NEW ULM — It will be the 1360 League versus the Tomahawk East League Sunday in Delano in the first round of the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.

At 11 a.m. the Blue Earth Pirates meet Stark, followed by a 1:30 p.m. meeting between the Waterville Indians and the New Ulm Brewers.

PIRATES PREP FOR LONGHORNS

Blue Earth, under manager Brandyn Olsen, enters its 11 a.m. meeting with the 17-7 Longhorns with a 13-10 record.

Olsen said that a state tournament trip was not on the team’s mind, especially early in the season.

“We started out 0-5, so for us getting to the state tournament was over-achieving,” he said. “Getting to the state is our goal every year, but with our start we did not see ourselves in this position. But we got hot at the right time and made a run.

“When we made that run, we got everybody to show up for the games — everybody contributed — we got good vibes and rolled off of that.”

Olsen said that the Pirates do not have a standout strength. “We just are a balanced team.”

He did say that there was a 1360 League playoff game that may have turned their season.

“We played Waterville and we had not beaten them since 2016 — they have been the powerhouse of our league and a perennial state tournament team — and we beat them. That got us going.” Olsen said.

Olsen said that the Pirates’ top pitchers this season have been Cody Sukalski, Kade Hobbs and Lee Hodges.

“Cody has been our closer — he is solid — and Kade and Lee have been our two main starters,” he said.

Olsen said he did not know who he would start on Sunday.

On offense, Olsen said his team is streaky.

And the Pirates are a newcomer to state tournament play.

“We have not made the state tournament since 2017, but before that we had made it 16 straight years.

“So we need to play good defense against Stark. Stark is a fast team — they put the ball in play — so for us, it is going to be making plays and keeping them from running around the bases.”

WATERVILLE AWAITS NEW ULM BATTLE

The Waterville Indians come into their battle with the New Ulm Brewers with a 20-10 mark under manager Rick Sellner, a former Sleepy Eye resident.

“We have made it to the state tournament four out of the last five years,” Sellner said. “We have had a pretty rich history of making the state tournament. We have had a decent year. Seven of our 10 losses are against teams that are in the state tournament.”

While the Brewers had a tough start to their season going 3-4, so did the Indians.

Sellner said his squad started the season slow at 5-4.

“But the season started to turn around when we beat Courtland here,” he said. “We won the 1360 [League]. We had a little bit of a hiccup in the Region tournament. We lost in the first round and then we won three games in a row to be the third seed out of our region.”

Sellner said that his team is one that is balanced.

“We have a couple of pretty good young arms in Luke Sellner and Dalton Grose,” he said. “And offensively we are coming around.”

The Indians are led offensively by Ben Boran, Josh Cook, Luke Sellner and Shane Sellner.

“Luke and Shane are my sons,” Rick Sellner said. “I am originally from Sleepy Eye. Shane played with Chase Meyer from Courtland.”

Rick Sellner said he will start Luke Sellner against the Brewers on Sunday.

“We have two number one pitchers, but Luke is coming off two regional games where he pitched 18 innings of shutout baseball. So we are going to ride the hot hand.

“Both teams are going to hit the ball well and the team that makes the plays will win.”