep putting quality players out on the field, despite turnover every year. We’ve had great support from the community.”

Jon Tolbert pitched solidly, going the distance. The Flames did collect 11 hits, but DL and Tolbert were able to limit the damage to one run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.

The Angels (13-4 in Hi-10 action) had 14 hits, with Kirchner and Gulseth each going 3-5 and Brandon Johnson, 2-4.

Frazee was hindered by four errors, while DL had two. Tolbert was accurate, pitching for four strikeouts and walking none.

The Angels increased their Hi-10 lead over Bertha with a convincing 7-1 victory over the Blazers Friday at Washington Ballpark.

Kirchner’s three-run homer in the third inning keyed DL’s scoring, while Fuhs kept the Blazer bats off balance all evening with 12 strikeouts, allowing just seven hits.

DL had eight hits, with Fuhs, Kirchner (three runs scored) and Gulseth all having two apiece.

The Angels’ 13-4 league record is tops, followed by Wadena-Deer Creek’s 10-4, Bertha at 11-6 and Perham at 6-6. The bottom four teams are Bluffton (6-8), New York Mills (3-11), Audubon (2-10) and Henning (1-12).

Pelican Rapids leads the Countryside League with a perfect 10-0 record, followed by Vergas at 10-2, Fergus Falls at 7-2, Dent at 2-8 and Frazee at 4-12.

Detroit Lakes will host Vergas tonight (Wednesday) at 7:30 p.m. They will compete in the Jamestown, N.D., tournament Saturday and Sunday, travel to New York Mills next Wednesday and prepare for the Hi-10 playoffs on Friday, July 22.

The Detroit Lakes Angels are 3 wins away from picking up win number 100 in their 5th year. The Angels were reborn in 2007 and have had the following record each season.
29-7 in 2007
18-15 in 2008
15-15 in 2009
20-10 in 2010

The Angels career record entering the season was
82-47

The Angels are currently sitting with a season record of 15-7. This gives the team a career record of 97-54.

It’s been a long rehab for Detroit Lakes Angels’ pitcher Nick Polejewski after he underwent the infamous elbow procedure known as “Tommy John” surgery.

But if Sunday’s nine-inning performance is any indication, Polejewski looks to be nearly back to 100 percent.

Polejewski stifled the potent Fergus Falls team’s bats in the Angels’ Tournament third-place game at Washington Park Sunday, holding the Hurricanes to four hits in a 2-1 DL victory that spanned two extra innings of play.

“I haven’t pitched for that long in a game in about two years,” Polejewski said. “I struggled some with my curveball, but my fastball was tailing well and I was attacking the strike zone well.

“Mentally, it was difficult not to think about it, but I haven’t been able to go that long in a while.”

Luckily for the Angels, Polejewski could, as he pitched out of several jams, which was also aided by some solid defensive plays.

After the ’Canes scored the tying run in the top of the sixth inning, when Casey Kowalski led off with a double and later scored on a passed ball, each team was held scoreless in the seventh and the extra eighth frame.

By tournament rules, the ninth inning starts by placing a runner at second base with no outs.

After a sacrifice fly gave Fergus Falls a runner at third base with one out, Polejewski forced a groundout to shortstop Reed Oistad and ended the inning with a fly out to second base.

“The defense certainly helped me out,” Polejewski added.

It didn’t take long for the Lakers to score the winning run, as rightfielder and co-manager Phil Kirchner took his position on second base.

Third base slugger Mark Gulseth quickly cracked a hard liner over the FF right fielder’s head, as Kirchner easily scored from second.

“That’s what Mark can do,” Kirchner said. “Nick also came through big and he kept his composure and threw strikes.”

The victory was also the first one over the ’Canes by the Angels in five years, and improved DL’s record to 9-7.

The Angels lost in the semifinals to Jamestown, N.D., by the score of 2-1.

Jamestown, which is a traditional state champion from North Dakota and eventually became the DL Tournament champ, held the Angels to one hit in the victory.

Doug Dickey came up with DL’s lone RBI.

“Jamestown has a lot of college players and is a very good team,” Kirchner said.

DL stranded the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Chris Gilson took the loss after pitching five strong innings, giving up four hits and striking out seven.

The Angels advanced through the first round with a 14-4 blasting of Crookston Friday.

DL collected 12 hits, including a 3-3 night by Oistad, while Kirchner had two homeruns and four RBIs.

Matt Huberty pitched all five innings in the 10-run mercy rule game, allowing six hits and striking out seven.