Staff photo by Fritz Busch New Ulm High School pitcher Jaden Drill delivers a pitch in the Eagles’ 4-3 Section 2AA Baseball Tournament Championship game loss to Sibley East at Gaylord Thursday. The 17-5 Wolverines advance to the state tournament for the first time since 1998 when they won the Class A state championship.

GAYLORD — Jake Schmidt held New Ulm to two runs in five innings while also tripling, singling and walking as Sibley East edged the top-seeded Eagles 4-3 in the Section 2AA Baseball Tournament Championship Thursday at Walsh Field.

The Wolverines move on to the Minnesota Class AA State Baseball Tournament on June 14 at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud. New Ulm ended the season 14-11.

“I just want to give my whole team a big shout out,” Schmidt said after the game. “I feel great. We’re going to the state tournament.”

He plans to attend Century College in White Bear Lake this fall and play baseball.

“New Ulm’s a heckuva team,” said Sibley East head coach Brian Jenneke.

New Ulm head coach Kevin Briggs credited Sibley East after the game.

“They (Sibley East) made a couple big plays,” Briggs said. “Their center fielder (Riley Drexler) ran down the balls that were big tonight. We had miscues early, but we came back.”

The Eagles threatened in the top of the first. Maddox Mortensen singled to left-center. Jack Albrecht’s sacrifice bunt moved him to second. An out later, Carter Lang was called out short to first on a close play.

New Ulm threatened to score in the second. Ayden Jensen walked but was out at second. Lucas Suess was out at second on a fielder’s choice. Jaden Miller singled to left, but Blake Soukup was forced out at second.

Sibley East went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second. Schmidt walked, stole second and third and scored on Drexler’s single to right-center.

New Ulm starting pitcher Jaden Drill put out the fire on an infield out and strikeout.

The Wolverines went up 2-0 in the third. Caleb Pautsch walked with one out and scored on Hunter Stearns’ single to right-center. Tucker Hendrycks singled and Sam Ebert reached on an infield error, but Hendrycks was forced out at home. Ebert was out at third for the final out.

With one out in the fifth, Jace Schaefer singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Mortensen’s double to deep left. Drill singled and Mortensen scored on Lange’s flyout to center to bring New Ulm within 3-2.

Suess walked to lead off the New Ulm sixth. Brody Serbus relieved Schmidt.

Schaefer reached base on an infield error, stole second and Suess scored on another infield error that allowed Mortensen to reach base. Serbus ended the inning with a strikeout with two Eagles on base.

Schmidt tripled with one out in the Sibley East fifth and scored on Drexler’s double. The Eagles avoided further damage when reliever Ben Hohensee wheeled around to second, catching Drexler off base for the third out.

Drill led off the top of the seventh with a single but was out at second on a fielder’s choice.

Mortensen and Drill each had two hits for New Ulm. Schmidt and Drexler each had two hits for Sibley East.