K-W baseball applies heat to Polars

A Polar influx couldn't cool down Kenyon-Wanamingo in the teams' regular season finale.

The Knights (14-6) head into the postseason on a positive after winning 13-1 in five innings May 20 vs. the Minneapolis North Polars (2-11).

While the result was lopsided, it was largely a result of North pitchers failing to locate the strike zone. A slew of errors compounded the Polars' tough luck.

The Knights did record nine hits, including one sailing over the fence in left center field.

"Noah Wallaker hit a two-run homer to kind of give us a big inning off the bat and settle us in for the day," K-W head coach Kirby VanDeWalker said of Wallaker, who has two of the Knights' six home runs on the season and leads the team with a .370 batting average.

K-W led 9-1 after two innings. The final score could have been greater. The Knights temporarily had 15 runs and counting in the bottom of the fourth inning until they self-reported that they batted out of order earlier in the inning. That resulted in two runs coming off the board and the inning abruptly ending.

The Knights shuffled through three pitchers, including No. 3 pitcher junior Gunner Kennedy, who threw 25 pitches and will be eligible to pitch again per MSHSL pitch count rules in the section playoff opener two days later.

Kennedy has a 2.01 earned run average. He's part of a three-headed monster on the mound led by senior Will Van Epps, who has a 2.24 ERA in 25 innings while routinely matching up against K-W's top conference foes. Senior Colton Steberg leads in innings pitched (36 2/3) and owns a 1.91 ERA.

Junior Owen Edwards pitched a scoreless fifth inning against North and leads the team with a 1.58 ERA over 17 2/3 innings.

The rare matchup with Minneapolis North was not on the original schedule. It was added midway through when an opening for one more game came about.

VanDeWalker sent an email to legendary former Waseca coach Tink Larson. He has decades of experience in the Minnesota baseball scene and a limitless rolodex to contact fellow coaches whose teams were in need of a game like K-W was.

"One of the big things is getting another game in so that see we could see where we’re at before postseason," Van Epps said, "see what needs to be improved on for tomorrow and stuff. It was a good game for us. The score doesn’t really do it justice, but we found some things to work on."

Van Epps' pitching prowess also included a 4-0 record and a 56:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Add that to his offensive arsenal of a .345 batting average with three home runs, 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 55 at-bats and you've got a resume that netted him 2024 Gopher Conference Player of the Year honors.

"It’s awesome. It comes full circle. I put a lifetime of effort into it," Van Epps said. "Succeeding at something you love to do is icing on the cake. It’s awesome."

He was part of the team that made history as conference champs for the first time in his and his teammates' lifetimes.

"It was a cool experience we got to bring one home for K-W, which was awesome," Van Epps said.

UP NEXT

K-W is experiencing some deja vu.

For the second straight year, the Knights will host the Mabel-Canton Cougars in round one of the Minnesota State High School League Class 1A, Section 1 playoffs. The game is slated for 5 p.m. May 22 in Wanamingo.

Last year, it was a No. 6 vs. No. 11 seed matchup with the underdog Mabel-Canton (6-15) coming away with a 6-1 victory over K-W (10-10).

In 2024, K-W has bumped up to the No. 3 seed. Mabel-Canton (5-14) is No. 14.

K-W was No. 16 out of 120 teams in the Class 1A QRF ranking and M-C No. 84 when seeds were released.

The Knights are 4-2 vs. the section with wins at Blooming Prairie, vs. Hayfield, at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and at United South Central. Losses came vs. Goodhue and vs. Southland.

The Cougars are 4-13 vs. the section. Mutual opponents include at Goodhue (loss), vs. Hayfield (loss) doubleheader at Southland (losses).

M-C is led by its lone member on the 2023 all-section team, senior catcher Cayden Tollefsrud.

The K-W vs. M-C loser is eliminated. The winner moves on to the double elimination-portion of the tournament and advances to play noon May 25 at Riverland Community College Field No. 3 vs. No. 6 Spring Grove (12-7) or No. 11 Wabasha-Kellogg (6-13).

That side of the bracket is headed by No. 2 Lyle/Austin Pacelli (16-2) hosting No. 15 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro (1-19).

No. 7 Lewiston-Altura (9-9) hosts No. 10 Rushford-Peterson (7-13).

The other side of the bracket is headed by No. 1 Southland (16-1), which received a bye. It awaits the winner of No. 9 Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (9-10) at No. 8 Blooming Prairie (10-7)

No. 4 Hayfield (14-6) hosts No. 13 United South Central (9-10). No. 5 Goodhue (9-10) hosts No. 12 Houston (9-11).

All first round games are May 22 at high seeds. Second round games are noon May 25 across four fields at Riverland. Two elimination games are held the same day at 2 p.m. at Field 1 and 4.