Front Row (L-R): Jose Ortiz (Sacred Heart), Zach Reierson (Willmar), David Schmidt (Milroy), CJ Theis (Wabasso), Dylan Gass (Bird Island), Casey Lewandowski (Bird Island), Jake Tauer (Milroy), Peyton Grant (Marshall), Nikson Knapper (Granite Falls), Tyler Steen (Raymond), Bat Boy (Raymond), Zach Nelson (Asst. – Raymond) Back Row (L-R): Jack Howard (Sacred Heart), Mitchell Bouwman (Marshall), Wes Sarsland (Marshall), Ashton Gregory (Willmar), Jack Baumgart (Willmar), Caleb Ditmarson (Raymond), Mike Jeseritz (Raymond), Herman Solomon (Raymond), John Sawatzky (Asst. – Raymond), Isaac Call (Raymond), Eli Nelson (Raymond), Bennett Knapper (Granite Falls), Butch Steen (Manager – Raymond)
Front Row (L-R): Decker Scheffler (Springfield), Austin Uecker (Leavenworth), Andrew Peterson (Fairfax), Tanner Olson (Hanska), Cole Ranweiler (New Ulm), Ayden Jensen (New Ulm), Jackson Huiras (Leavenworth), Will Carlson (Lamberton), Jake Mielke (Sleepy Eye), Nick Stadick (Essig), Luke Mielke (Sleepy Eye), Noah Wilmes (Searles), Nick Labat (Stark) Back Row (L-R): Lucas Anderson (St. James), Mark Schommer (Searles), Jacob Brey (St. James), Justin Hoffmann (New Ulm), Eric Scheibel (Essig), Jordan Milbrath (Springfield), Sam Keckeisen (New Ulm), Carter Lang (Courtland), Teddy Giefer (Courtland), Sean Mathiowetz (Stark), Kevin Larson (Hanska), Dusty Mangen (Asst. – Stark), Al Flor (Manager – New Ulm)
Make it Five Straight for the Tomahawk East!
7/13/24
The All-Stars from the Tomahawk East League and the Corn Belt League gathered at the Essig Ballpark on Saturday afternoon. This summer’s rain has made teams’ schedules in July a little bit tighter and one may have wondered how that might effect this exhibition. The Corn Belt opened the scoring during their first at-bat and built a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the third. The Tomahawk East got on the board with one in the bottom of the 3rd before grabbing the lead for good in the home half of the fourth. The Corn Belt got one back in the top of the 8th, but that would be all as the Tomahawk East won their fifth straight against the Corn Belt, 4-3.
Prior to the game, Essig’s newest Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Famer, Doug Radloff threw out the first pitch. He was joined by fellow Hall of Famer’s from Essig, Terry Helget and Verne Radloff. Doug will be inducted as part of the class of 2024 in St. Cloud on September 21, 2024.
A one-out walk by the host Essig Bluejays starting pitcher Eric Scheibel, followed by a two-out double by Raymond’s Isaac Call opened the scoring in the top of the first inning.
New Ulm’s Sam Keckeisen started the top of the third inning as the Tomahawk East’s third pitcher. He issued a free pass to begin his outing. Raymond’s Tyler Steen ripped a double to drive in Willmar’s Ashton Gregory, pushing the visitor’s lead to two, 2-0.
Springfield’s Jordan Milbrath cracked a double to left-center off the Corn Belt starter Bird Island’s, Casey Lewandowski, to begin his third inning of work. A passed ball and an error later, the Tomahawk East was on the scoreboard with the tally at 2-1.
After the first two batter’s reached, Keckeisen settled in, retiring six in a row to get the hosts through four innings.
Herman Solomon from Raymond took the ball in the bottom of the fourth. Stark’s Sean Mathiowetz greeted him with a one-out double. Solomon got a strikeout for the second out, but Milbrath followed with a clutch two-out base hit, driving in Mathiowetz and tying the score at two. Hanska’s Tanner Olson then came to the plate and launched a majestic two-run bomb over the left field fence putting the Tomahawk East on top, 4-2.
Bird Island’s Dylan Gass got the Corn Belt within one when he hit a solo round-tripper in the top of the eighth. That would be all, as Milbrath came on to earn the save in the ninth, sealing the Tomahawk East’s fifth straight one-run victory.
The 2024 MVP Award winner was Jordan Milbrath of Springfield who was 2-for-2 at the plate, including a double, with two runs scored, and an RBI. He also picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning. Sam Keckeisen picked up the win, working two solid innings with one strike out. The loss went to Herman Solomon who gave up three runs on three hits, and struck out two in one inning of work.
The Corn Belt offense was constituted of one hit each from Raymond’s Tyler Steen, Raymond’s Isaac Call, Bird Island’s Dylan Gass, Wabasso’s CJ Theis, and Marshall’s Wes Sarsland.
The Tomahawk East’s bats were led by Milbrath’s two hits. New Ulm’s Cole Ranweiler, Courtland’s Teddy Giefer, Stark’s Sean Mathiowetz, and Hanska’s Tanner Olson notched one hit apiece.
The win is the Tomahawk East’s fifth straight victory in this 7th annual all-star exhibition between the two leagues. The win also means the game will be hosted in a Tomahawk East League ballpark again next summer!
THANK YOU to Essig for being fantastic hosts for this celebration of amateur baseball! Best of luck to all teams as they wrap up regular season play and begin the battle to represent the Corn Belt and the Tomahawk East at the 101st annual Minnesota Amateur Baseball State Tournament hosted in Jordan, Belle Plaine and Green Isle later this summer! See you at the ballpark!
Game Stats – 7/13/24 Corn Belt at Tomahawk East
Box Score
CORN BELT (3) AT TOMAHAWK EAST (4) CORN BELT AB R H BI TOMAHAWK EAST AB R H BI Jake Tauer 3 0 0 0 Cole Ranweiler 3 0 1 0 Adryen Tietz 1 0 0 0 Decker Scheffler 3 0 0 0 Joe Liebl 0 0 0 0 Teddy Giefer 3 0 1 0 Ashton Gregory 1 2 0 0 Nick Labat 1 0 0 0 Eli Nelson 2 0 0 0 Kevin Larson 3 0 0 0 Tyler Steen 4 0 1 1 Jackson Huiras 1 0 0 0 Isaac Call 2 0 1 1 Carter Lang 3 0 0 0 Zach Reierson 1 0 0 0 Will Carlson 1 0 0 0 Peyton Grant 2 0 0 0 Andrew Peterson 1 0 0 0 David Schmidt 1 0 0 0 Sean Mathiowetz 3 1 1 0 Dylan Gass 1 1 1 1 Austin Uecker 1 0 0 0 Mike Jeseritz 2 0 0 0 Justin Hoffmann 3 0 0 0 Jack Baumgart 2 0 0 0 Jordan Milbrath 2 2 2 1 CJ Theis 2 0 1 0 Lucas Anderson 1 0 0 0 Jose Ortiz 2 0 0 0 Tanner Olson 2 1 1 3 Jack Howard 2 0 0 0 Ayden Jensen 1 0 0 0 Wes Sarsland 2 0 1 0 Nikson Knapper 2 0 0 0 Caleb Ditmarson 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 34 3 5 3 TOTALS 32 4 6 4 CORN BELT 101 000 010 -- 3 TOMAHAWK EAST 001 300 00x -- 4 LOB--CORN BELT 8, TOMAHAWK EAST 7. ERR--Isaac Call (2), Jackson Huiras, Andrew Peterson. 2B--Tyler Steen, Wes Sarsland, Isaac Call, Teddy Giefer, Sean Mathiowetz, Jordan Milbrath. HR--Dylan Gass, Tanner Olson. HBP--Jordan Milbrath, Decker Scheffler. SB--Sean Mathiowetz, Cole Ranweiler (2), Jordan Milbrath, Decker Scheffler. CORN BELT IP H R ER BB SO HR Casey Lewandowski 3.00 2 1 1 1 0 0 Herman Solomon (L) 1.00 3 3 3 0 2 1 Mitchell Bouwman 2.00 1 0 0 0 2 0 Bennett Knapper 2.00 0 0 0 0 2 0 TOMAHAWK EAST Eric Scheibel 1.00 1 1 1 1 0 0 Jake Mielke 1.00 1 0 0 0 1 0 Sam Keckeisen (W) 2.00 1 1 1 1 1 0 Mark Schommer 2.00 1 0 0 1 4 0 Jackson Huiras 2.00 1 1 1 0 1 1 Jordan Milbrath (S) 1.00 0 0 0 1 0 0 PB--Ashton Gregory, Tanner Olson. SO--Zach Reierson, Caleb Ditmarson, Tyler Steen, Jake Tauer, Jose Ortiz, Mike Jeseritz, Peyton Grant, Carter Lang, Justin Hoffmann (3), Ayden Jensen, Jackson Huiras. BB--Joe Liebl, Ashton Gregory (2), Isaac Call, Cole Ranweiler. NOTES: All-Star Game LOCATION: Essig MVP Jordan Milbrath - Springfield