ELROSA SAINTS 4, MEIRE GROVE GROVERS 1 (5/20/2018)

The Saints defeated their Stearns County League rival the Grovers, backed by a pair of very good pitching performances. Austin Imdieke started on the mound for the Saints, he threw seven innings to earn the win. He scattered four hits, surrendered just one run and he recorded three strikeouts. Ethan Vogt threw the final two innings in relief to earn the save, he gave up one hit and he recorded four strikeouts. Brady Weller went 1-for-3 with a big two run home run and Cody Eichers went 1-for-4 with a big home run. Veteran Aaron Vogt went 1-for-3 with a home run and James Kuefler went 1-for-3 and he scored a run. Evan Wiener and Brandon Roelke both earned walks.

The Grovers’ Matt Imdieke was the starting pitcher, he threw seven innings. He gave up five hits, issued one walk, surrendered four runs and he recorded six strikeouts. Ben Klaphake threw one inning in relief, he issued a pair of walks and he recorded two strikeouts. Brady Birch threw the final inning in relief, he issued one walk and he recorded three strikeouts. Anthony Weller went 1-for-3 with a RBI and Jordan Klaphake went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt. Andrew Weller, Tanner Klaphake and Drake Meyer all went 1-for-4. Tyler Moscho earned a walk, he was hit by a pitch and he scored a run and Jordan Klaphake had a sacrifice bunt and he was hit by a pitch.

The Minnesota Baseball Association Board announced proposed changes for the upcoming season to regions across Class C.

The affected regions include: Region 1, Region 4, Region 5, Region 6, Region 11 and Region 15. The Sauk Valley League moves from Region 1 to Region 11, Region 4 will see the Corn Belt League move in from Region 11C and the County Line League join it. The Classic Cannon Valley League Class C teams shift to Region 5 to join the Twins River League. The 13-60 League moved over to Region 6 from Region 4. Region 15 is just the Stearns County League teams.

Region 1 will see a reduction of one state slot, going from three to two. Region 11 will gain a state slot, moving up from three slots to four. Region 15 will lose one of its four state slots and will have three this season.

“This is a little premature, but we were working on several issues at the same time,” MBA Vice President Fred Roufs said. “If regions are going to change, it never hurts if they know early.”

The board hasn’t realigned the regions since 2012 and geography went into the board wanting to shift the regions around.

“These are better geographically than what we had,” Director Joe Kreger said.

The region assignments will be officially decided in April but Roufs said the board is open to suggestions if people feel it missed something.

                                                                Teams     State Slots

Region 1: Eastern Minny                                  10                   2

Region 2: Tomahawk                                       12                    3

Region 3: DRS                                                12                    4

Region 4: Corn Belt and County Line                 12                 3

Region 5: Cannon Valley and Twin Rivers           13                3

Region 6: River Valley and 13-60                      16                   3

Region 7: Crow River                                       13                    4

Region 8: Victory                                             20                     4

Region 9: Land O’ Ducks                                   13                   2

Region 10: Red River (Formerly Norman-Polk)      7                2

Region 11: Sauk Valley and Central Valley           15                4

Region 12: North Star                                       12                    4

Region 13: First Nite and Gopher                        14                 3

Region 14: HI-10 and Lake and Pine                   13                 2

Region 15: Stearns County                                 10                  3

Region 16: Resorters East and West, Countryside 13              2

Other noteworthy actions at the meeting included the board moving forward with keeping the pitcher/designated hitter rule it has used in the past. The board has followed the Minnesota State High School League’s pitcher/designated hitter rule in the past but the MSHSL is moving away from its rule. But the MBA will continue to allow the pitcher to be listed as the designated hitter.

MSHSL Experimental DH Rule 3-1-4 states:

The pitcher may be listed as the starting Pitcher/Designated Hitter on the lineup card presented to the umpire-in-chief and official scorer prior to the start of the game. (This will appear as a nine player lineup for the game but the tenth player is listed due to the dual position listing of the starting pitcher.) A hitter may (not mandatory) be designated for any one starting player and all subsequent substitutes for that player in the game. A starting defensive player cannot be listed as the DH in the starting lineup except for the pitcher.

The pitcher can concurrently play pitcher and DH. A DH for a player shall be selected prior to the start of the game, and his name shall be included on the lineup cards presented to the UIC and to the official scorer. Failure to declare a DH prior to the game precludes the use of a DH in that game. If during the course of the game the player is replaced as the pitcher; he can remain in the game in the role of the DH.

If during the course of the game the player is replaced as the DH, he can remain in the game as the pitcher. The player (pitcher) shall be locked into his original slot on the lineup card as Pitcher/DH or both and may reenter the game in either position as any other starter can as long as he has not been removed from both positions.

If a pinch hitter or pinch runner for the DH is used, that player becomes the new DH. The player who was the DH may re-enter as the DH under the reentry rule. A DH and the player for who he is batting are locked into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation. The role of the DH is terminated for the remainder of the game when:

1. the defensive player, or any previous defensive player for whom the DH, batted, subsequently   bats, pinch hits or pinch runs for the DH; or

2. the DH or any previous DH assumes a defensive position (except the starting pitcher); or

3. if the player is replaced in both roles, pitcher and DH.

The board also announced that in 2018 all bats need to be approved for use by their professional league.

For playoff baseball in the opening round the higher seeded team will be assigned the first-base line dugout. Thereafter the games will be pre-assigned for home and visitor on the state bracket. The home team will always have the first-base dugout.

Dan Swanson was named the Section 1 commissioner, Brian Swanson will be the Region 5 commissioner and Tim Thom will serve as Region 1 commissioner.

Jeff Janzen announced he will no longer maintain the MBA coaches directory. Mike Nagel, Tom Lemke and Dennis Brennan will work to update the directory moving forward.

The board additionally voted to allow the Norman Polk League to change its name to the Red River League.  

Battle for the Keg tightens rivalry and friendships for Elrosa and Spring Hill
Posted on Nov 20, 2017

 http://mnbaseball.org/news/13630

By Nick Gerhardt

Scoremonster Contributor

Out on the Minnesota prairie there exists a keg unlike any other.

Some say it has enough vexing power to curse a team, others make sure it appears at some of life’s biggest moments. At all times it’s something to behold and bring together the communities of Elrosa and Spring Hill for annual battles to gain possession of its decade-old contents of green beer from a St. Patrick’s Day of yesteryear.

Just 8 miles separate Elrosa and Spring Hill and during some fierce battles it might feel that it’s not enough distance between the hamlets that total 308 in population.

It seems mythology is based around some fact but let’s allow for some of the facts surrounding the keg to come through.

It is true the keg has disappeared twice and has appeared on horseback.

Some say the keg was an attempt to curb some of the trash talking between the clubs. There are those who claim arguments sprouted up at weddings, gun raffles, ham dinners, family reunions and local bars. They’d begin about baseball but veered into arguments over scoop shovel gloves, twine cutting and the mysterious disappearance of field equipment and the reappearance of the equipment painted in the rival’s colors.

The keg has rolled down the Spring Hill church parking lot and even paraded around Spring Hill on horseback by Elrosa players. It has been said to be guarded by chain-smoking trolls, though the keg wasn’t safe during a three-day keg-napping in the summer of 2014.

“It’s just a good symbol of respect,” Saints shortstop Matt Middendorf said of the keg rivalry.

Forging the rivalry

What makes this rivalry even more unique is that the two squads have long featured players familiar with each other since Little League. Elrosa’s roster features players who attended Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa High School and Sauk Centre High School. Spring Hill’s roster is mainly players who graduated from Melrose. The two schools are longtime conference rivals and most of the players grew up competing against each other. Even then it was a class rivalry with a shared respect.

It took a pair of rivals becoming teammates in college to begin one of the most interesting rivalry stories in town ball. Middendorf and Elrosa teammate Ethan Vogt played at Ridgewater Community College and there they met the Terres boys -- Nate and Jamie from Spring Hill. Middendorf and Nate Terres first played together at Ridgewater and later Vogt and Jamie became teammates and led the team to the 2004-05 National Junior College Athletic Association World Series. Vogt and Jamie also played a summer with Thunder Bay in the Northwoods League.

“Growing up all the way from little league, you remember playing these guys,” Jamie Terres said.

With the friendships formed in college, it turned into something fun for the friends when they met on the diamond for town ball and to keep it interesting they added a keg.

The idea of playing for the keg began when Elrosa’s Gumby Bauer had an old keg laying around from a St. Patrick’s Day party in 2007 that some people noticed months later. An idea sprouted to create a rivalry game with Spring Hill by painting both teams’ logos on opposite sides of the keg, like a trophy game in the Big 10. The score of each meeting is kept on the side of the keg, like the jug the Minnesota and Michigan football teams play for each year. It was later found that the keg still held some beer when a ballboy pressed down on it and it sprayed green beer, Middendorf said.

With the proximity of the towns and the mutual friendships, the battle for the keg pits family and friends against each other.

Five sets of families play for Spring Hill -- there are five members of the Schoenberg family including manager Randy, four Terres boys, a pair of Bartens, Welles and Revermanns.

Though the lines on the field are clearly drawn, they tend to blur in the stands. An Elrosa player is engaged to marry a relative of a Chargers player and in the stands, people might wear a Saints shirt but sport a Spring Hill hat later in the day. The keg will likely be at the upcoming wedding as an honored guest. It’s appeared at Middendorf’s wedding and Vogt’s wedding. But things get tricky when someone who’s getting married and their club doesn’t have possession of the keg.

“They want to make sure that thing’s at their wedding,” Middendorf said. “If it’s not there it’s kind of a big deal. You never have to want to go to the other town and pay a fee to rent it.”

Appearance fees for the keg usually run a case or two of beer.

When the keg isn’t on the field it’ll be in Bucky’s Bar for winter in Elrosa. Spring Hill rotates it between the Horseshoe Bar and Extra Innings. But now both sides keep it locked up for good reason.

The keg-napping

The keg has been stolen twice since its creation but one instance stands out. Dubbed the “keg-napping” it disappeared for three days in 2014. On a Friday the 13th, leading up to a June 16 meeting. Spring Hill held possession of the keg by way of a 6-3 win back in May.

Spring Hill summoned a search party while a Twitter account, @whereisthekeg, sprung up.

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Where's The Keg?@whereisthekeg

 

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10:13 AM - Jun 14, 2014

 

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Through some deduction work the keg was later found underneath a blanket in a vehicle located in neighboring Lake Henry. Though it was found no suspects were ever identified.

“I think the consensus was we knew where it was headed,” Jamie Terres said. “It was a little bit of a rabbit hunt. We start singling out the people. When you could hear the cows in the background you knew it wasn’t [the Vogts].”

The Vogts are dairy farmers who run the family farm and milk around 200 cows.

Buoyed by the temporary loss of the keg, the Chargers won the June 16 meeting.

Theft of the keg has stopped since then because it became a bit of a curse. Spring Hill lost the next two meetings after it stole the keg. The Saints lost the game following the disappearance of the keg.

Spring Hill leads the all-time series 20-18 and own one of the most dramatic victories in the series.

In a win-or-go home region playoff game in 2015, Spring Hill scored the biggest win in the rivalry since the creation of the keg trophy with a 5-3 victory to grab a spot at the state tournament.

Elrosa advanced to this year’s state tournament and made it through its first two games before falling to Jordan. Spring Hill’s season came to a close in a 7-4 loss to Meire Grove in the Stearns County League North playoffs.

The keg meanwhile will sit in Bucky’s in Elrosa until the spring comes.

“It’s going to be a long, dark winter there,” Jamie Terres said.

Photos courtesy of Elrosa Saints 

WIN-LOSS HISTORY, 1950-2017.

JORDAN BREWERS 4 ELROSA SAINTS 0

GREEN ISLE--The Saints’ season came to an end as they were defeated by the Brewers of the River View League and Region 6A. The Brewers collected 11 hits, backed by a very good pitching performance by Mitch Bockenstedt. He threw a complete game to earn the win, he scattered 5 hits, issued no walks and he recorded 6 strikeouts. Jake Lucas led the Brewers offense, he went 2-4 with a big 2 run home run, he was hit by a pitch and he scored a run. Joe Lucas had a great game, he went 4-4 with a double, two stolen bases and he scored a run. Nate Beckman went 2-4 and he scored a pair of runs and Alex Beckman went 2-4. Devyn Ulibarri went 1-1 and Adam Kabul earned a walk.

The Saints, Ethan Vogt, the former University of Minnesota Gopher player, started on the mound, he threw 7 innings, he gave up 9 hits, issued one walk, he surrendered 4 runs and he recorded 8 strikeouts. Ethan actually gave up 8 of those hits to four players and seven were singles. His brother, veteran Aaron Vogt threw 2 innings in relief, he gave up 2 hits. Five base hits were collected by the Saints, Matt Schmitz, Cody Eichers and James Kuefler all went 1-4. Forty-three-year-old Pat Illies 1-3, Player-Manager A.J. Hadley went 1-3, Matt Middendorf was hit by a pitch and Brandon Roelike had a stolen base. They ended their season with a 24-11 record for the season. They were the Stearns County North regular season champions.

https://youtu.be/cWRkPJ5xwlc

SAINTS BATTLE THE ELEMENTS AND WIN IN 13 INNINGS OVER HAMPTON

ELROSA 7, HAMPTON 6 (13 INNINGS)

NORWOOD--Mother nature decided to rain on the 2nd game here in Norwood. However, a good portion of this game was managed to play before they ultimately called the game.

The first pitch of the game drilled Matt Middendorf of Elrosa in the hip. He then managed to make his way over to third base after a walk and a single. Ethan Vogt then drove him in with an RBI single to put Elrosa up 1-0 early. The next batter then grounded into a double play to end the opportunity for more runs.

Middendorf led off the third inning with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He would then make his way over to third after a ground ball bumped him over. Matt then scored on a passed ball during James Kuefler at bat with two outs to make it 2-0.  Austen Hadley led off the fourth inning with a single and was scored on a successful suicide squeeze by his brother A.J. to make it 3-0.

(AJ Hadley successfully squeezes in Austen Hadley- photo Randy Olson)

Hampton’s bats started coming alive in the bottom of the fourth when the first three batters got on base (single, walk, hit by pitch). David Barry then drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly to left field. Two batters later Rhett Hebig drove in another run with a single up the middle to make it a one run ballgame.

The first delay took place after the fourth inning. Elrosa’s starter was Jimmy Thull, who was a draftee out of New Munich, pitched solidly the first four innings allowing only four hits and two runs. Adam Moorse pitched the first four innings for Hampton as he allowed only four hits and three runs while striking out four.

Once play resumed both team’s bats stayed quiet for the fifth and sixth inning. Hampton then rallied in the bottom of the seventh when A.J. Sayer started the bottom half with a single. The next two batters got out and that’s when the Cardinals delivered clutch two out hits starting with an RBI single from Pat Strey, followed by an RBI double from David Barry, and then capped off by an RBI single from Johnny Dittman to make it 5-3.

Elrosa managed to get their first three batters aboard in the 8th and the game was suspended with the bases loaded and no outs. The game will be resumed at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Norwood.

(Elrosa hanging in the dugout waiting out the 1st Rain Delay- photo Randy Olson)

SATURDAY

In the top of the 8th and bases loaded with no outs, Ethan Vogt drove in an RBI with a Sac Fly to CF. Austen Hadley popped out and the runners were unable to advance. Pat continued his legendary postseason with a 2-out RBI single to knot the game at 5-5.

Elrosa would score a run in the top of the 11th, but Hampton followed suit in the bottom half to score 1 run to push the game to the 12th. Ethan Vogt battled through 4 walks and 1 hit to keep base runners stranded into the 13th. In the top of the 13th, the Saints would once again load the bases with a 1 out bunt single placed perfectly down the 3rd base line on a play where it looked like Elrosa was going to send Matt Middendorf home from second base on the play, but the 3rd basemen didn't have a throw on the play.

Bases loaded with 2 outs as Matt Schmitz would strike out and Cody Eichers drove in the game winning run on a HBP. Ethan Vogt would shut the door in the bottom of 13, going 1-2-3 on 3 consective fly balls to LF, 3B, and CF.

Elrosa advances to take on Jordan in Green Isle next Saturday at 5pm in the Sweet 16.

(Saints clinch consecutive Sweet 16 births and are headed to Labor Day Weekend-photo Randy Olson)