Not so for the Jamestown Miller Lite Merchants, who were created by Tom and Jeff Gould 26 years ago and now are in the very capable hands of Bryan Erstad.
After winning in 2013, but falling short last summer, the Merchants reclaimed the Class AAA crown on Sunday, beating the Mayville Red Caps 6-4 at Jack Brown Stadium.
The Merchants also beat their longtime in-town rival Sunday -- the Jamestown Elks -- 5-0 in the semifinals.
With Erstad and fellow Jamestown High graduates Jared Purdy and Joe Vannett still going strong, the Merchants also have new blood pumping through the roster in the likes of Brady Anderson and Brandon Baumgartner, both of whom figured prominently into the ninth state championship in team history.
"There was a lot of history out there today," said Anderson after going 4-for-5 with two doubles in the win over the Red Caps. "Mayville has a good team. ... The Elks, that's always a rivalry. It was a good day for our team."
Mayville's last amateur title came in 1984, but they were close this year. The Red Caps beat the Jamestown Hounds in dramatic fashion in the first semifinal game on Sunday.
They fell behind early 3-0 in the championship game, but rallied to within 6-4 and had the tying run at the plate in the ninth before Merchants' pitcher Sam Hirchert finished off a nine-inning complete game effort on the mound.
"We really wanted to win last year, the anniversary year, but to come back and have a pretty good tournament here this weekend, we can feel good about that," said standout shortstop and pitcher Mickey Berry, who went 8-for-15 in the tournament. "Either way it's fun to come out here and play with your friends and family. This is something we look forward to every year. Hopefully we can keep getting better and have another chance at it next year."
The Merchants' pitching depth continues to set them apart.
Greg Lunski tossed a gem Saturday and Jameson Benson was also solid in the oppressive heat on Saturday.
Baumgartner had the beauty of the bunch however, firing a two-hit shutout to beat the Elks in the semifinals on Sunday.
The former UND standout, who ironically works in the NDSU athletic department, led the Merchants in wins and innings this summer.
"You try to stay fit and be as ready as you can for the season. I've had some injuries the last few years, but I've been able to stay healthy, so that always helps," Baumgartner said. "The expectations are always high for the Merchants. The team has a lot of tradition and we want to maintain the standard and keep building on the past accomplishments."
After Baumgartner's gem in the semis, Hirchert delivered in the championship.
He sailed through the first eight innings, but the Red Caps went down fighting in the ninth. Alex Berry's two-run double cut the lead to 6-4, but Hirchert got Danny Scholand to end it.
Hirchert graduated from Mayville State and actually played some amateur ball with the Redcaps before anchoring down with the Merchants.
"It was fun having that little battle with Sammy, we're pretty familiar with him and he is with us," said Mickey Berry. "We all know Sam's a good pitcher. We made it interesting there at the end, though."
Spirits were upbeat for both teams after the championship game, which signals the unofficial end of baseball season in North Dakota.
For the Merchants, it's another trophy to display, while the Red Caps -- along with the Jamestown Hounds -- proved there is growing competition in the state's top amateur class.
"It is good to see these teams getting better and improving," said Baumgartner, who pitched at Jack Brown Stadium during his American Legion days with Coon Rapids, Minn. "Everybody wants to do well, but it's also just a lot of fun to be out here playing ball and having fun."
For Berry, it's back to the classroom in Edmore, N.D., where he's the first- and second-grade teacher.
"I told all the college guys, 'hey, have fun,'" Mickey said smiling. "For me, the fun is over. It's back to work."
Class AA State Amateur Tournament
At Jack Brown Stadium
Championship
Jamestown Miller Lite Merchants 6, Mayville Red Caps 4
Merchants 300 000 003 -- 6 9 4
Red Caps 001 000 003 -- 4 9 3
Sam Hirchert and Austin Monson. Mitch Lacher, Gabe Salander (9) and Austin Monson. W--Hirchert. L--Lacher.
Highlights, Merchants, Brady Anderson 4-5 2 2B, RBI, R; Joe Vannett 2-4, 2 RBI, R; Dan Ross 1-3; Joey Demers 1-4 R. Redcaps, Brady Nygaard 3-5 2 2B; Alex Berry 1-5 2B, 2 RBI; Austin Monson 2-4; Preston Kath 1-3, R; Chase Elliott 1-3, R; Connor Weber 1-3 R.
