New Ulm's title a win for the whole community

NEW ULM -- When the New Ulm Eagle baseball team won the 2002 3A Minnesota State High School baseball title on Friday, it had an affect on everyone in this city of over 13,000.

But the winning of the first state high school team championship -- in any sport -- had the most affect on former players that have played at New Ulm High School under coach Jim Senske and on future players who want to live that same dream that the 2002 team did.

When the Eagles were playing for the state title Friday night at Midway Stadium, the New Ulm Kaiserhoff had a game that same night against the Minneapolis Angels.

Many of the Kaiserhoff players are former players for the Eagles and while their minds may have been partly on their game at Johnson Park, their thoughts were on a team playing at Midway Stadium.

"It kind of makes me think that what we worked for paid off," said Landon Rathmann, on outfielder for the "K" and a member of that 1994 team that lost 4-2 in eight innings to Henry-Sibley in the title game. "We were one out away from winning the whole thing. You have a lot of tradition with New Ulm and to see what we worked so hard for -- and the community worked so hard for -- finally came true."

Rathmann said that he has followed his former team from the playoffs on. "What happened in that Hutchinson game -- that kind of set a point that they were destined to win."

Rathmann said that when it was announced early in the Kaiserhoff game that the Eagles were handily in front in the state championship game "I went back to when we were actually in (our state championship game) and how close we actually were and how I actually would have felt being a senior and being a part of that. I felt I knew how happy they must have been because I knew how happy I was just being there (in 1994)."

Rathmann said that the win by the 2002 Eagles was not just a win for New Ulm High School. "They won it for the whole community."

Another member of that 1994 team, Brady Ranweiler who is the manager of the Kaiserhoff, said that "i was very excited for them. Being really close and not getting the big prize hurts a lot and anytime you get that chance you want to make the most of it."

'They left no doubt who the best team was (out-scoring opponents 37-13 in three state tournament games) and maybe their win was not redemption for past teams but it is a feather in their hats that maybe they are just that good. There was a lot of speculation that they would not follow up last season (state consolation champs in 3-A) . But they had their backs to the wall and when good teams have their backs to the wall, they find ways to win and they did. I am happy for coach Senske - I can guarantee you that when past teams did not win the state, no one took that harder than he did."

Righthander Andy Stolt, who was a memory of last year's consolation champs, was pitching Friday night. "I wished that could have been me last year but I felt great for the guys this year. I played summer ball with most of them (in legion ball) and for coach Senske to win a state title - I felt really good for him."

Saturday morning at North Park, members of the 12-year old New Ulm Black team were playing in a tournament and they also were happy and also feeling that the same thing can happen to them.

"It was cool, "said Ben Wolf. "They never gave up; my cousin Keith McCellan, plays for them"

Wolf, who is a shortstop, said that Eagles' shortstop Jamie Hoffmann is his role model.

"He is a good fielder and a good hitter and a nice person."

Bruce Altmann commented that the Eagles' winning of a state title "was cool. I was up at the game and it was awesome. I know some of the guys on the team and knowing that they were going to win It was nice. I really think that our group can win the state baseball title when we get in high school and we got to the state last year (as 11 year olds) and hopefully, we can win the state this year as 12-year olds and then in high school."

Like Wolf, Altmann patterns himself after Jamie Hoffmann. "He knows all about the sport of baseball. I look up to him - he knows how to play the game. They worked hard for it.":

One of the things that I found out in talking to several 12-year old players is that the one player that they pattern themselves after is Jamie Hoffmann. And, quite frankly, they could not have picked a better young man than Hoffmann.

One thing is certain. Dreams can come true if you work hard at them.

That is never more clear that what the 2002 New Ulm High School baseball team accomplished this season.