Helget knows what it takes

NEW ULM -- If you have watched amateur baseball in this area for any length of time, you probably have seen Essig Bluejay Terry Helget play.

If you haven't seen him play in the regular season, you more than likely have seen him play in postseason.

He is the kind of player that every team wants.

When it comes time for teams in the Tomahawk East League to draft (if Essig is not in the playoffs), he is the first name that comes up.

Every team wants him for their first pick.

And it is no wonder why.

He is an exceptional catcher as well as pitcher.

He is a good hitter.

He is a smart ballplayer who knows what it takes (and doesn't take) to win.

Like his dad, Mandy Helget who played before Terry, he is a hard-nosed player who plays the game the way it should be played; hard, clean and with a love and respect for the game.

He plays to win all the time and does not dog it when the going gets tough.

This year, the Brewers were able to draft Helget from Essig as their top pick (choosing Stark's Brad Mathiowetz second), and it paid off big time in the game at Sleepy Eye Thursday night.

He came through with a clutch pitching performance, limiting the Indians to five hits over nine innings and clinching a state tournament berth for New Ulm, which begins late this week in both Sleepy Eye and Fairfax.

He also cracked a solo home run to lead off the seventh for a 6-0 New Ulm lead en route to that 9-0 shutout.

He is the kind of player that you enjoy watching.

When it comes time for Helget to hang up his spikes, it will not only be a sad day for Essig but for all of amateur baseball.

As stated, both the Indians and the Brewers have clinched berths in the state tournament. The winner of Region 2C will play the runner-up of Region 16C at 5 p.m., with the runner-up of 2C tangling with the champion of 16C at 7:30 the same day. Both games are in Sleepy Eye.

BRINKMAN CAN PLAY: Another player in the mold like a Helget is Sleepy Eye's Dean Brinkman. He injured his knee and has been sidelined, but will return.

KAISERHOFF TAKES HOME TITLE: The New Ulm Kaiserhoff has repeated as Section 4B champions thanks to an 8-3 win over Marshall Friday night here in New Ulm.

Cory Ranweiler again came through with a clutch pitching performance, holding Marshall to five hits.

And Kaiserhoff bats, their strength again this season, once again pounded the ball with 13 hits and jumped off to a fast 6-0 lead over the A's and never looked back.

One of the biggest plays in the game came when the Kaiserhoff pulled off a triple play.

The A's had runners on first and second with no outs when Tyler Hess roped a line shot that was nabbed by Brad Keenan at third. His throw to second and the relay to first was the second triple play the Kaiserhoff has had in the last two years at Johnson Park.

"It was a huge play for us," said Kaiserhoff manager Tom Steinbach. "We already had the double play, they weren't hustling (back to first) and we got the triple play. It had to be frustrating for them because they knew that they had a lost a potential big inning."

That big six-run first inning was helped along by Aaron Heitzman, who was playing first base for Brady Ranweiler until Ranweiler returned from his groom's dinner. Heitzman, who normally pitches and is hit for, drove a two-run homer to right in that first inning and then hammered a pitch in his next at-bat to deep center.

"That really makes a coach look good when I put him in at first for Brady and he homers in his first at-bat," said Steinbach. "I am sure that people will be asking why Aaron hasn't hit all season. There, again, it is very hard for a pitcher to hit while he is pitching. They have so much energy that they need while they are pitching. But Aaron is a good athlete and was an excellent hitter in high school and legion. I would have liked to get him some more at-bats this year."

The win means that the Kaiserhoff will open state tournament play this Friday at 5 p.m. in Fairfax against the runner-up of Section 8B.

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Look for a complete preview of the Class C and Class B state amateur baseball tournaments in a mid-week edition of The Journal.

Make your plans for the next three weekends to attend games in Fairfax and Sleepy Eye. Both towns are worthy hosts and there is no better way to spend a weekend than watching some state tournament baseball.

Column by Jim Bastian, Journal sports writer