Saturday rains washed out a big chunk of first-round high school baseball games in Section 3A and Section 3AA, so today (Tuesday, May 31) it’s anybody’s guess who will benefit from the revised - and tighter - schedule.
One beneficiary might be the Adrian Dragons, the top south seed in Section 3A which will enjoy its first-round bye today as Russell-Tyler-Ruthton and Edgerton/Southwest Christian play at noon to see who will advance to contend with AHS later today at 2 p.m. Because of the squeezed schedule, the next round is scheduled to happen Wednesday, meaning the Dragons’ should be able to throw their No. 2 pitcher against their opponent’s No. 3 in that game.
None of the southern teams in sections 3A and 3AA were able to play baseball on Saturday. In Section 3A North, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg beat Dawson-Boyd 3-0 and Renville County West beat Central Christian 1-0. In Section 3AA, New London-Spicer topped Benson 2-1 in eight innings, Minnewaska Area pounded Yellow Medicine East 10-0 and Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta nipped Montevideo 2-0. All the other teams have to wait until today.
Adrian is in a good spot.
The Dragons, 13-6 overall, are fortunate to possess one of southwest Minnesota’s most dominating hurlers, senior Logan Rogers, who is penciled in to be head coach Kevin Nowotny’s first-game starter today. The team’s No. 2 pitcher, Alex Loosbrock, owns a 4-1 record and 2.25 earned run average.
“We needed a No. 2 to step up,” said Nowotny on Monday. “You can’t just ride your best pitcher all the way to state.”
With a dependable Loosbrock waiting his turn, Nowotny can turn to Rogers for Game One with a great deal of confidence. The fireballing Rogers, who posted a 9-0 record as a junior while striking out 110 batters in 60-odd innings, is 3-1 with three saves this spring. He’s thrown two no-hitters and has allowed just one earned run in about 28 innings.
Rogers rolled an ankle earlier this season but seems to be fully recovered. In his last outing, he threw two scoreless innings against Luverne.
What does a Rogers do for a team?
“It gives all the kids confidence, and the coaching staff confidence to know you don’t have to score 10-11 runs to win a ball game,” said Nowotny.
Indeed. Sometimes all you have to score is one.
Further contributing to the Dragons’ confidence is the fact that several other players have stepped up this spring. Second baseman Jake Stamer, who didn’t play varsity last year, is batting .345. Michael Preuss, the leadoff hitter, is hitting around the .380 mark and leads the team in on-base percentage and runs scored. Zach Loosbrock, Alex’s twin brother, is performing well behind the plate after the graduation of outstanding catcher Tony Sieve.
Sections 3A and 3AA will maneuver toward a section champion into next week. Both section championship games are scheduled for June 9.
Sections 3A and 3AA resume their softball tournaments today, as well. See page B2 for matchups.
