Young Kaiserhoff team gets back at Apple Valley

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

BELLE PLAINE -- According to the 2004 Minnesota State Amateur Baseball program, of the 48 teams that have earned spots in the Class "B" and Class "C" tournaments, the New Ulm Kaiserhoff is the youngest of any of the squads with an average age of 20.4.

Friday night, the "Diaper Dandies," who have not made a state tournament appearance since 1990, met Apple Valley.

The Millers had made trips to the state tournament as regular as the normal person made trips to the grocery store as they were making their eighth straight trek into Minnesota' Baseball Classic.

The champions of the Cannon Valley League entered with a 25-14 record with one of the wins an 18-8 pasting of the "K" during the regular season. The Millers also had experience going for them with all 20 players having at one time or another played college baseball.

So when they met this young Kaiserhoff team again, a loss was the furthest thing from their mind.

But some funny things happened on the Millers' way to a supposedly easy win.

Righthanders Ryan Wellmann pitched a shutout into the seventh inning before Mac Zachow, a draftee from Green Isle and one of the top pitchers in the state,took over and continued to keep Miller bats quiet in the 6-0 win.

New Ulm's defense, one of the strengths of the team all season,turned three double plays. And in the eighth inning, Zachow faced Apple Valley with runners on second and third with only one out before a strikeout and a comebacker ended the last Miller threat of the game.

"I think that this team grew up a lot tonight," Kaiserhoff manager Dick Wellmann said. "To me, the team seemed more relaxed then when we played Mankato (in the Section 4B series). I don't know why but they have grown. We got rid of the jitters in the first couple of innings. We found out that we can play with these guys. If we hang in there, some good things can happen."

Now the Kaiserhoff will meet perennially strong Austin, a team that edged Cold Spring 1-0 Friday night in Belle Plaine.

The Greyounds will carry an impressive 30-10 mark into that game and having won state Class "B" titles in 2002 and 2003.

But somehow you feel that this Kaiserhoff team will not be intimidated by Austin.

Perhaps Austin should be the team that is worried. Just ask Apple Valley.

WELLMANN GETS WIN: You have to wonder if the win by the Kaiserhoff over Apple Valley meant more to Kaiserhoff manager Dick Wellmann than anyone else.

You see, back in 1969 Wellmann was pitching for the then Searles Yankees in the state tournament also in Jordan.

"We lost our first game 10-9," Wellmann said. "We got rained out on a Saturday night and had to come back on a Sunday morning for a 10 a.m. game. Back then, we had cows to milk before the game so it got to be a long day."

He said that this win was huge for the team but you got of get the feeling that the loss 35 years ago maybe had a little bit of the sting taken out of it by the win.

ESSIG MEETS NEW MUNICH: Essig take to the field today in Belle Plaine for a 1:30 contest today against New Munich. The Silver Streaks, champions of Region 15C, enter with a 16-10 record.

This will be New Munich's fourth trip to the Class "C" tournament in the last five years. They won the Stearns County North League.

Essig, making its second state trip, posts a 27-7 record. Look for the Bluejays to come away with a 6-2 win.

STATE TOURNAMENT NOTES: The Northfield Knights of Section 1B have hit only one home run all season....Hayfield-Austin has played 51 games this year (30-21)...Former New Ulm Kaiserhoff played Josh Hinson is playing for the Rochester Royals and leads the team in home runs with eight ...Another former Kaiserhoff player Brad Keenan is hitting .306 for Chaska ...The winningest manager in the state tournament is Charlie Larka of Jordan who has more than 600 wins in 23 years. Larka is has umpired regional and state tournament games here in New Ulm...Former Kaiserhoff player Adam Dittrich is the last player to hit for the cycle, doing that in 1999...The Cold Spring Springers are the oldest team in the state tournament with an average age of 29.4 years compared to the Kaiserhoff at 20.4....Arlington opens play in the Class "C" tournament tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Belle Plaine against Wilmont....Former New Ulm Brewer players Jeremy Wieland and Al Flor are playing for St.Patrick. Both were drafted from New Market where they now play baseball....Roseau enters the Class "C" tournament with the worst record of any team at 9-13.