Amateur baseball: Paynesville makes an impressive run to state

Aug.

12GAYLORD The Paynesville Pirates needed to win a play-in game to even get into the Region 8C amateur baseball playoffs.They pulled out an 18-14 victory over the Richmond Royals to earn 8C's final opening in Spring Hill.

From there, things really started clicking with three straight victories.It earned the Pirates a berth in the 2025 Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association's 102nd annual state tournament."That (playing in Spring Hill) was so fun," said Pirates manager Ron Fuchs of the Region 8C tournament.

"The atmosphere in Spring Hill was electric.

The crowds were amazing."Fuchs and the Pirates hope for a similar experience at 7:30 p.m.

Friday in Gaylord when Paynesville plays the Lamberton Long Sox in the first round of the 32-team Class C tournament.The tournament runs over three weekends, with the realigned three-class field for Class A, B and C also featuring games at Hutchinson, Glencoe and Brownton.The Class C tournament is single elimination, with the championship scheduled for Sunday, Aug.

31 at Brownton.

It's Paynesville's first state appearance since 2021, when the Pirates were one-and-done.Fuchs is hoping for a longer run this time around after earning the No.

1 seed.

Lamberton was a No.

2 seed from Region 2C."Needless to say, we're looking forward to that ball game Friday night," Fuchs said.Fuchs will start Paynesville's No.

1 draft pick, Starbuck Stars right-hander Austin Ver Steeg.

Ver Steeg, 28, is a former Concordia-Moorhead star who pitched professionally for the American Association's Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks.The Pirates also selected Norway Lake-Sunburg's Jared Cortez and Lake Henry's Carter Wessel.

Cortez was MVP of the County Line League and is coming off a stellar spring at Southwest Minnesota State and a stint as a catcher with the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League.

Wessel, 24, is a left-hander from Paynesville's excellent high-school program in which Fuchs is an assistant coach.Fuchs is tentatively going with this lineup Friday:1).

Reed Johnson, 2B2).

Grayson Fuchs, RF3).

Luke Johnson, SS4).

Garrett Leusink, 1B5).

Sam Oehrlein, CF6).

Grady Fuchs, LF7).

Rick Hendrickson, DH8).

Spencer Eisenbraun, 3B9).

Griffin Bjerke, CJohnson will be a senior at Paynesville.

Fuchs plays for St.

Cloud State.

Oerhlein, 25, played for Concordia-Moorhead and is one of the Pirates' top pitchers.

A left-hander, he and right-hander Bennett Evans helped pitch the Pirates through the playoffs.

Grady Fuchs, 24, is Grayson's brother.

Ron is their father.Hendrickson, 38, is Paynesville's activities director and head boys basketball coach.

Bjerke, 23, is the only non-Paynesville graduate on the roster besides the draftees.

He went to New London-Spicer."He's a great catcher," Ron Fuchs said.Paynesville went 5-5 in the ultra-balanced County Line League.

Norway Lake-Sunburg won the six-team league with a 6-4 record.

The worst record in the league was 4-6.

The Pirates are 10-10 overall."Our league was crazy," Ron Fuch said.

"It was so competitive."Lamberton is 15-8.

The Long Sox went 5-2 in the Tomahawk East.

Their three draft picks include Jack Howard of the Sacred Heart Saints, Adam Sellner of the Stark Longhorns and Casey Lux of the Searles Grizzlies.Players with college experience on their roster include: Will Carlson (Bethany Lutheran College), Neil Eichten (Bethany Lutheran), Carter Benz (Bethany Lutheran), Quintyn Vold (Northwestern College of Iowa), Eli Fest (Bethany Lutheran) and Travis Willhite (Iowa Lakes).Jake Wahl, 36, is a left-handed pitcher who played for Ridgewater College.

Derrick Jenniges, the Long Sox manager, is on the active roster.

He's 46, played at Southwest Minnesota State and is the head boys basketball coach at Westbrook-Walnut Grove.

Isaac Jenniges, 42, played at Minnesota West in Worthington and is the head baseball coach for Red Rock Central/WWG."I really don't know much about them," Ron Fuchs said.Three other West Central Tribune area teams qualified for the Class C state tournament.

The Regal Eagles, the third seed from Region 8, play the Dumont Saints at 11 a.m.

Saturday in Hutchinson.

Dumont is the Region 3 champion from the Land O'Ducks League.The Litchfield Blues play the Waterville Indians at 11 a.m.

Sunday in Hutchinson.

Waterville is the Region 5 champion.

Litchfield is the third seed from Region 6.And, the Elrosa Saints face the Windom Pirates at 1:30 p.m.

Saturday in Hutchinson.

Elrosa is the fourth seed from Region 8.

Windom won Section 10.Other area players drafted by other teams in the Class C tournament include the Granite Falls Kilowatts' Bennett Knapper, the Benson Plowboys' Alex Claussen and Sam Lenarz and the Madison Mallards' Brandon Hill.Knapper was picked by the Leavenworth Orioles.

Claussen was picked up by Dumont.

Lenarz and Hill are playing for the Morris Eagles.First-round pairings in the state amateur baseball tournament:Games Saturday* Webster Sox vs.

Raymond Rockets, 4 p.m.

at Gaylord* Cold Spring Springers vs.

Union Hill Bulldogs, 6:30 p.m.

at GaylordGames Sunday* Bird Island Bullfrogs vs.

Prior Lake Mudcats, 4 p.m.

at Hutchinson* Northfield Knights vs.

Delano Athletics, 11 a.m.

at Brownton* Ada A's vs.

Maple Lake Lakers, 4 p.m.

at Gaylord* Nisswa Lightning vs.

Kimball Express, 11 a.m.

at Gaylord* Watkins Clippers vs.

Foley Lumberjacks, 1:30 p.m.

at Gaylord* Plato Blue Jays vs.

Princeton Panthers, 1:30 p.m.

at BrowntonFirst-round pairings in the state amateur baseball tournament:Game Friday* Luxemburg Brewers vs.

Pierz Brewers, 7:30 p.m.

at Hutchinson* Paynesville Pirates vs.

Lamberton Long Sox, 7:30 p.m.

at Gaylord* Howard Lake Orphans vs.

Brownton Bruins, 7:30 p.m.

at BrowntonGames Saturday* Farming Flames vs.

Milroy Irish, 4 p.m.

at Hutchinson* Hanska Lakers vs.

Hawley Hawks, 1:30 p.m.

at Brownton* Le Sueur Braves vs.

Urbank Bombers, 11 a.m.

at Brownton* Randall Cubs vs.

Leavenworth Orioles, 11 a.m.

at Gaylord* Dumont Saints vs.

Regal Eagles, 11 a.m.

at Hutchinson* Glencoe Brewers vs.

Morris Eagles, 4 p.m.

at Glencoe* Roseau Royals vs.

Cannon Falls Bears, 1:30 p.m.

at Gaylord* Pierz Lakers vs.

Mora Blue Devils, 6:30 p.m.

at Brownton* Windom Pirates vs.

Elrosa Saints, 1:30 p.m.

at HutchinsonGames Sunday* Quamba Cubs vs.

Cologne Hollanders, 4 p.m.

at Brownton* Waterville Indians vs.

Litchfield Blues, 11 a.m.

at Hutchinson* Courtland Cubs vs.

Pine Island Pioneers, 1:30 p.m.

at Hutchinson.

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