Hanska faces Class C juggernaut in quarterfinals
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By Jim Bastian
sports@nujournal.com
HANSKA -- The Hanska Lakers and the Windom Pirates clash this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Jordan in a Class C quarterfinal game of the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.
The Pirates, the champions of Region 10, enter this game with an impressive 25-3 mark.
"This is the furthest we have come in the tournament since 1987," Pirates manager Nick Kallseth said as the Pirates did play in the final weekend that year.
Windom advanced to Friday's meeting with Hanska with a 3-2 win over Clearwater and then a 5-0 shutout over Litchfield.
"Our team strength this season has really been our ability to play small ball," Kallseth said. "And we have a lot of college ballplayers and really we are a team that does not have a key player -- everyone is playing a big role right now. We have a newcomer in shortstop Chase McDaniel [from Pahrump Valley High School in Pahrump, New York, and Southwest State] and is a teacher in Windom has been a solid leadoff hitter for us -- been a big factor for us both on offense and defense -- and Luke Gilbertson has carried us pitching-wise."
While Gilbertson has been a key factor on the mound, Kallseth said that Collin Lovell [Windom High School and Augustana College] is the Pirates ace on the mound.
Kallseth said that he does not know who he will start Friday against the Lakers.
"[Lovell] has done a lot of relief for us this season," he said. "We have a very balanced pitching staff."
Kallseth said that McDaniel and Keenan Wenzel (Rosemount High School and Southwest State) and Alex Fink from Springfield and Augustana are their top hitters.
However, Fink will not be playing against Hanska Friday because he is in a wedding that day.
"Quinten and Hayden Tietz [Windom High School] have been consistent at the plate," Kallseth said. "Our lineup is pretty balanced -- our seven, eight and nine hitters have each been getting two hits a game. One of our losses came to Harrisburg, South Dakota, and they won the Class A amateur baseball tournament in South Dakota.
"Our game Friday with Hanska Friday is going to he a dog fight, and I think it is the marquee game of the day," Kallseth said.
The Lakers come into Friday's game at 21-4-1 and Hanska manager Chris Koob said that the Pirates are a very fast and athletic team.
"They will be the most athletic team that we have played so far this year," Koob said. "They do not hit for a ton of power, but they put the ball in play -- they have a deep lineup, and they have an ace pitcher [Lovell]
who has been around a long time."
Koob said that his Lakers team is playing their best baseball right now.
"We have been on a good run since around July 4, but since then we have been running hot," he said. "Against Atwater, we kept battling and that second time through [our lineup] we made hard contact and we did not press."
And the Lakers got help from draftee Isaac Schmitt from the Milroy Yankees late in relief of starter Aaron Portner.
"He came in with the bases loaded and one out and the first pitch he threw was a perfect double-play ball -- that got us out of the inning and that really took all of the momentum in our favor," Koob said.
In the Elite Eight on Friday, Koob said that there is a lot of excitement.
"These guys have been here before -- we were here last year -- so I think that helps and no one is feeling any pressure and we will scratch and claw."
A win Friday would send the Lakers to a game Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in New Prague and a win there means the Lakers would play Sunday at 6 p.m. in New Prague for the Class C crown.
"It is one game at a time for us. It is tough to put into words, but it would be special," Koob said. "Anytime you win at anything and have success it is special. And it is just not special to the players, but it is special to everyone involved. Townball takes a lot of people -- players, wives, girlfriends, kids -- and you need the community support. Without any of that stuff nothing is possible."
Koob said that southpaw Aaron Portner will start Friday against the Jolly Roger.