Novice baseball: Bird Island Bullfrogs transfer into state championship sport – West Central Tribune

LITCHFIELD — Jimmy Woelfel is significantly hoping his mother Heidi can assist him wash his

Bird Island Bullfrogs

uniform.

It was lined in filth and sweat after two intense state event video games within the excessive warmth and humidity Sunday at Optimist Park.

“My mom will get some good practice,” Woelfel joked. “I’m HOPING I can get her to do it.

“But this is how I should look after every game.”

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

After two wins Sunday on the one hundredth annual state beginner baseball event, the soiled uniform seemed good. The Bird Island Bullfrogs are taking part in for a state championship for the primary time.

“It’s going to be so fun to play (Monday),” Bird Island’s Aidan Elfering stated. “It’s something we’ve wanted and the same thing for us as it was for three or four of us in 2019 (when BOLD High School won the state title).”

Bird Island performs Maple Lake for the Class C title at 1 p.m. Monday at Delano. The Lakers moved into the finals with two wins of their very own Sunday. With temperatures within the mid-90s. Maple Lake beat the Jordan Brewers 3-0, then rallied to beat the Bluffton Braves 8-6.

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The Bullfrogs’ path included a 3-0 victory over St. Martin within the quarterfinals. In that one, Woelfel homered within the first inning to set the tone and Elfering bought the ultimate two outs on the mound for the save.

In the semifinals, Bird Island beat Buckman 7-1. The Billygoats had been state runner-ups in 2022, however knocked off Region 8C rival and defending state champion Nisswa within the quarterfinals, 7-2.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

Bird Island once more bought off to a great begin, scoring three runs within the first, then placing it away with 4 runs within the fifth. Elfering began and bought the win, going six innings and permitting one run towards a hard-hitting Buckman membership with Marshall A’s draftee Mitchell Bouwman going the ultimate three innings for the save.

“They’re better than some of the college teams I’ve played against,” stated Elfering, who pitches for the University of Dubuque, an NAIA college in Iowa, of the Billygoats.

Like it has within the 48-team three-weekend event, the Bullfrogs performed wonderful protection, pitched nicely and bought sufficient offense to advance.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

In the Buckman sport, there have been three double performs turned, with shortstop Jordan Sagedahl concerned in all of them. The Bullfrogs are taking part in of their fifth straight state event and are at state for the tenth time in group historical past, relationship again to 1951. But they’ve by no means performed for a state title.

Bullfrogs supervisor Mike Nagel is delighted with how issues have turned out.

“This is such an easy team,” Nagel stated. “They just want to win. They’re great kids.”

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

The Bullfrogs plan to begin Marshall A’s right-hander Charlie Jacobson within the last. “Then it’s all hands on deck,” Nagel stated.

It’s a dream come true for Bird Island’s baseball group and an incredible second for Woelfel. The 2018 BOLD graduate has spent the previous two seasons taking part in Class A ball for the Minneapolis Mudhens. He’s a 2022 graduate of Bethel University in Arden Hills and works for a public accounting agency within the Twin Cities.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

He determined to return again to Bird Island this season principally as a result of he hoped to have his grandfather Maury Woelfel be capable of see him. But, his grandfather handed away this spring. He was 92.

“He played with the Bird Island Islanders back in the day,” Jimmy Woelfel stated.

Joe Brown / West Central Tribune

The Bullfrogs catcher stated he loves the environment and fan assist of Class C ball. The Bullfrogs performed earlier than a stuffed Optimist Park of their video games with St. Martin and Buckman, who’ve big cheering sections.

“It’s a different atmosphere than Class A,” he stated.

And on Sunday, Bird Island hopes to carry home a state championship.

Buckman    010   000   000-1   10   1
Bird Island      300   040   00x-7   8   2

Hitting – Buckman: Matt Tautges 0-2 bb-2, Lane Girtz 1-4, Jack Suska 1-4, Noah Boser 1-3 2b bb, Ben Thoma 2-4, Aaron Weber 1-4, Matt Kummet 2-4 r rbi hr, Joe Kahl 1-3 bb, Andrew Rueckert 1-3 … Bird Island: Braeden Tersteeg 2-5 r-2 2b, Jordan Sagedahl 1-2 r-2 rbi 2b bb-2, Jimmy Woelfel 1-4 r, Aidan Elfering 1-4 r, Shawn Dollerschell 1-4 r rbi-2, Logan Swann 1-3 rbi bb, Dylan Gass 1-3 r rbi sac, Zeke Walton 0-2 rbi bb-2 sb

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Buckman: Preston Rocheleau (L, Pierz Lakers) 4.1-7-7-7-3-4, Thomas (3.2-1-0-0-2-2) … Bird Island: Elfering (W) 6-9-1-1-4-1, Mitchell Bouwman (Sv, Marshall A’s) 3-1-0-0-0-5

St. Martin    000   000   000-0   7   1
Bird Island      100   002   00x-3   9   1

Hitting – St. Martin: Kyle Lieser 1-2 bb-2 hbp, Bryan Schlangen 0-3 hbp sac, Tanner Arceneau 1-4, Scott Lieser 1-3 bb, Ben Schroeder 2-4 2b, Ryan Messer 1-3, Ryan Morse 1-1 … Bird Island: Jordan Sagedahl 2-3 r bb sb, Jimmy Woelfel 2-3 r-2 rbi 2b hr bb, Aidan Elfering 0-3 bb, Shawn Dollerschell 1-3 bb, Logan Swann 1-3 rbi sac, Dylan Gass 1-3 rbi, Zeke Walton 1-4, Nic Taylor 1-3

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – St. Martin: Schroeder (L) 5.1-6-3-3-2-3, S. Lieser 2.2-3-0-0-2-5 … Bird Island: Jared Dettmann 2-2-0-0-0-1, Mitchell Bouwman (W, Marshall A’s) 3.1-2-0-0-3-4, Casey Lewandowski 0.2-1-0-0-1-0, Gass 2.1-2-0-0-0-2, Elfering (Sv) 0.2-0-0-0-0-0