The ‘B’ is back: Tournament returns to Jack Brown after 3-year absence

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Talk about it

A capsule look at each team in today’s tournament:

Team: Beulah Miners (Region 6)

Record: 24-5

Coach: Bob Koch (7th year)

Last state appearance: Never gone

Best bats: Patrick Becker (jr.) .491 average, 6 doubles, 23 RBIs; Brett Koch (jr.) at .490 average, 2 triples, HR, 16 RBIs; Tanner Dolbec (sr.) .371 average, 4 doubles, HR, 20 RBIs; Cody Nelson (jr.) .367 average, 2 HRs, 24 RBIs.

Top arms: Trevor Zacher (jr.) 5-0, 1.52 ERA, 26 Ks, 10 walks, 23 IP; Becker 3-1, 1.70 ERA, 24 Ks, 11 walks, 14 IP; Nelson 3-0, 2.50 ERA, 26 Ks, 14 walks, 20 IP.

Coach Koch said: “I don’t know a lot about some of these teams. I think it’s a solid field, and you’re gonna have to play three solid games, no question about it. I don’t see where there’s an easy team in the bunch.”

Team: Bottineau Braves (Region 5)

Record: 18-3

Coach: Nate Simpson (3rd year)

Last state appearance: 2011 (5th)

Best bats: Justin McCloud (sr.) .493 average, 4 HRs, 22 RBIs; Andrew Hill (soph.) .423, 30 runs scored, 15 SBs; Mark LaCroix (sr.) .412 average, 2 HR, 4 triples, 21 RBIs, 16 SBs; Cody Brooks (sr.) .339 average, 22 RBIs; Brock Hiltner (fr.) .357 average.

Top arms: LaCroix 7-0, 1.22 ERA, 50 Ks, 13 walks, 37 IP; McCloud 5-1, 2.37 ERA, 58 Ks, 10 walks, 38 IP.

Coach Simpson said: “We had high expectations coming into this year. The last two years we’ve been in the state tournament, we’ve played our worst game of the tournament in the opening round. We are very aware of this and will try our hardest to be the most focused. … We have five seniors on this year’s team, four of them playing in their third state tournament.”

Team: Carrington Cardinals (Region 3)

Record: 18-3

Coach: Wayne Shipman (9th year)

Last state appearance: Never gone

Best bats: Peter Henson (sr.) .463 average, 10 doubles, 21 RBIs, 20 runs scored; Taylor Skytland (jr) .443 average, 19 RBIs, 30 runs scored; Austin Hewitt .412 average, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored; Tysen Rosenau .291 average, 22 RBIs, 13 runs scored; Scott Engelhorn .314 average, 12 RBIs, 16 walks, 24 runs scored.

Top arms: Henson 5-0, 2.12 ERA, 26 Ks, 14 walks, 33.1 IP; Engelhorn 4-1, 1.45 ERA, 36 Ks, 14 walks, 33 IP; Logan Clifton 4-2, 1.84, 22 Ks, 6 walks, 31 IP; Hewitt 5-0, 1.03 ERA, 19 Ks, 15 walks, 26 IP.

Coach Shipman said: “It appears to be a very balanced field. Our focus has been on being prepared to play the first game. Try to come out and throw strikes and play good defense. It is tough to know what will happen, when you don’t know much about the other teams. We will need to be on top of our game on Thursday to come out on top.”

Team: Grafton Spoilers (Region 4)

Record: 16-9 (14th year)

Coach: Chad Kliniske

Last state appearance: 2011 (2nd)

Best bats: Joe Demers (sr.) .473 average, 4 triples, 25 walks, 21 RBIs, 29 runs scored; Zach Suda (sr.) .443 average, 9 doubles, 31 runs scored, 16 walks; Thomas Houdek (sr.) .389 average, 26 RBIs, 15 runs scored; Austin Campbell (sr.) .243 average, 18 walks, 22 runs scored, 14 SBs; Garek Droog (soph.) .362 average, 20 RBIs.

Top arms: Jaime Villareal 5-3, .183 ERA, 72 Ks, 23 walks, 49.2 IP; Demers 5-1, 1.44 ERA, 35 Ks, 18 walks, 34 IP.

Coach Kliniske said: “After finishing second last season, our goal is to get back to the championship game and have a better effort. We felt we played a good game last year, but got a little impatient at the plate. We return seven starters from last season’s team. This year’s tourney field has some historically good programs involved who also return lots of state tournament experience. It should be a fun weekend.”

Team: Hatton-Northwood Thunder (Region 2)

Record: 15-2

Coach: Chad Omdahl (24th year)

Last state appearance: 2009 (3rd)

Best bats: Gregory Thompson (sr.) .500 average, 19 RBIs, 2 HRs, 16 runs scored; Jace Pederson (sr.) .429, 15 RBIs; Jacob Pladson (fr.) .378 average, 16 RBIs; Mike Paulson (sr.) .370 average, 13 RBIs, 11 runs scored, 11 walks; Zach Bye (sr.) .366 average, 17 walks.

Top arms: Paulson 5-0, 0.38 ERA, 56 Ks, 17 walks, 37 IP; Trenton Olson (sr.) 4-0, 0.23 ERA, 62 Ks, 30.2 IP; Thompson 4-1, 1.48 ERA, 44 Ks, 11 walks, 28.1 IP.

Coach Omdahl said: “(We’re) going to Jamestown to contend for a state title. But the tournament field is laden with great teams that are historically title contenders as well. We hope to play our best baseball and enjoy playing against the best.”

Team: Kindred-Richland Vikings (Region 1)

Record: 18-9

Coach: Scott Milbrandt (10th year)

Last state appearance: 2011 (state champion)

Best bats: Eric Bachmeier (soph.) .356 average, 21 runs scored; Casey Reinke (sr.) .328 average, 15 R; Zach Nelson (sr.) .292 average, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs, 7 doubles, 21 runs scored; Brandon Mitchell (sr.) .297 average, 3 HRs, 14 RBIs.

Top arms: Nick Milbrandt (sr.) 5-0, 1 save, 0.33 ERA, 63 Ks, 8 walks, 43 IP; Sean Cose (sr.) 4-1, 1 save, 2.38 ERA, 27 Ks, 13 walks, 32.1 IP; Austin Dahlgren (sr.) 3-3, 1.45 ERA, 26 Ks, 12 walks, 29 IP.

Coach Milbrandt said: “We are hoping to come into the state tourney relaxed and just have fun playing the great game of baseball. That has been our approach to every game this year.”

Team: Lewis & Clark Wildcats (Region 7)

Record: 13-4

Coach: Brian Nelson (5th year)

Last state appearance: 1980

Best bats: Adam Birdsall (sr.) .521 average, 13 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 19 SBs; Chandler Karna (sr.) .520 average, 19 RBIs, 19 SBs; Tyler Fjeldahl (jr.) .455 average, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs; Austin Lee (fr.) .429 average, 26 runs scored, 11 walks, 11 RBIs, 15 SBs; Brandin Langan (sr.) .429 average, 14 RBIs, 4 doubles.

Top arms: Karna 4-1, 1 save, 2.05 ERA, 45 Ks, 3 walks, 27.1 IP; Lee 4-1, 2.58 ERA, 18 Ks, 11 walks, 19 IP.

Coach Nelson said: “I really want the boys to have fun and enjoy this honor to play for Region 7 and the rest of the state of North Dakota. My three seniors have done a great job in leading this team. They are the best seniors I’ve ever had. Ultimately, we would love to win the tourney and hang a banner on the wall.”

Team: Washburn-Wilton-Center-Stanton (Region 8)

Record: 21-3

Coach: Kip Erickson (6th year)

Last state appearance: 2005

Best bats: Kirk Sailer (sr.) .600 average, 7 HRs, 7 doubles; Evan Eberle (sr.) .571 average, 6 doubles; Brett Schreiner (jr.) .533 average, seven doubles; Jesse Henke (sr.) .443 average.

Top arms: Sailer 5-0, 0.93 ERA; Eberle 5-0, 1 save, 1.76 ERA; Schreiner 3-1, 2.5 ERA.

Coach Erickson said: “It’s a pretty tough field. I hope we can win a couple of games. I hope we go and play and have fun.”

Tags: class b, sports, baseball