Good year for New Ulm baseball

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- 55-16.

That was the combined record this season for New Ulm Kaiserhoff (25-9) and the New Ulm Brewers (30-7) as both squads qualified for the 2000 Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.

Not only did both teams qualify for the tournament, they both entered as Section 4B (Kaiserhoff) and Region 2C (Brewers) champions.

This is the first time that anyone can remember that two teams from the same town had baseball teams not only get to the state tournament but go deep into it.

Kaiserhoff started things out in the Class B tournament by taking on a Bemidji team that Mudcat manager Rob Bahr said was "the best that we have had here in recent years. We can run and we have probably the fastest outfield in Minnesota."

New Ulm fell behind 1-0 before Brian Raabe laced into a pitch with two Kaiserhoff runners on base and sent it over the fence in left field and the "K" was on their way as they scored five more runs in the eighth inning en route to an 8-2 win with Ryan Sauter, a draftee from Green Isle, getting two hits.

And left-hander Chris Rupert earned his 12th win of the season against no losses, striking out 13 Mudcats.

Then it was the Brewers turn to take on a veteran state tournament team in Wolf Lake and, with a seven-run seventh inning, the Brew Crew disposed of the 'Pack 10-2 with Jeremy Wieland allowing just four hits and strking out 11 as he threw 150 pitches.

It was a game in which Troy Kamm, Dan O'Brien, Chris Peters, Scott Schaefer, Tony Burt and Corey Schaefer all had two hits.

Kaiserhoff then returned to action and took on Mankato, spotting the Twins a 2-1 lead before eventually winning 10-7 with Rupert improving to 13-0. Brad Keenan led the Kaiserhoff bats with three hits with Tom Steinbach and Sauter each driving in two runs.

The Brewers then took to the field to take on Jackson (30-2) and face right-hander Tony Rubis (13-0). New Ulm ended the Bulls' season with an 8-5 win with Wieland again masterful, tossing a five-hitter.

And again it was the Brewer bats making noise, pounding out 19 hits led by three each from Dan O'Brien, Chris Peters, Scott Schaefer and Tony Burt.

The Brewers then tangled with a 28-3 Waterville team in a game that would have one of the most bizarre endings to a game.

With the score tied at 8-8 in the last of the 10th inning, and runners on first and second with two out, Troy Kamm lofted an infield fly ball between first and second. Earlier in the game, the first and second basemen collided on a routine fly ball in the infield and this, perhaps, made both players cautious as they watched the ball drop between the two, allowing Tony Burt to score from second.

A lesson -- always run out everything. You never know what may happen.

Those wins sent both New Ulm teams into the final weekend where both seasons would end.

One season, for all intents and purposes, slowed dramatically and then ended in a slugfest. The other, ended in an offensive barrage.

Kaiserhoff, entering their game with Jordan, knew that a win against the Brewers was essential. It is near impossible for any team to come back through the loser's bracket. But one swing of the bat from a left-handed hitter sent a pitch off the scoreboard and Kaiserhoff off the field stunned.

A few hours later, the Kaiserhoff's season ended in a 23-19 loss to St. Michael in which two records were set. New Ulm banged out eight home runs with St. Michael belting four to total 12 by both teams, breaking the record of 11.

The teams combined for 42 runs which shattered the record of 39 runs .

Tom Steinbach, Brad Keenan and Ryan Sauter each hammered two home runs with Keenan's blast, which still probably has not yet come down, traveling an estimated 450 feet to left-center.

The Brewer season ended the next day at the hands of Brainerd and Princeton in losses of 15-4 and 14-1.

It is tough when a season ends and it was tough for both Kaiserhoff and Brewers players. But it is especially hard on the fans who followed the teams all season from the starts in April and May until Labor Day weekend.

It was one heck of a run. Thanks, guys.

THREE NEW ULM PLAYERS NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Tom Steinbach of Kaiserhoff was named to the Class B All-Tournament team with the Brewers' Brad Weber and Jeremy Wieland tabbed to the Class C All-Tournament team.

Brainerd defeated Princeton for the Class C title with Cold Spring downing Rochester for the B title.

Speaking of Brainerd, here is a case where the town's Class C team is better than their Class B team. The members of the Braves, who won the C title, are the same group of players who won the state high school baseball title a few years ago. They have remained together and will play for only the Class C team.

It does not make sense to have a Class C team win the state title while the B team does not even make it out of the first round of its sectional. Moving a C team up to B? Never happen.

NEW PARK TAKING SHAPE: The new baseball park located by Johnson Park is looking good with bleachers up and some sod down. The infield is also being built.