Rebels take on 2024 VFW State Tournament

The Champlin Park VFW baseball team took part in the 2024 VFW State Tournament last week, hosted at the Joe Faber and Dick Putz Fields in Saint Cloud July 31 through Aug. 4.

Champlin Park earned their spot at the tournament after becoming District 7 champions the week prior, beating Elk River 5-3 in game two of a double header final. The team entered the state tournament with a 19-7 overall record this summer.

Champlin Park’s first game of the tournament saw them face Willmar in the second round of games, losing 8-1 at Faber Field Aug. 2. Willmar’s win was secured in part by a five-run surge in the sixth inning. Champlin Park’s one run was scored by Kyle Brooks in the bottom of the second, batted in by CT Georgopoulos.

The Rebels moved to the elimination bracket for a second game last Friday, where they faced Rochester in an eventual 11-6 loss to conclude their participation in the 2024 VFW State Tournament.

The loss saw Rochester take an early 3-0 lead, but the Rebels answered with three runs in the bottom of the third from Georgopoulos, Joshua Henchen, and Mattis Verdoes to tie it up. Verdoes also had an RBI double in that inning. Jaden Oligmueller hit an RBI double to get Henchen home.

Rochester responded in the top of the fourth with six runs and two more in the top of the fifth. Champlin Park went to work in the top of the sixth and found three runs from Alex Berg, Verdoes, Georgopoulos and Caleb Greer, but it was not enough to close the gap. Of note, Greer hit a double to bring in two runners in the sixth.