Eden Prairie’s American Legion baseball team has taken over the top spot in Scheels’ Statewide Legion poll.
The way the Eagles did that is easy to understand. In two recent games, they beat last week’s No. 1 Wayzata 5-4 and last week’s No. 2 Tri-City Red 6-5.
“The thing that impresses me most about our guys is the way they respond when they’re trailing in a game,” EP head coach Mike O’Brien said. “Wayzata is the best team we’ve played so far, and they'll be a force late in the season.”
Eden Prairie finished second in the State Division I Tournament last summer and Wayzata brought home fourth place.
The morning after playing Wayzata, Eden Prairie left for a tournament in Gillette, Wyo.
“Our game with Wayzata ended about 10:30 p.m., then we had to catch the bus for Wyoming at 8 a.m.,” O’Brien said. “We had some tired players on the bus.”
With a veteran team this summer, O’Brien isn’t surprised with his club’s ability to mount comebacks.
Eden Prairie fell behind Wayzata 3-1 before taking the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. Wayzata tied it in the bottom of the fifth, and then two scoreless frames sent the contest into extra innings.
EP second baseman Nick Thompson sent the Eagles ahead to stay in the top of the eighth with an RBI single. Aiden Keranen slammed the door on Wayzata with his third scoreless inning. Keegan Meadows and Vinny Dykstra also pitched for EP. Thompson delivered three of the Eagles’ eight hits. Hawken Hedlund, Haddon Anderson, Ryan Holtz, Zander Hemmesh and Josh Kelly each had one hit.
Hopkins Legion
The Hopkins American Legion baseball team has an opportunity for bonding on a tournament trip to Omaha.
Two wins in five games gave the Flyers a chance to look at different combinations in the field and different pitchers. Head coach Tyler Brodersen left Omaha with the belief that his team will compete well in future tournaments.
“We had some good pitching performances in Omaha,” he said. “Levi Black and Luke Guggenberger did a fantastic job. Shout out to Wyatt Petersen, who caught all five games on the trip and hit .400. Bruce Lowmanstone and Liam Dalle hit well. Chase Radel had a walk-off hit in one of our wins.”
Hopkins opened the Omaha tourney with a 6-3 win over Sheridan, Ark. Black pitched a three-hitter and Petersen led the offense by going three-for-four teammate Colin McGie added two hits. Josh Paskoff, Ethan Sawatsky and Dalle added hits.
The Flyers lost their second game to a travel team, Kansas Curve 10-5. Joe Schaefer was Hopkins’ player of the game with three hits. Petersen had two hits.
Next was a game with Dakota Valley from South Dakota that Hopkins won 5-4. Paskoff and Bennett Frodermann shared pitching duties for the Flyers, limiting Dakota Valley to four hits. Guggenberger, Dalle and Manni Butterbaugh led the offense with two hits each. Guggenberger and Dalle each had two RBIs.
Hopkins lost the next game to Elkhorn, Neb. 4-3. Guggenberger pitched 7 and 1/3 innings of the eight-inning game, allowing three runs on six hits. Sawatsky, Lowmanstone and Petersen each had two hits for the Flyers.
The tournament closed with Hopkins falling to Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 11-3. McGie and Lowmanstone each had two hits and Black drove in two runs. “We gave up nine in the top of the seventh inning,” Brodersen said. “We ran out of gas.”
Next for the Flyers is the Stars & Stripes Tournament in Delano July 3-6.
“We have played well there in the past, but haven’t won a championship yet,” Brodersen said. The Flyers opened pool play July 3 and are hoping to make it to the championship bracket on Saturday, July 6.
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