A disappointing finish to the regular season July 19 at Edina might increase the Wayzata Wizards’ motivation for the Sub-State 11 Tournament this week at Osseo High.
The tournament opened July 23. Wayzata’s first game was scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, against either Big Lake or Annandale. If Wayzata wins, it will play again at 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 26. The tournament concludes Sunday, July 28, with the winner advancing to the state tourney Aug. 1-4.
Wayzata is the defending champion in Sub-State 11 and finished fourth at state last year. Coach Marshall Dalziel has spent this summer retooling his squad after losing key players from last year’s team such as pitcher John Skoro and shortstop Jake Berkland. The Wizards enter the playoffs with an overall record of 13-16. A tougher schedule than the team had last season has them battle-tested.
Getting back to the disappointing finish at Edina, the Wizards seemed to have things under control early with a 6-0 lead and later with a 12-3 lead. But a seven-run fifth inning by Edina changed that and the Hornets ended up with a 14-13 win, thanks to four consecutive hits in the bottom of the eighth inning.
“Give credit to Edina,” coach Dalziel said. “They were down 12-3, but they made some magic. Their dugout was pumped. It looked like they were out of it before that, but we gave them life.”
The game was all about offense with Edina getting 16 hits and Wayzata firing back with 15 hits. Jack McCoy, who had the game-winning hit, went four-for-six as did his teammate, Michael Simonson.
Chris Gearen, Wayzata’s losing pitcher in relief, went three-for-five with three runs scored and three RBIs in one of his best games of the season. His 375-foot home run over the left-field fence put Wayzata ahead 13-12 in the top of the eighth inning. Tyler Gullickson, who is on a seven-game hitting streak added three more hits for Wayzata. Tyler Esposito and Joey Andrada each had two hits to go with one each by Kyle Boutwell, Adam Deselich, Liam Hall, Mason Pittman and Gaard Swenson.
Wayzata had a similar game the night before playing Edina with a 15-13 victory over St. Louis Park. It was another hitting bonanza for the Wizards as Brady Lash led the attack by going four-for-four. Gullickson went four-for-six in adding to Wayzata’s total of 20 hits. Matthew Welk, Pittman and Gearen had three hits apiece and Swenson chipped in with a pair of hits.
Two other games last week were more typical of the Wizards’ overall play this summer. They lost to Tri-City Red 6-5 and Mankato American 5-3 in two close, well-played contests.
The Tri-City Red game went extra innings with Wayzata losing on a run in the bottom of the eighth. Boutwell, Gullickson and Dylan Smith led Wayzata with two hits each. Andrada and Lash had the other hits. Hall pitched seven innings. Andrada was the losing pitcher in relief.
Mankato American, a top-five team in Scheels’ Statewide Legion poll, scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead. Wayzata managed only four hits - one apiece by Gearen, Lash, Gullickson and Smith. Swenson pitched the first 4 1/3 innings and was tagged with the loss. Welk worked in relief.
Assessing the sub-state tournament, coach Dalziel said, “Elk River is a good team with a 19-5 record. Osseo is always a very good team and Anoka is another contender. Every game will be a test. We’re pretty deep on the mound, and we’ll be in good shape if our pitchers throw strikes and we play good defense behind them. We can hit with the best of them. Our team batting average for the season is over .320.”
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