File photo by Steve Muscatello New Ulm Junior Legion’s Nolan Drill has been one of New Ulm’s top hitters this year. New Ulm plays Bloomington in the first round of the Junior Legion state tournament on Thursday in Bloomington.

NEW ULM — At 22-7, the New Ulm Junior Legion enters the 2019 Junior American Legion State Tournament at 6 p.m. on Thursday against host Bloomington Blue at Red Haddox Field.

Head coach Mike Munce said that his team has used a combination of hitting, defense and pitching to get to the 22-win mark.

“We have a team batting average of .316 so we are putting everything together and coming together as a team,” Munce said.

“We have been consistent offensively one through nine at the plate,” he said. “We have had opportunities to put up crooked numbers every inning. We are solid.”

Munce also has a solid mound staff with two left-handers and right-handers who throw the ball hard.

“We have a good mix of arms,” he added.

The Junior Legion’s team’s ERA is 2.04.

“At the end of the day, they are 15,16 and 17-year old kids and we have had that solid ERA all year.”

Munce said the defense has played well, too.

“Defense wins you games and that is what we practice,” Munce said. “We are sound on defense and we go from there.”

Munce said that his team has been very consistent having only one two-game losing streak all year.

“We finished the season strong,” he said. “We went unbeaten in the Alexandria Tournament.”

Munce said that he knows very little about his first-round opponent.

“But every team has that one good pitcher and I am sure we will see him (Thursday.)”

Munce thinks that New Ulm can be successful if it just goes out and plays its game and does its business.

“Do what we have done all year and apply everything we have learned into this weekend,” he said. “Good things will happen.”