By Matt Krumrie
MaxPreps.com
Some news and notes from across the state through action heading into Thursday, May 8:
Baseball
Minnetonka has emerged as the No. 1 ranked team in the MaxPreps.com state baseball rankings. Head coach Paul Twenge’s team is 10-1 and averaging almost eight runs per game, while giving up just over three per game. The Lake Conference is proving tough once again, with Eastview ranked No. 2, followed by Lakeville North (No. 3) and Apple Valley (No. 4) in the top five. Suburban East Conference leader Mounds View is ranked No. 5 in the state.
Diamond Notes
- Albany senior Kurt Schlangen, who will be playing at the University of Minnesota, struck out nine batters and allowed two hits in a complete game 7-0 win over Melrose.
- No. 2-ranked Eastview has three regulars hitting over .400 on the season. Cory Eul (.447), Erik Fabry (.436) and Erik Kiefsaas (.410). Fabry leads the team with 11 RBI.
- Tartan’s Sam Ryan leads the Twin Cities with four home runs, and is hitting .467 with 12 RBI. Teammate Doug Overson leads the Titans with 17 RBI.
- Chaska’s Brad Hand, who has attracted numerous MLB scouts as a left-hander with a 94-mile per hour fastball, has an ERA of .28 for Chaska. He’s currently second in the metro with 44 strikeouts. Tim O’Keefe of DeLaSalle leads the metro with 49 K’s.
Golf
Mankato West is the top-ranked team in AAA, followed by Chaska and Eden Prairie in the top three. Detroit Lakes is the top-ranked team in AA-A, followed by Rochester Lourdes and Virginia. Among the top-ranked individuals are Beau Anderson of Park (Cottage Grove), No. 1 in AAA, and Robert Bell of Pierz, No. 1 in AA. Tyler Champ of Meadow Creek Christian is No. 1 in A.
Lucas Gervais shot a 75 to lead Fergus Falls to the team title at the St. Cloud Appollo Invite last week. The Otters shot a 313, with Gervais placing third in the overall individual race. Trevor Gervais shot a 78, Mike Tuel a 79 and Allen Sellner an 81 to round out the team scoring.
Alexandria has emerged as the top team in the state in the big school girls gold rankings. Minnewaska, considered the best team in any class, is No. 1 in the AA-A rankings. Maggie Leland of Alexandria is ranked No. 1 in AAA, while Ashli Helstrom of Hibbing is ranked No. 1 in AA-A.
Softball
Minneapolis Southwest clinched the Minneapolis City Conference title with a 6-4 win over Minneapolis South Wednesday. Sarah Schwie hit a two-out single that brought in two runs to give Southwest the lead for good and help clinch the title.
Kaci Parsons pitched a pair of complete game shutouts Tuesday as St. Cloud Apollo defeated Fergus Falls in a doubleheader. Parsons struck out nine in the opening 1-0 win, and was as dominant in a 2-0 game two win.
Tennis
In a battle of top metro tennis teams, Mounds View defeated Edina, 4-3, Wednesday at the Edina Community Center. Edina entered the match ranked No. 1, Mounds View No. 2. In the marquee singles match, Mounds View’s Wyatt McCoy defeated the defending state champ and top-ranked singles players in the state, Edina’s Hamish Weerasinghe 6-2, 6-0. A key match was at No. 3 doubles, where Mounds View’s tandem of Kevin Arthur and Max Schaper defeated Edina’s Jeff Rosner and Eric Liu 6-4, 6-7 (10-8), 6-1. That match gave the Mustangs the win.
Track and Field Notes
Casey Lipp, a senior at Breckenridge, broke a 45-year-old school record in the high jump when he had a jump of six-feet, eight inches, helping the Cowboys win the 6A True Tream Track and Field title in Wadena.
In other True Team meets, Faribault won the 2AA boys title with a score of 361. Mankato East was second with a score of 338. In 2AA girls action Mankato East was the winner with 338 points, while Waseca was second with 297.
Inside the Numbers
943 – Points accumulated by Lakeville North girls, winners of the Section 1AAA True Team Track Meet. Owatonna, with 873 points, was second.
36-7 1/2 – Winning shot put throw for Worthington Area’s Jenna Donkersloot in the girls' 2AA track True Team meet.
12 – Walks Royalton had in an 11-2 win over Milaca in a baseball game Tuesday. The Wolves had only four hits but still managed double-digit runs. Cole Jendro earned the win, striking out nine in a complete game performance.
4 – Hits in four at-bats Justin Gominsky had in Mahtomedi’s 14-3 win over Simley Wednesday. Gominsky scored three runs and also started and pitched into the fifth inning to earn the win.
3 – Hits Stillwater’s Diane Beck had in a 4-0 win over Roseville Wednesday. Beck was 3-for-3 with two runs scored in the win.
