Brewers look to keep surprising run going
Open Class A state tourney against Minnetonka
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NEW ULM -- New Ulm Brewers manager Al Flor said that this season is already one where they have over-achieved as in their first year as a Class A team the Brewers have won a trip to the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.
The Brewers, 23-4, will meet the 27-8 Minnetonka Monarchs on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Chaska.
The Monarchs, only in their third season as a team, have dominated opponents this season, outscoring them 247-127 in their 35 games.
Flor said that his team is entering this game with the mindset of just playing a baseball game.
"We just need to stick to the way we have played and we have nothing to lose playing where we are," he said. "Obviously everyone wants to win state championships and that is the ultimate goal and anything is possible. But realistically there are some very good baseball teams in Class A."
In some polls, the Monarchs are ranked sixth overall in Class A.
"We are taking this game as a challenge," Flor said. "We think that we have won games that we thing we should not have won but it is still a baseball game and you can play with anybody. But Minnetonka is going to be a tough game."
The Brewers will probably face Monarchs right-hander Jake Marsh, who is 8-1 on the season and is the ace of the Monarchs pitching staff.
Ben Hughes, who was in the Colorado Rockies farm system, is another right-hander. Two left-handers -- Collin Mitchell and Thomas Skoro -- round out the Monarchs pitching staff with right-handers Jack Berset and Drew Dillon.
Gus Berger and Justin Benjamin provide some of the offense.
The Monarchs have five players on their roster who have played or are playing DI college baseball.
Flor said that the game is going to come down to the basics.
"But we are going to see some elite pitching and sometimes kids are going back to college," Flor said. "So you do not know who is going to be there, but I do not know really what to expect.
"But we are going to do our best and if we come out on top we come out on top, and if we don't, we have accomplished more this season than anyone anticipated."
Flor said that when the season started out and being in Class A, he did not know if his team gave themselves a chance to be in the state tournament.
"But we are there -- we have played well -- but Class A team are really deep and we will see how we measure up." Flor said. "But win or lose, we feel that we have had a successful season and we are going to do our best."
Flor said that veteran right-hander Mitch Bockenstedt will start against the Monarchs.
In the Brewers' last game, a Section 1A tournament victory over the Rochester Royals in the tournament's third-place game, Cole Ranweiler led the Brewers, going 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Catcher Ayden Jensen and Sam Keckeisen, the No. 4 and 5 hitters in the game, respectively, also each had a hit and an RBI.