Kopacek, Stark shut out Milroy
Longhorns a win away from state tournment berth
Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Stark Longhorns pitcher Jon Kopacek pats his catcher Kam Kosak on the helmet after winning their Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament elimination game against Milroy on Sunday afternoon at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.
Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Stark Longhorns second baseman Brandon Helget throws to first to try to complete a double play during a Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament elimination game against Milroy on Sunday afternoon at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.
Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Stark Longhorns pitcher Jon Kopacek pats his catcher Kam Kosak on the helmet after winning their Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament elimination game against Milroy on Sunday afternoon at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.
Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Stark Longhorns second baseman Brandon Helget throws to first to try to complete a double play during a Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament elimination game against Milroy on Sunday afternoon at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.
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SLEEPY EYE -- Jon Kopacek never considered himself a strikeout pitcher, and with his experience and location on Sunday afternoon, he didn't need to be.
The righty fanned three and held the fourth-seeded Milroy Yankees to six hits as he pitched the eighth-seeded Stark Longhorns to a 4-0 shutout win in a Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament elimination game at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.
"That's a good lineup, so kind of just used my experience and my knowledge on their hitters," Kopacek said. "That's been my game since I was young. I'm not a strikeout guy, it's just trust the D behind me, control what I can control and it worked out for us today. Defense played great, the bats came alive when we needed them, so good game all over."
The win moves the Longhorns on to an elimination state qualifier game at 7:30 p.m. Friday in New Ulm at Mueller Park where they will play Granite Falls.
Kopacek limited free passes in the game also by walking just three batters.
Left-hander Joe Liebl took the loss for Milroy in 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and four walks for two earned runs while striking out five. He didn’t allow a hit until Talan Helget singled with one out in the fifth.
Talan Helget helped lead the Longhorns at the plate, going 2 for 4, while Brandon Helget was 2 for 4 with an RBI and Arian Saenz was 1 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Nick Labat was 1 for 2 with three walks also for Stark.
Alex Schuh led the Yankees at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double.
The Longhorns first got on the board in the seventh inning. David Surprenant led off with a single and a popout followed before Kayden Klein singled Surprenant to third. Brandon Helget then lined an RBI single into right for a 1-0 Longhorns lead.
A walk to Merrick Mathiowetz loaded the bases for Nick Labat, who walked to make it a 2-0 game.
Kopacek got some insurance runs out of his teammates in the top of the ninth. After a one-out single by Kam Kosak, a single by Labat and a walk to Zach Haala loaded the bases, Saenz doubled in two runs for a 4-0 lead.
"It definitely does [take pressure off]," Kopacek said about his team's insurance runs. "But when I'm throwing in playoffs, I like to think everything is a tie game, a one-run game, no matter what. Hats off to their guy [Liebl], he had us confused and we figured him out late, seen a good couple at-bats and took advantage when we could. So credit to our hitters today."
The Longhorns haven't been to the Class C state tournament since 2023, so it hasn't been too long of a drought. Regardless, Kopacek said battling back in the Region 2C tourney to get an opportunity to return to state has brought out the best in the Longhorns.
"We are a back-against-the-wall kind of team, that brings the best out of us year after year," Kopacek said. "We've got a few guys that have been around for those past tournaments and we've got a few guys that are ready to get their first one in, so I'd like to get one for them."