Hopkins banks on pitching for sub-state

Several changes in sub-state alignments left American Legion baseball teams in Sub-State 3 with a one in six chance of making it to the State Division I Tournament.

Chaska announced that it was dropping out of the playoffs and Bloomington 1 was moved into a different sub-state by the state Legion tournament committee, leaving only six in Sub-State 3: The host team from Shakopee, plus Chanhassen, Edina, Hopkins, Hutchinson and Waconia. None of those six teams made it to state in 2023. Hopkins and Edina both went to state in 2022.

Hopkins head coach Tyler Brodersen sees an opportunity for his team even though the Flyers are one of the youngest Legion teams in the state.

“At times we have hit well and not fielded well and at other times we’ve fielded well and not hit well,” coach Brodersen said.

Hopkins has an overall record of 11-12 and the season highlight was winning four of five games in the 96-team Gopher Classic.

The Flyers wrapped up the regular season July 19 with a 4-3 South Hennepin League road victory over St. Louis Park. An RBI single in the top of the eighth inning by Blake Harder supplied the victory margin. Each team had seven hits and two errors in the contest. Manni Butterbaugh and Ethan Sawatzke both went two-for-three for the Flyers. Other hits were by Colin McGee and Wyatt Petersen.

Bennett Frodermann started on the mound for Hopkins and pitched 4 2/3 innings. Liam Dalle pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to get the win.

In another late-season game last week, the Flyers lost to Shakopee 9-8 July 17.

Joe Schaefer was the key player for Hopkins, going three-for-four at the plate. Tyler Vandersall had two hits while Flyer teammates Sawatzke, Petersen, Josh Paskoff and Luke Guggenberger each had one hit. Guggenberger’s hit was a triple. Paskoff pitched three innings for Hopkins and Frodermann and Vandersall each pitched two.

Looking to sub-state play, coach Brodersen said, “We think we have a good pitching staff with six or seven guys who could start a game. Luke Guggenberger always gives us a good chance, Tyler Vandersall is having a good season and Bennett Frodermann and Levi Black are leaders on the staff. Paskoff and Reid Oertli give Hopkins two lefties with experience on the mound. In addition, infielder Schaefer has proven he can throw strikes.

“We are young, but we have good leaders - Vandersall and McGie,” Brodersen said.

The sub-state tournament began earlier this week at Schleper Field in Shakopee and runs through Saturday, July 27. Only the winner advances to state.