Lakers looking for complete state run
Hanska opens Class C tournament vs. Waterville
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HANSKA -- After capturing the Region 2C Championship, the Hanska Lakers have a loftier goal to aspire to as they enter the Class C State Tournament.
The Lakers fell short of that goal last year, but made a state semifinals appearance. Hanska is one of two teams returning to the tournament that made it that far in the tournament, along with the Pierz Brewers. Between the team's success in last year's tournament and the strong season they had this year, posting a 14-2 regular season record along with its region championship, Hanska looks to be one of the teams to beat at state.
"It always starts with good pitching," Hanska manager Chris Koob said. "Then getting good defense. If you can start with those two things right away, then you can win ballgames. Then we have a really good lineup, one through nine, we're a really deep lineup, the bottom of the order has been really good all year. We had a few bumps in the middle of the year, but we've played really well the last month here."
This year, Hanska plays the Waterville Indians in the first round, with the game being scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 P.M. in Shakopee. Koob believes that last year's tournament run will help the team begin the tournament with confidence.
"Last year we had some guys that played in the state tournament before but never won a game," Koob said. "So we had some experience, and we made it the year before that in the old Class A, so that gave the guys some good experience. But winning some games, you could tell last year that our confidence grew as the tournament went on, and I think we'll be able to carry that into this year. I think that experience is going to help us."
The Indians made it to state this year with a comeback win over Cannon Falls in the Region 5 tournament this past Sunday. Trailing 5-3 in the top of the ninth inning, the Indians scored six runs and came back to beat Cannon Falls 9-5, with a go-ahead single from Ben Boran doing the trick. Nolan Grose then had a three-run homer to add to the Waterville lead.
Chris Knowles has been the standout hitter this year for the Lakers, batting .457 with a team-best 11 home runs.
"I would put him up there with anybody in the league as far as a hitter," Koob said. "He's definitely been our catalyst and hit a bunch of home runs for us."
Jake Finstad has also had a strong season at the plate, batting .421 with three home runs, while Sam Knowles has bounced back from a down season last year to hit .366 this year with one homer. Of the nine players that have at least 60 plate appearances, eight of them are hitting over .300, with every player in the rotation being a threat when needed.
But while the bats have been hot, it's been the pitching and defense that have been the calling card for the team all season.
"We'll be relying on Aaron Portner on Saturday," Koob said. "He's been our ace all year. He's always been a big-game pitcher. It starts with good pitching, then it's good defense after that."
Portner has pitched the most innings for the team, putting in 74 1/3 innings on the year with a 2.42 ERA and 65 strikeouts with an 8-0 record. Sam Knowles (52 2/3 IP, 2.73 ERA, 32 Ks) and Colin Anderson (50 IP, 4.5 ERA, 51 Ks) have been the other two main arms for Hanska, and the team drafted Milroy's Isaac Schmitt and Nathan Deutz and Essig's Winsten Nienhaus to take up any other pitching duties for the tournament.
Hanska matches up against an experienced squad in the Waterville Indians in the first round of the tournament.
"They've been in the state tournament five years in a row," Koob said. "They're a very veteran team -- I watched them play Courtland earlier this year and I watched their state-qualifying game on Sunday -- and they're just what you expect from a veteran team. They get timely hits, they don't take bad at-bats. They're just really solid all the way around. Just a veteran team and they're a really tough out. They're not going to roll over for us."
Along with pitching and defense, Koob said that executing situational baseball will be key in making a deep run again this postseason.
"When we get runners on, especially with two outs, runners on third, we've got to find a way to get those guys in," he said. "We have to get our bunts down. Just executing those little things. That's the difference between winning and losing at this level. It's not even who's the most talented or anything like that, it's who executes in the big spots gets to win at state."