Wayzata shows grit in winning state baseball opener

“The magical ride continues,” Wayzata High baseball coach Bobby DeWitt said after a 6-5 win over St. Cloud in the opening round of the State Class AAAA Tournament June 13 at CHS Field in St. Paul.

Even though the Trojans stood 24-0 going into the game, DeWitt and his players took nothing for granted against a team that combines players from the two public high schools in St. Cloud - Tech and Apollo.

“St. Cloud is a scrappy bunch that doesn’t strike out much,” coach DeWitt said. “Their hitters fouled off a lot of pitches.”

Senior righthander Riley Leatherman, a University of North Carolina recruit, pitched the first five innings for Wayzata, improving to 9-0 for the season. Brady Lash came in from his post at first base to pitch the final two innings for the save.

Leatherman allowed five hits while striking out seven and walking four. Three of the four runs against him were earned. Lash allowed two hits, struck out one and walked two.

The big hit of the game was unquestionably a two-run single in the fifth inning by James Hansen that gave Wayzata a 6-4 lead. Hansen started the season on the JV team, but has since become a key hitter in the lineup as the starting second baseman.

Third baseman Tyler Gullickson had two hits and two RBIs for the Trojans while teammate Kieran Leatherman, Riley’s brother, went one-for-one with two RBIs. Adam Deselich had a two-for-three day and scored two runs. Other Trojan hits came from Lash, Matthew Berkland, Gaard Swenson and Michael Reem.

The hits by Deselich were a double and a triple.

Due to an early Sun deadline, based on the Juneteenth holiday, coverage of subsequent Wayzata state tournament games will appear in the June 27 newspaper.

Wayzata’s second tournament game was in progress June 14 as this edition went to press that afternoon.

DeWitt describe the victory over St. Cloud as “a real nail-biter” and hoped his team’s last two games of the season would be solid wins.

“We have been to state a handful of times,” he said. “This is only the second time we have won our state opener.”

The one previous time the Trojans opened with a win, they went on to take the state title.