ELROSA SAINTS

2023 DASSEL/DELANO/LITCHFIELD

Back row, left to right: Jim Thull (New Munich), Brett Englelmeyer (Greenwald), Casey Lenarz, Riley Meyer, Jacob Walz, Kevin Kuefler, Riley Lenarz, Ashton Dingmann, Derek Wiener, Cole Fuchs (Cold Spring). Front row, left to right: AJ Hadley, Ethan Vogt, Will VanBeck, Gavin Kampsen, Andrew Weller, Blaine Fischer, Wyatt Steffensen, Peyton Winter, Payton VanBeck, Matt Schmitz, Brandon Roelike, bat boy-Drew Vogt. 

Delano 6, Elrosa 2

DELANO--The Elrosa Saints' magical run at the State tourney came to end Friday night with a 6-2 loss to Delano. A crowd fo 1,200 watched the Saints and A's lock horns in the final weekend at State but navy and orange ran into an experienced and talented Delano squad. An entertaining battle saw Delano score 4 runs in the 2nd inning to take the early lead before Derek Wiener cut the lead in half with a two run home run over the ivy in left centerfield. The Saints put together rallieds but failed to get another clutch hit the rest of the contest. Payton Van Beck threw 7 gutsy innings on the mound and only surrendered two earned runs while striking out 6. Blaine Fischer completed one of the more memorable post seasons in recent memory with another 4-for-4 performance at the plate including a stolen base. Kevin Kuefler added a single to aid the offensive attack and he also provided a highlight reel toss from centerfield to Fischer at the plate to nab a would be Delano run. The Saints finish their season with an overall record of 22 wins and 5 losses which included another Elite 8 tournament title and SCL North regular season title. This was the the team's 11th trip to the State tourney and matched the furthest advancement in post season play dating back to the 2017 and 2002 squads. 

Elrosa 2, Minneota 0

LITCHFIELD--Play your best baseball at the right time and you will give yourself a chance. The Elrosa Saints are doing just that as they advanced to the final weekend of the State tournament with a 2-0 win over Minneota in the round of 32 Saturday afternoon in Litchfield. The Saints threatened to score every inning and finally broke through in the 6th inning when Peyton Winter drove home an RBI with a sac fly to centerfield. Two batters later, Andrew "Juice" Weller knocked his most memorable hit of the summer with a sharp line drive to left to double the lead. From there, Cold Spring Rockies draftee Cole Fuchs was lights out! Fuchs struck out 10, walked zero, and only got to a three ball count three times during the contest in a epic performance. The righty scattered six hits throughout the game and mixed in his three pitch arsenal in a complete game effort. The defense was solid behind him as they made routine plays up and down the lineup and ended the game with a Winter-Kampsen-Dingmann double play. The highlight reel catch in right field from Derek Wiener saved two runners from scoring in the bottom of the 7th inning. Ashton Dingmann connected for two doubles to end the day at 3-for-3 while Jackson Peter laced four hits to finish the game 4-for-5 including a stolen base. As a team the pinstriped posse collected 11 hits while taking advantage of 4 free passes. The Saints advanced runners with a number of executed bunts and stole a few bases as well to keep the pressure on the young Minneota team. 

Elrosa 4, Hadley 3

DASSEL--The Elrosa Saints opened up the 2023 State tourney with a 4-3 walk off win over Hadley Saturday aftenoon in Dassel! With the score tied at 3, Andrew Weller started the 9th inning by getting hit by a pitch. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, Kevin Kuefler reached on a walk. With two outs and two strikes Jackson Peter drilled a line drive over the 3rd basemens head to score Weller and the celebration was on. It was Peter's second big hit of the day as young shortstop smoked a triple to the right center gap in the first inning. In a back and forth game which saw the lead change hands a few times, Elrosa stuck to their guns and small balled their way back into the game. Elrosa rallied in the 8th inning with Blaine Fischer leading off with a bunt single followed by a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt from Peter. Derek Wiener then worked the count and drilled a fastball into the left center gap to score Fischer and tie the game at 3. Greenwald draftee Brett Engelmeyer battled for 5 innings on the bump before giving way to Cold Spring Rockie draftee Cole Fuchs. Fuchs threw 3 scoreless innings followed by a perfect 9th inning from Payton VanBeck. Elrosa committed three errors in the game but pitched their way through it. Will VanBeck hit a double while Ashton Dingmann and Gavin Kampsen each added singles for Elrosa who left 11 runners on base. 

2022 FARIBAULT/MIESVILLE/DUNDAS

Back row, left to right: Matt Imdieke (Meire Grove), Derek Wiener, Ashton Dingmann, Kevin Kuefler, Jacob Walz, Ethan Vogt, Jackson Peter, Riley Lenarz, Andrew Weller, Ryan Olmscheid, and AJ Hadley. Front row, left to right: Will Funk (New Munich), Matt Schmitz, Riley Meyer, Blaine Fischer, Gavin Kampsen, Brandon Roelike, Will VanBeck, Peyton Winter, Wyatt Steffensen, Payton VanBeck, and Trent Wendlandt (Lake Henry). Bat boy-Drew Vogt.

New Ulm 12, Elrosa 2

DUNDAS--The New Ulm Brewers led wire to wire in a commanding 12-2 win Saturday in Dundas over the Elrosa Saints. The Region 2 champion Brewers (31-3) jumped ahead 3-0 in the first inning and never looked back in a 15-hit performance. Cleanup hitter and designated hitter Hunter Ranweiler went 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI. Center fielder Justin Hoffmann went 3-for-4 with four runs scored. First baseman Trevor Nissen, right fielder Jaden Domeier and shortstop Andrew Peters each added two hits for the winning side. Wade French pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing five hits, two earned runs, four walks and striking out nine. The righthander helped his cause going 1-for-2 at the plate with a pair of runs batted in. A young Saints (20-9) squad made their first state tournament appearance since 2018. They were led by a 2-for-4 day with a run scored by third baseman Peyton Winter. Ashton Dingmann hit an RBI double to right center. The Saints drew five walks and were hit by three pitches. Lefthanded starter Payton VanBeck took the loss. He allowed six runs with only two being earned, six hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts. Elrosa finished with five hits and four errors. New Ulm committed one error. Ethan Vogt (2 2/3) and Meire Grove draftee Matt Imdieke (2/3) each threw relief innings for Elrosa. 

Elrosa 3, Montgomery 1

2018 NEW PRAGUE/SHAKOPEE/JORDAN

Back row, left to right: Austin Imdieke, Michael Bendix, James Kuefler, Kevin Kuefler, Aaron Vogt, Ethan Vogt, Cody Eichers, Ty Reller (New Munich), Jordan Roos (Roscoe) and Brad Mergen (Farming). Middle row, left to right: Eddie Martin, Ryan Olmscheid, Brady Weller, Matt Schmitz, Derek Wiener, Evan Wiener, Brandon Roelike, Ryan Illies, Jackson Peter and AJ Hadley. Front row: bat boys-Jaren Vogt, Brody Hadley and Abe Vogt.  

Sleepy Eye 9, Elrosa 4

NEW PRAGUE--One bad inning ended Elrosa's season Sunday in a 9-4 loss at New Prague. The Saints had an early 4-1 lead in which they drove the starting pitcher from the mound. Kevin Kuefler (2-5) opened up the game with a double off the top of the wall and Cody Eichers drove him in with a one-out RBI single to right field. Keufler started the third inning with a single. Jackson Peter walked, Matt Schmitz singled and two runs came home on a RBI double from James Kuefler. The fifth inning was a blessing for Sleepy Eye and a nightmare for Elrosa. Sleepy Eye scored eight runs and only one was earned to take the lead. Three Indian hits, combined with two Elrosa errors, two passed balls, a hit batter and walk led to the eight runs. Ethan Vogt was charged with the loss while Brad Mergen (Farming) and Aaron Vogt threw scoreless innings of relief.

Elrosa 4 12 3

SE       9  8  3

Kevin Kuefler 2-5, 2b, 2r. Jackson Peter 0-4, r, bb, k. Cody Eichers 2-5, rbi. Ethan Vogt 2-5. James Kuefler 1-5, 2b, r, rbi, 2k. Matt Schmitz 2-4, 2r, 2 rbi, 2-2b, hbp. Derek Wiener 1-5, k. Brandon Roelike 2-3, hbp. Austin Imdieke 0-3, bb, 2k. Aaron Vogt-1b, P. Ryan Olmscheid-pinch runner.

Ethan Vogt-(L)-4 2/3 IP, 5h, 9r, 2er, 2bb, 2k. Brad Mergen-(Farming)-2 1/3 IP, 1bb. Aaron Vogt-2 IP, 3k.

Back row, left to right: AJ Hadley, Derek Wiener, Cody Eichers, Aaron Vogt, Kevin Kuefler, Ethan Vogt, James Kuefler and Pat Illies. Middle row, left to right: Cody Douvier, Brandon Roelike, Austen Hadley, Matt Schmitz, Matt Middendorf, Austin Imdieke, Brady Weller and Eddie Martin. Front row: bat boys-Abe Vogt, Brody Hadley and Luke Illies. Not pitcured, Jim Thull (New Munich), Nick Stangler (New Munich), and Austin Schoenberg (Spring Hill). 

Jordan 4, Elrosa 0

GREEN ISLE--The Saints’ season came to an end as they were defeated by the Brewers of the River View League and Region 6A. The Brewers collected 11 hits, backed by a very good pitching performance by Mitch Bockenstedt. He threw a complete game to earn the win, he scattered 5 hits, issued no walks and he recorded 6 strikeouts. Jake Lucas led the Brewers offense, he went 2-4 with a big 2 run home run, he was hit by a pitch and he scored a run. Joe Lucas had a great game, he went 4-4 with a double, two stolen bases and he scored a run. Nate Beckman went 2-4 and he scored a pair of runs and Alex Beckman went 2-4. Devyn Ulibarri went 1-1 and Adam Kabul earned a walk.

The Saints Ethan Vogt, the former University of Minnesota Gopher player, started on the mound, he threw 7 innings, he gave up 9 hits, issued one walk, he surrendered 4 runs and he recorded 8 strikeouts. Ethan actually gave up 8 of those hits to four players and seven were singles. His brother, veteran Aaron Vogt threw 2 innings in relief, he gave up 2 hits. Five base hits were collected by the Saints, Matt Schmitz, Cody Eichers and James Kuefler all went 1-4. Forty-three-year-old Pat Illies 1-3, Player-Manager A.J. Hadley went 1-3, Matt Middendorf was hit by a pitch and Brandon Roelike had a stolen base. They ended their season with a 24-11 record which set a franchise record for overall wins in a season. 

Elrosa 7, Hampton 6 (13 innings)

NORWOOD--Mother nature decided to rain on the 2nd game here in Norwood. However, a good portion of this game was managed to play before they ultimately called the game.

The first pitch of the game drilled Matt Middendorf of Elrosa in the hip. He then managed to make his way over to third base after a walk and a single. Ethan Vogt then drove him in with an RBI single to put Elrosa up 1-0 early. The next batter then grounded into a double play to end the opportunity for more runs.

Middendorf led off the third inning with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He would then make his way over to third after a ground ball bumped him over. Matt then scored on a passed ball during James Kuefler at bat with two outs to make it 2-0.  Austen Hadley led off the fourth inning with a single and was scored on a successful suicide squeeze by his brother A.J. to make it 3-0.

Hampton’s bats started coming alive in the bottom of the fourth when the first three batters got on base (single, walk, hit by pitch). David Barry then drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly to left field. Two batters later Rhett Hebig drove in another run with a single up the middle to make it a one run ballgame.

The first delay took place after the fourth inning. Elrosa’s starter was Jimmy Thull, who was a draftee out of New Munich, pitched solidly the first four innings allowing only four hits and two runs. Adam Moorse pitched the first four innings for Hampton as he allowed only four hits and three runs while striking out four.

Once play resumed both team’s bats stayed quiet for the fifth and sixth inning. Hampton then rallied in the bottom of the seventh when A.J. Sayer started the bottom half with a single. The next two batters got out and that’s when the Cardinals delivered clutch two out hits starting with an RBI single from Pat Strey, followed by an RBI double from David Barry, and then capped off by an RBI single from Johnny Dittman to make it 5-3.

SATURDAY

Elrosa managed to get their first three batters aboard in the 8th and the game was suspended with the bases loaded and no outs. The game will be resumed at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Norwood.

In the top of the 8th and bases loaded with no outs, Ethan Vogt drove in an RBI with a Sac Fly to CF. Austen Hadley popped out and the runners were unable to advance. Pat continued his legendary postseason with a 2-out RBI single to knot the game at 5-5.

Elrosa would score a run in the top of the 11th, but Hampton followed suit in the bottom half to score 1 run to push the game to the 12th. Ethan Vogt battled through 4 walks and 1 hit to keep base runners stranded into the 13th. In the top of the 13th, the Saints would once again load the bases with a 1 out bunt single placed perfectly down the 3rd base line on a play where it looked like Elrosa was going to send Matt Middendorf home from second base on the play, but the 3rd basemen didn't have a throw on the play.

Bases loaded with 2 outs as Matt Schmitz would strike out and Cody Eichers drove in the game winning run on a HBP. Ethan Vogt would shut the door in the bottom of 13, going 1-2-3 on 3 consective fly balls to LF, 3B, and CF.

Elrosa 12, Pelican Rapids 6

HAMBURG--Ethan Vogt’s grand slam home run in the fifth inning put an exclamation point on a solid all-around day from Elrosa in a 12-6 victory over Pelican Rapids in Hamburg. Vogt finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run for the Saints (23-10) and delivered 6 ⅔ innings on the mound. Vogt fell off late in his start but threw five shutout innings. Cody Eichers put Elrosa up 1-0 in the top of the first inning with an RBI double that scored Matt Schmitz. Eichers finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run while Schmitz went 3-for-6 with three runs.

The Saints scored six runs in the fifth, including an RBI single from Schmitz. The whole rally got set up in part to a perfectly placed bunt from Matt Middendorf with one out. Middendorf’s bunt gave Elrosa two runners on and led to base hits from Schmitz and Eichers. The Saints weren’t done and tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning after Kevin Kuefler reached on an error to start the inning. Middendorf, who finished 2-for-5 with two runs, followed with an RBI double while Schmitz and Eichers followed with base hits. Austen Hadley added an RBI single and another error led to another run to put the Saints up 11-0.

Pelican Rapids wasn’t ready to fold and put up three runs in the sixth inning to make it an 11-3 game. Taylor Fuhs, Dana Johnson, Adam Johnson and Brian Guler hit consecutive singles and Al Johnson added an RBI sacrifice fly. The Lakers kept coming with a run in the seventh after Guler hit a single to score Dana Johnson. Dana Johnson finished 4-for-5 with three runs and Adam Johnson went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Guler finished 3-for-5 with three RBI.

 2016 Hutchinson/Dassel/Litchfield

Back row, left to right: Jacob Weller, Austen Hadley, James Kuefler, Cody Eichers, Aaron Vogt, Kevin Kuefler, Ryan Illies, Derek Wiener, AJ Hadley, Austin Imdieke and Austin Schoenberg (Spring Hill). Middle row, left to right: Eddie Martin, Steve Mueller, Brandon Roelike, Matt Schmitz, Brady Weller, Ethan Vogt, Matt Middendorf, Pat Illies. Front row, left to right: Brody Hadley, Luke Illies, Ethan Mueller, Aiden Mueller. Not pictured: Ty Reller (New Munich). 

Plato 5, Elrosa 2

DASSEL--The Bluejays took advantage of three Elrosa errors to eliminate the Saints from the state tourney. Elrosa's advancement into the final weekend of play matches the furthest any team has ever advanced in state competition. Ethan Vogt took the loss on the mound while Matt Middendorf and Austin Hadley each collected two hits. Ethan Vogt and Kevin Kuefler each contributed a double while Matt Schmitz added a single. Ty Reller (draftee from New Munich) threw one inning, Aaron Vogt two innings, and Austin Imdieke one inning. As a pinch runner, Ryan Illies scored a run in the 8th inning to bring the Saints within three.  

The Saints', and the Stearns County League's, season ended in 5-2 loss to defending champion Plato. Elrosa had eight hits in the game, but never bunched them together for a sustained rally. Plato’s Chris Odegaard struck out 11 and walked none. All runs in the game were unearned. Elrosa scored in the sixth inning after Matt Middendorf singled and with two outs the catcher did not hold the ball on a strike three to Cody Eichers. The throw to first was off the mark and Middendorf scored from second base. In the eighth AJ Hadley reached on an error. Pinch runner Ryan Illies went to second on a passed balled. Austen Hadley singled and Illies scored when the outfielder misplayed the ball.  Ethan Vogt started and took the loss. Ty Reller, drafted from New Munich, Aaron Vogt and Austin Imdieke also pitched. Austen Hadley, Kevin Kuefler and Ethan Vogt all doubled for the Saints.

Elrosa: Matt Middendorf 2-5 r sb, AJ Hadley 1-4, Ryan Illies r, Austen Hadley 2-4 d, Cody Eichers 0-4, Matt Schmitz 1-4, Pat Illies 0-4, Kevin Kuefler 1-4 d, Ethan Vogt 1-4 d, Derek Wiener 0-0, James Kuefler 0-3, Brandon Roelike 0-1. Pitching: E. Vogt-L 4i 9h 4r 0er 3k, Ty Reller 1i 2h r 0er bb 3k, Aaron Vogt 2i bb, Austin Imdieke 1i 1h. LOB: Elrosa-9, Plato-7. DP: Elrosa-2.

   

Back row, left to right: Jaron Klaphake (Meire Grove), Eddie Martin, Jon Olmscheid, James Kuefler, Kevin Kuefler, Aaron Vogt, Ethan Vogt, Austin Imdieke, Brandon Roelike, Chris Braaten (Norway Lake-Sunburg). Front row, left to right: Nick Stangler (New Munich), James Boogard, Matt Middendorf, Matt Bauer, Steve Mueller, Pat Illies, Austin Jaeger, Brady Weller and Matt Schmitz. Front row, left to right: Bat boys-Ethan Mueller & Luke Illies. 

Sobieski 3, Elrosa 0 (Brainerd Dispatch)

DELANO--Sobieski’s Tyler Jendro outlasted Elrosa’s Ethan Vogt as the Skis advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Class C state tournament with a 3-0 win over the Saints on Saturday. Jendro pitched all nine innings, allowing three hits and no walks with six strikeouts. He threw 98 pitches and retired the final 14 batters. Two of the three hits he allowed were infield singles. Elrosa hit only two balls to the outfield. In eight innings, Vogt allowed seven hits and one walk, struck out four and threw 95 pitches. They matched each other pitch for pitch through 6.5 scoreless innings. In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Jendro singled and Aaron Hennes pinch ran for Jendro, who finished 2-for-3. Jon Czech followed with a single. Isaac Smieja then drilled a double, scoring Hennes. Sobieski added two runs in the bottom of the eighth on RBI singles by Beau Hanowski and Jendro.

Elrosa 0 3 0

Sobieski 3 7 1

WP: Tyler Jendro. LP: Ethan Vogt.  

Elrosa 6, Loretto 0

DELANO--Nobody in the State gave the Saints a chance. So what did they do? They went out and shut down Loretto 6-0 in the opening round of the 2013 State Amateur Tournament. Ethan Vogt pitched a complete gave five hitter as the orange and navy defense silenced their critics with a dominating win before a large crowd in Delano. The Saints knocked out 12 hits vs. 3 different pitchers during the contest including a clutch two out RBI single from Pat Illies in the first inning to give Elrosa the early lead. Elrosa kept the pressure on as they added single runs in the third and fourth innings on a Vogt sac fly and a two out RBI double from Steve Mueller. Vogt kept the Lark offensive in check throughout the night as he induced 19 ground ball outs including four chances to 3rd basemen Kevin Kuefler, 6 to shortstop Matt Schmitz, and 5 to 2nd basemen Matt Middendorf. Vogt also assisted on four ground balls fielded by himself. Elrosa added another run in the 7th on a two out RBI double from Middendorf. The Saints pushed the lead to 6-0 in the 8th inning on another two out RBI single by Mueller. Vogt pitched out of a baess loaded jam in the bottom of the 8th and put the side down in order in the 9th to secure the victory for Elrosa! Middendorf led the offensive attack with three hits while Illies and Mueller each added two hits apiece. Vogt, Brandon Roelike, Kuefler, Jon Olmscheid, and Austin Imdieke each contributed key singles for the Saints. 

2009 Gaylord/Arlington

Back row, left to right: Darrin Ogdahl (New London-Spicer), Matt Imdieke (Meire Grove), Ethan Vogt, Steve Mueller, Randy Duevel, Jon Olmscheid, Matt Middendorf and Nate Terres (Spring Hill). Middle row, left to right: Kevin Kuefler, Darrin Wander, Mike Illies, Zach Mages, Matt Breitbach, Kyle Lieser, Dustin Breitbach. Front row, left to right: Andy Mages, Paul Kampsen, Pat Illies, bat boy Ryan Illies, Matt Bauer, Weston Wander, Aaron Vogt.

Elrosa 6, Carlos 0 (Randy Olson)

ARLINGTON--Both teams needed a few innings to shake off state tournament jitters, with Carlos gaining the first hit of the game on a single in the second inning. Elrosa left two stranded in the third inning, with Randy Duevel hitting a single and Matt Middendorf drawing a walk before a pop fly for the third out. In the fourth inning, the Saints piled it on to the tune of three runs on three Carlos errors and one hit. Ethan Vogt led off with a single, then stole second and advanced on a throwing error by the catcher.  Pat Illies drew a walk, with Steve Mueller reaching on a fielder’s choice.  

Vogt crossed home on a throwing error by the pitcher for what would be the game-winning run.  Kevin Kuefler reached on an error by the shortstop, a play that allowed Illies to score from third.
Kuefler stole second and then found third on a wild pitch, an error that allowed Steve Mueller to score on a squeeze play.  Kuefler was tagged out on a subsequent squeeze play before Carlos got out of the jam with a final strikeout. Zeroes ran across the board up to the sixth inning, when Carlos threatened with two lead off singles.  A pop fly to right fielder Weston Wander, an unassisted grounder to Illies at first, and a pop fly to Kuefler in right field ended their chances, though.
Elrosa’s defense shined in the final three innings, taking out the Cougars’ batters in order.

Another key to snuffing out the Cougars’ offense was three straight strikeouts by Vogt in the fifth inning.  He found his groove in the second inning, lowering his changeup and frustrating Carlos at every at bat. A furious top of the ninth had the Saints piling on three more runs, all earned, to put an exclamation point on their shutout. Kuefler’s lead off single was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Wander.  Another grounder brought two outs, but Duevel then hit an RBI-single through the shortstop to bring in Kuefler. Middendorf’s single was followed by a four-pitch walk to Nate Terres to load the bases. Vogt added insult to injury when he shot a two-RBI single to center field, capping the game’s scoring. Two pop flies in the bottom of the ninth brought Carlos star-hitter Joe Snaza to the plate.  The Region 14C M.V.P. hit a hard shot to Middendorf, who turned a 6-3 play for a fitting end to the game.
Pitching line:  Vogt (WP) IP-9 H-3 R-0 ER-0 BB-0 K-8. Neil Jenzen (LP) IP-9 H-9 R-6 ER-3 BB-3 K-4.

Cannon Falls 4, Elrosa 2 

GAYLORD--Saints first basemen Pat Illies hit the most dramatic homerun in team history with a one out 2-run homerun in the top of the 9th inning to tie the game at 2-2 but the Saints would go on to fall to Cannon Falls 4-2 on a walk-off homerun in a wild 14 inning thrill ride at the second weekend of the Minnesota Amateur State Baseball Tournament.

Nathan Terres led off the 9th with a strikeout. Ethan Vogt started the 9th inning rally with a single to left off of Cannon Falls starter Keith Myers. Illies then battled Myers to a 2-1 count and Illies hit his dramatic homerun over the right field wall to tie the game at 2. Nearly all of the 423 people in attendance were on their feet screaming and yelling as Illies rounded the bases. Steve Mueller followed with his third hit of the day followed by another hit from rookie Kevin Kuefler. Ogdahl popped up to 1st base for the second out and Matt "Gumby" Bauer hit a hot shot to 1st base which was booted and then kicked but the Cannon Falls pitcher picked up the ball up and threw Mueller out at the plate to end the threat.

The Saints had another chance to go ahead in the 14th. Illies singled to right and then went all the way to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt by Mueller. As Illies slid into 3rd the ball skipped past the 3rd basemen into short left field. Keith Myers, who went from the mound to left, alertly picked up the wild throw and gunned out Illies at the plate to preserve the tie. In the bottom of the 14th, Rich Burr hit a 2 run homerun to left to win the game.

Ethan Vogt started on the mound for the Saints and battled hard for 5 2/3 inning as the right hander struck out six and and gave up two runs before giving way to NL-S draftee Darrin Ogdahl. Ogdahl threw 2 1/3 innings scoreless innings and struck out 4 before handing the ball to Aaron Vogt who took the hard luck loss throwing 5 1/3 innings of relief.

The Saints knocked out 11 hits in the loss. Mueller (3), Illies (2), Randy Duevel (2), Keufler (1), Terres (1), Vogt (1), and Bauer (1) collected the hits as the defense only made 1 error.

2006 Red Wing/Miesville

Back row, left to right: Keith Frieler (Greenwald), Shawn Schoenberg (Spring Hill), Weston Wander, Jon Olmscheid, Ethan Vogt, Aaron Vogt, Adam Breitbach, Pat Illies, Cory Yarke, Mike Illies, Matt Breitbach, Matt Middendorf, Noah Bayer and Dustin Breitbach. Front row, left to right: Mike Zenzen, Andy Mages, Chad Kampsen, Matt Bauer, bat boy Brady Buckentine, Steve Mueller, Bill Buckentine, Paul Kampsen, Randy Duevel and Nate Terres (Spring Hill).

Hampton 2, Elrosa 0 (Sauk Centre Herald)
RED WING--The Elrosa Saints have relied on pitching to get them to the Class C State Amateur Baseball Tournament, and were hoping the combination of pitching and timely hitting would get them to the final weekend.
But on Thursday the Saints went up against some tough pitching and were shut out 2-0 by Hampton in the opening round of tournament action in Red Wing. Caleb Thielbar struck out 13 and allowed just four hits to out dueled Saints starter Aaron Vogt. Vogt pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out one and walked two. Shawn Schoenberg, a draftee from Spring Hill and Ethan Vogt pitched scoreless relief, but the offense couldn't get anything going against Thielbar, a left-hander who eventually pitched for the Minnesota Twins, mixed his pitches well to keep the Saints hitters off balance.
"He threw about mid 80s, but he hit his spots very well and the ball was always down in the zone," said Ethan Vogt, who played center field until he was called on to pitch. Dustin Breitbach led the Elrosa offense with two hits. The loss eliminated the Saints from tournament action. With the one-two punch of Aaron and Ethan Vogt, as well as the addition of Schoenberg, Elrosa was poised to make a solid run at a high finish at this year's tourney. But like in years past, the offense sputtered at a time when it was needed most.
"It was very frustrating to lose out in the first round when we had a good enough team to play into the final weekend," Vogt said. "A few times we had opportunities to get things going but we couldn't get any clutch hits."

2003 Northfield/Dundas

Back row, left to right: Pat Nathe (New Munich), Pat Illies, Todd Haider, Adam Breitbach, Aaron Vogt, Mike Illies, Ethan Vogt, Matt Middendorf, Cory Yarke, Ryan Bauer and Noah Bayer. Front row, left to right: Keith Frieler (Greenwald), Kenny Arceneau (St. Martin), Randy Duevel, Paul Kampsen, Aaron DeRoo, Scott Mueller, Andy Mages, Matt Bauer, Steve Mueller, Chad Kampsen and Dustin Breitbach. 

Essig 6, Elrosa 3 (Sauk Centre Herald) 
NORTHFIELD--The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team’s season ended last weekend at the State tournament in Northfield. The Saints suffered a 6-3 defeat coming at the hands of the Essig Blue Jays. The Saints grabbed an early 1-0 lead to start the game on the right foot. With one out in the bottom of the third, Sauk Centre graduate Cory Yarke ripped a double to the wall in left off of Blue Jay starter Terry Helget. Randy Duevel then smashed a single up the middle to move Yarke to third. Duevel then got picked off of first but stayed in a “hot box” long enough for Yarke to make a good read and sprint home from third to give the Saints the early 1-0 lead. Aaron Vogt cruised on the mound until the fifth inning when the Saints defense gift wrapped Essig three runs to give the Blue Jays the lead. With two outs and runners on second and third, Duevel fielded a hard hit ball up the middle, but his throw went wide of first basemen Yarke allowing both runners to score and the batter to reach second base. The next pitch was fouled off down the right field line, but Saints right fielder Mike Illies had the ball pop out of his glove in foul territory. The next pitch was ripped to center allowing the third unearned run of the inning to score giving the Blue Jays momentum and the 3-1 lead. Elrosa, who was out hit 15-8 in the loss, had chances in the eighth and ninth innings to tie the game but couldn’t come up the clutch hit. The Saints loaded the bases with one out in the eighth and failed to put the ball in play the next two batters. In the ninth, Elrosa put runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth and failed to push any runs across. Former Streeter Aaron Vogt took the loss on the mound throwing 5 2/3 innings. Vogt gave up four runs, three unearned, while scattering six hits. Kenny Arceneau, a draftee from St. Martin, threw the final 3 1/3 innings of relief giving up six hits and two earned runs. Randy Duevel batted three for four at the plate with two singles to right and one to center. Cory Yarke added a double and a run scored while Ethan Vogt added two hits in a two for four performance. Terry Helget got the pitching win for Essig throwing eight innings, giving up six hits, and striking out five. Mitch Stueber was three for five at the plate to lead the Blue Jays offensively.The Saints end the season with an overall record of 16-9. Elrosa won the Stearns County League North title for first time since 1988 with a record of 9-4.

2002-St. Cloud/Cold Spring

Back row, left to right: Matt Middendorf, Jon Whittemore, Dustin Breitbach, Todd Haider, Jon Olmscheid, Cory Yarke, Ryan Bauer, Aaron Vogt, Steve Mueller, Adam Breitbach, Chad Kampsen, Ethan Vogt, Paul Kampsen, Pat Illies, Rick Lieser (Spring Hill), Keith Frieler (Greenwald) and Pat Nathe (New Munich). Front row, left to right: Bat boy Mike Whittemore, Randy Duevel, Noah Bayer, Andy Mages, Bill Buckentine, Matt Bauer, Pat Weller, bat boy Tyler Buckentine and Mike Illies.

Elrosa 4, Wilmont 3 (Minnesota Baseball Association website)
ST.CLOUD--Trailing 1-0 in the 4th, Wilmont's Noble singled, Schmidt walked and Appel was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Elrosa forced two runners at home before Sam Baumgartner was hit by a pitch forcing in a run to tie it. Josh Lowe then walked forcing in another run and giving Wilmont a 2-1 lead. Elrosa tied it at 2 on a Cory Yarke single and stolen base followed by Aaron Vogt's rbi single. Elrosa went ahead 3-2 in the 6th on a single by Pat Illies, a wild pitch and an rbi single by Steve Mueller. Wilmont came back and tied it in the 7th on a single by Johnson and an RBI double by Noble. Elrosa countered with the winning run in the bottom of the inning as Aaron Vogt was hit by a pitch, advanced on a wild pitch, moved to third on another wild pitch and scored on a squeeze bunt by Matt Middendorf. Aaron Vogt struck out 12 for the winners, giving up six hits, three runs, and two walks. Ethan Vogt gave up two hits but struck out two as well in the ninth to secure the save and the win for the Saints.

Elrosa 3, Melrose 1 (Minnesota Baseball Association website)
ST. CLOUD--Elrosa scored 2 unearned runs in the first which wound up being the difference. For the Saints in the first, Randy Duevel reached on an error. Pat Illies singled. Pat Nathe singled driving in Duevel. Nathe scored on a fieldier's choice for the 2nd run. Elrosa added another in the 2nd on a double by Cory Yarke and Chad Kampsen's single. Matt Middendorf contributes three hits and Kampsen's delivered an RBI single that proved to be the clincher. Aaron Vogt, with 10 strike outs, gets the win for his 2nd of the tournament. Vogt gave up six hits and one earned run in a complete gave effort.

Granite Falls 5, Elrosa 2 (Minnesota Baseball Association website)
ST. CLOUD--With the score tied 2-2 in the 6th, Nate Dammann lead off with a single and stole second for Granite. After two were out, Neil Jensen singled just out of the reach of the second baseman and Dammann scored as the throw by the second baseman went into the dugout. Granite added 2 insurance runs in the 8th as Jensen picked up another RBI and Tim Knapper hit a sacrifice fly for the other. Curt Kvam did not allow an earned run and struck out 12 for the Kilowatts. Aaron Vogt pitched 7 2/3 innings while allowing 10 hits, four earned runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. Draftee from Greenwald Keith Frieler throws 1 1/3 innings in releif giving up two hits. Pat Nathe, a draftee from New Munich, provides two hits, including a double and two RBI's as the Saints lose to the eventual state champions.

Watkins 5, Elrosa 0 (Minnesota Baseball Association website)
COLD SPRING--Watkins broke open a 1-0 game in the 7th with 4 runs. For the Clippers in the 7th, Pat Geislinger singled and went to 2nd on a sacrifice. Tim Haines singled in Geislinger. Stan Groskreutz walked and Todd Geislinger doubled off the wall scoring both runners. Jason Schlangen, draftee from Pearl Lake, went the distance for Watkins striking out 14. Jon Whittemore suffers the loss after pitching 5 1/3 innings giving up three hits, one run, three walks, and three strikeouts. Rick Lieser, a draftee from Spring Hill, throws an inning and a third giving up four runs on four hits and one walk. Ethan Vogt tosses the last inning and a third giving up no runs, no hits, and no walks. Randy Duevel collects half of Elrosa's hits as he bats 2 for 4 with a double to lead the Saints offensively.

1988 Hamburg/Chaska

Back row, left to right: Manager Hal Kampsen, Jim Weller, Wayne Wiener, Paul Sand (New Munich), Dan Schmiesing, Ken Haider, Keith Haider, Duane Leukam, Tom Kampsen, Dave Kampsen & Gregg Haider. Front row, left to right: Bruce Duevel, Jim Duevel, Tim Kampsen, Bill Buckentine, Gerald Illies, Chad Bauer, Craig Kampsen, Joe Meyer (Meire Grove), John Uphoff (Greenwald). Bat boys: Jason Kampsen & Randy Duevel. 

Stark 9, Elrosa 4 (St. Cloud Times)

HAMBURG--"We started slow and we really never got going," said Elrosa's Keith Haider, who clubbed a three-run homer in the fourth inning. "We just had a couple of bad innings, and in a single-elimination tournament, you just can't do that." Stark jumped on Elrosa starter Bruce Duevel in the first inning. After Duevel walked Dave Hoffmann and Brian Mathiowetz, Bill Sellner reached base on an error by Elrosa center fielder Jim Weller to load the bases. First baseman Leon Krai then lined an single to give Stark a 1-0 lead. Pat Sellner followed with a long two-run double to center field. 
"It sure was nice to get ahead like we did," said Stark starting pitcher Mike Shavlik, who went 3 innings. After falling behind 6-0, Elrosa made it 6-3 in the fourth. Duevel and Ken Haider singled to lead off the inning and Keith Haider, the designated hitter, crushed a three-run homer over the 325-foot sign in left field. "I think (Shavlik) tried to get a strike on me and threw me a fastball right down the middle," said Haider, who added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to finish with four RBI. The Saints later loaded the bases in the inning, but Stark pitcher Lowell Juni ended Elrosa's threat by getting Ken Haider to ground out to second baseman Hoffmann. Stark added a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth. Elrosa was playing without leading hitter Dave Kampsen, who was hitting .465 with 29 RBI. Kampsen is on vacation in Boston. The trip was planned over two months ago, Keith Haider said. Elrosa, the Region 15C runner-up, finished the season 14-10 overall.

Elrosa 000 310 000 4 9 2

Stark  321 001 021 9 12 2

ELROSA PITCHING--Bruce Duevel (L), Joe Meyer (3), Paul Sand (8) and Ken Haider. 

ELROSA HITTING--Bill Buckentine (2B, CF) 0-5, Gregg Haider (SS) 0-4 BB, Bruce Duevel (P, 2B) 1-4 R-2, Ken Haider (C) 2-4 R, Keith Haider (DH) 1 -3 HR SAC RBI-4R, Duane Leukam (OF) 1-4, Gerald llies (OF) 1-2 SAC, Tim Kampsen (PH) 0-2, Jim Weller (OF) 0-1 , Joe Meyer (P) 0-2, Craig Kampsen (3B) 2-3 BB. Tom Kampsen (1B), Wayne Wiener (1B).