Huskies alumni Brandon Arnold (right) and Michael Jurgella (left, No. 4) celebrate the latter's home run in the Class B State Tournament
Photo by: Minnesota Baseball Association
Huskies star in Minnesota Baseball Association State Tournament
9/8/2021 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Baseball was again extremely well-represented in the 2021 Minnesota Baseball Association State Tournament held over the last few weekends in Waconia, Chaska and Hamburg. The 98th edition of Minnesota amateur baseball's state tournament featured 45 total current and former Huskies, including eight All-Tournament Team members.
Current Huskies righthander Tommy Thompson along with alumni Michael Jurgella (2015), Zach Hoffmann (2016), Brandon Arnold (2016), Logan Spitzack (2016) and Miles Nablo (2017) helped lead the Chanhassen Redbirds to their fourth-straight Class B State Championship. Arnold, Hoffman and Jurgella were joined on the Class B All-Tournament Team by current SCSU players Riley Ahern (Miesville Mudhens) and Sam Riola (Champlin Park LoGators); the Class C All-Tournament Team featured 2019 alumni Zach Iten and Matt Butler of the Watertown Red Devils and legendary lefthander David Deminsky (2010) earned Class C Most Outstanding Pitcher honors for the Sartell Muskies.
Current Huskies
Riley Ahern – Miesville Mudhens
• A member of the All-Tournament Team, Ahern went 2-1 over three starts and 18.2 innings with a 1.93 ERA. The righthander struck out 23 and walked just six, scattering eight hits.
Shannon Ahern – Miesville Mudhens
• Did not appear due to injury.
Max Gamm – Miesville Mudhens
• Gamm went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in Miesville's opener against Chaska and went on to cross home six times in the Tourney.
Sam Riola – Champlin Park LoGators
• Riola earned All-Tournament Team honors after hitting .363 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored over five games while making three starts on the mound. The righthander fired two complete games, working 25.0 innings to a 1.44 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just seven walks. Riola opened the Class B Tournament by tossing a two-hit, two-walk shutout with seven strikeouts against Hampton.
Reid Conlee – Champlin Park LoGators
• Conlee hit .250 in the State Tournament with one multi-hit game.
Tommy Thompson – Chanhassen Redbirds
• Thompson started two games for Chanhassen, going 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA across 11.2 innings of work. The righthander struck out seven and walked just three, earning a win against Champlin Park with 7.0 innings of four-run ball while working 4.2 frames of two-run ball in the Championship.
Ean Von Wald – Foley Lumberjacks
• Von Wald went 2-for-3 with two runs scored against Stark on August 22.
Tyler Schiller – Hutchinson Huskies
• Schiller went 1-for-4 against Sartell.
Ethan Hansen – Hutchinson Huskies (Drafted from Buffalo Bulldogs)
• SCSU's true freshman tossed a scoreless inning against Sartell.
David Van Ort – Lyon's Pub Warriors
• Van Ort did not appear in Lyon's Pub's lone State Tournament game.
Eli Emerson – Richmond Royals
• Emerson fired 3.0 scoreless innings against Dumont, striking out two and walking none while allowing just one hit.
Mason Primus – Richmond Royals
• Primus drove in a run against Dumont.
Luke Tupy – St. Patrick Irish
• Tupy worked a scoreless inning against Austin, striking out one.
Huskies Alumni
David Deminsky (2010) – Sartell Muskies
• Deminsky earned Class C Most Outstanding Pitcher honors after winning all three of his starts, allowing just one earned run over 24.0 innings for a 0.21 ERA with a 42:2 K:BB ratio and just 14 hits allowed. The lefty struck out 13, 16 and 13 batters in his three outings.
David Kroger (2017) – Sartell Muskies
• Kroger scored twice and blasted a pair of doubles in the tournament while striking out two in a scoreless inning against Bluffton.
Brandon Arnold (2016) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• Arnold batted .333 with four runs scored, three RBI and two multi-hit games.
Zach Hoffmann (2016) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• Hoffmann 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI in the Redbirds' opener against Moorhead, then went 1-for-4 with a massive three-run home run against Miesville in the Championship Game.
Michael Jurgella (2015) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• The All-American hit .353 with nine runs scored, two doubles, a home run and three RBI while drawing six walks for Chanhassen.
Miles Nablo (2017) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• The Huskies' single-season appearances record holder made two scoreless outings for Chanhassen, striking out the side against Moorhead while finishing out a perfect ninth to seal the Championship over Miesville.
Logan Spitzack (2016) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• SCSU's former closer appeared in three games, allowing just one unearned run across 6.1 innings of work with a 8:1 K:BB ratio.
Zach Iten (2019) – Watertown Red Devils
• Iten hit .308 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and four RBI at the plate while going 1-0 and earning one save in three appearances on the hill. The righthander worked to a 1.29 ERA across 14.0 innings, striking out nine.
Matt Butler (2019) – Watertown Red Devils
• Butler had three multi-hit games and batted .438 with two runs scored, a double and three RBI while winning both his appearances on the hill and working to a 1.13 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 8.0 innings. The All-NSIC closer struck out 10 over 4.0 scoreless against Eagle Lake,
Luke Hansen (2017) – Burnsville Bobcats
• Hansen earned a start for Burnsville against New Market, covering 1.1 innings.
Jeff Heuer (2011) – Champlin Park LoGators
• A feature piece in Champlin Park's lineup, Heuer went 2-for-4 with a double against Miesville on September 4.
Nate Hammes (2010) – Miesville Mudhens
• Hammes posted two multi-hit games in the tournament and drove in seven.
Alex Naasz (2016) – St. Michael Saints
• Naasz collected a hit, scored a run and drove in one over St. Michael's two games.
Reese Gregory (2016) – Avon Lakers
• The four-time All-American did not play due to injury.
Alex Holets (2020) – Rochester Royals
• The switch-hitting infielder went 2-for-4 against Chanhassen on August 29.
Logan Swann (2017) – Bird Island Bullfrogs
• Swann went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Bird Island's lone game.
Cody Rutledge (2017) – Bemidji Blue Ox
• Rutledge collected four hits in nine at-bats, hitting .444 with two doubles and three RBI in two games for Bemidji.
Dylan Haskamp (2019) – Alexandria Black Sox (Drafted from Sauk Centre Titans)
• Pitched in three games, going 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA across 13.0 innings of work. Earned the win over Kimball with 5.0 scoreless, striking out seven while scattering two hits and a pair of walks.
Jordan Joseph (2019) – Kimball Express
• JJ went 2-for-7 in the tournament, scoring a run, cracking a double and driving in two.
Kent Koch (2011) – Loretto Larks
• Koch scored twice and collected a hit against the Dumont Saints.
Tyler Maher (2010) – Loretto Larks
• Maher went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks against Dumont.
Isaac Matchinsky (2018) – Luxemburg Brewers
• Matchinsky went 1-for-3 and plated a run against Waconia.
Logan Sandgren (2018) – New Ulm Brewers
• Sangren did not appear in New Ulm's two games.
Judd Davis (2019) – New Ulm Brewers
• Davis went 3-for-8 in the tournament, scoring twice and belting a double.
Chase Aleshire (2017) – Richmond Royals
• Played in Richmond's lone game against Dumont.
Garrett Anderson (2015) – St. Clair Wood Ducks (Drafted from Blue Earth Pirates)
• "Big Country" threw a gem against Young America, striking out eight over 6.0 innings of two-run ball while scattering two hits and three walks.
Bryan Schlangen (2012) – St. Martin Martins
• Schlangen drove in a run against Fergus Falls.
Kyle Lieser (2016) – St. Martin Martins
• Lieser scored a run and walked twice in St. Martin's two games.
Scott Lieser (2013) – St. Martin Martins
• The former Huskies ace threw a pair of marvelous starts, going 1-1 across 17.0 innings with a 1.06 ERA and a 16:1 K:BB ratio. He fired a complete-game shutout against Fergus Falls, striking out seven and walking one while scattering five hits.
Bo Schmitz (2018) – St. Stephen Steves
• Schmitz had a hit and stole a base against Princeton.
Mat Meyer (2019) – St. Stephen Steves
• Meyer played in the Steves' lone game of the tournament after a season that saw him hit .430 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 RBI.
Jeff Althoff (2009) – Delano Athletics
• Althoff went 1-for-4 with an RBI against Spring Hill.
Current Huskies righthander Tommy Thompson along with alumni Michael Jurgella (2015), Zach Hoffmann (2016), Brandon Arnold (2016), Logan Spitzack (2016) and Miles Nablo (2017) helped lead the Chanhassen Redbirds to their fourth-straight Class B State Championship. Arnold, Hoffman and Jurgella were joined on the Class B All-Tournament Team by current SCSU players Riley Ahern (Miesville Mudhens) and Sam Riola (Champlin Park LoGators); the Class C All-Tournament Team featured 2019 alumni Zach Iten and Matt Butler of the Watertown Red Devils and legendary lefthander David Deminsky (2010) earned Class C Most Outstanding Pitcher honors for the Sartell Muskies.
Current Huskies
Riley Ahern – Miesville Mudhens
• A member of the All-Tournament Team, Ahern went 2-1 over three starts and 18.2 innings with a 1.93 ERA. The righthander struck out 23 and walked just six, scattering eight hits.
Shannon Ahern – Miesville Mudhens
• Did not appear due to injury.
Max Gamm – Miesville Mudhens
• Gamm went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in Miesville's opener against Chaska and went on to cross home six times in the Tourney.
Sam Riola – Champlin Park LoGators
• Riola earned All-Tournament Team honors after hitting .363 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored over five games while making three starts on the mound. The righthander fired two complete games, working 25.0 innings to a 1.44 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just seven walks. Riola opened the Class B Tournament by tossing a two-hit, two-walk shutout with seven strikeouts against Hampton.
Reid Conlee – Champlin Park LoGators
• Conlee hit .250 in the State Tournament with one multi-hit game.
Tommy Thompson – Chanhassen Redbirds
• Thompson started two games for Chanhassen, going 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA across 11.2 innings of work. The righthander struck out seven and walked just three, earning a win against Champlin Park with 7.0 innings of four-run ball while working 4.2 frames of two-run ball in the Championship.
Ean Von Wald – Foley Lumberjacks
• Von Wald went 2-for-3 with two runs scored against Stark on August 22.
Tyler Schiller – Hutchinson Huskies
• Schiller went 1-for-4 against Sartell.
Ethan Hansen – Hutchinson Huskies (Drafted from Buffalo Bulldogs)
• SCSU's true freshman tossed a scoreless inning against Sartell.
David Van Ort – Lyon's Pub Warriors
• Van Ort did not appear in Lyon's Pub's lone State Tournament game.
Eli Emerson – Richmond Royals
• Emerson fired 3.0 scoreless innings against Dumont, striking out two and walking none while allowing just one hit.
Mason Primus – Richmond Royals
• Primus drove in a run against Dumont.
Luke Tupy – St. Patrick Irish
• Tupy worked a scoreless inning against Austin, striking out one.
Huskies Alumni
David Deminsky (2010) – Sartell Muskies
• Deminsky earned Class C Most Outstanding Pitcher honors after winning all three of his starts, allowing just one earned run over 24.0 innings for a 0.21 ERA with a 42:2 K:BB ratio and just 14 hits allowed. The lefty struck out 13, 16 and 13 batters in his three outings.
The 2020 & 2021 Class C Mike Davison Award winners Matt Geislinger (2020) and David Deminsky (2021) pic.twitter.com/cTINjiq4g5
— Minnesota Baseball Association (@MinnBaseball) September 7, 2021
David Kroger (2017) – Sartell Muskies
• Kroger scored twice and blasted a pair of doubles in the tournament while striking out two in a scoreless inning against Bluffton.
Brandon Arnold (2016) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• Arnold batted .333 with four runs scored, three RBI and two multi-hit games.
Zach Hoffmann (2016) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• Hoffmann 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI in the Redbirds' opener against Moorhead, then went 1-for-4 with a massive three-run home run against Miesville in the Championship Game.
FOUR STRAIGHT Class B Titles for the @chanredbirds 🤩 Chanhassen wins 9-2 over Miesville. @MinnBaseball @wch2021
— Minnesota Prep Spotlight (@MNPrepSpotlight) September 6, 2021
Purchase a digital download as a keepsake: https://t.co/HAtsR0NmR4 pic.twitter.com/9Zd6IzeNyt
Michael Jurgella (2015) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• The All-American hit .353 with nine runs scored, two doubles, a home run and three RBI while drawing six walks for Chanhassen.
A 3 RUN HOMER for @chanredbirds puts them on top over @LogatorBaseball Chanhassen leads 4-1 in the 3rd. @MinnBaseball @wch2021
— Minnesota Prep Spotlight (@MNPrepSpotlight) August 29, 2021
Watch live: https://t.co/aVowePkSt2 pic.twitter.com/iketUGpZeI
Miles Nablo (2017) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• The Huskies' single-season appearances record holder made two scoreless outings for Chanhassen, striking out the side against Moorhead while finishing out a perfect ninth to seal the Championship over Miesville.
Logan Spitzack (2016) – Chanhassen Redbirds
• SCSU's former closer appeared in three games, allowing just one unearned run across 6.1 innings of work with a 8:1 K:BB ratio.
Zach Iten (2019) – Watertown Red Devils
• Iten hit .308 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and four RBI at the plate while going 1-0 and earning one save in three appearances on the hill. The righthander worked to a 1.29 ERA across 14.0 innings, striking out nine.
What town ball is all about. After a tough loss in the state championship game in 11 innings, Zach Iten takes time to sign a baseball for a few young fans. pic.twitter.com/dxvw6WL37Q
— Kip Kovar (@Kovar_HJsports) September 6, 2021
Matt Butler (2019) – Watertown Red Devils
• Butler had three multi-hit games and batted .438 with two runs scored, a double and three RBI while winning both his appearances on the hill and working to a 1.13 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 8.0 innings. The All-NSIC closer struck out 10 over 4.0 scoreless against Eagle Lake,
Luke Hansen (2017) – Burnsville Bobcats
• Hansen earned a start for Burnsville against New Market, covering 1.1 innings.
Jeff Heuer (2011) – Champlin Park LoGators
• A feature piece in Champlin Park's lineup, Heuer went 2-for-4 with a double against Miesville on September 4.
Nate Hammes (2010) – Miesville Mudhens
• Hammes posted two multi-hit games in the tournament and drove in seven.
Alex Naasz (2016) – St. Michael Saints
• Naasz collected a hit, scored a run and drove in one over St. Michael's two games.
Reese Gregory (2016) – Avon Lakers
• The four-time All-American did not play due to injury.
Alex Holets (2020) – Rochester Royals
• The switch-hitting infielder went 2-for-4 against Chanhassen on August 29.
Logan Swann (2017) – Bird Island Bullfrogs
• Swann went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Bird Island's lone game.
Cody Rutledge (2017) – Bemidji Blue Ox
• Rutledge collected four hits in nine at-bats, hitting .444 with two doubles and three RBI in two games for Bemidji.
Dylan Haskamp (2019) – Alexandria Black Sox (Drafted from Sauk Centre Titans)
• Pitched in three games, going 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA across 13.0 innings of work. Earned the win over Kimball with 5.0 scoreless, striking out seven while scattering two hits and a pair of walks.
Jordan Joseph (2019) – Kimball Express
• JJ went 2-for-7 in the tournament, scoring a run, cracking a double and driving in two.
Kent Koch (2011) – Loretto Larks
• Koch scored twice and collected a hit against the Dumont Saints.
Tyler Maher (2010) – Loretto Larks
• Maher went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks against Dumont.
Isaac Matchinsky (2018) – Luxemburg Brewers
• Matchinsky went 1-for-3 and plated a run against Waconia.
Logan Sandgren (2018) – New Ulm Brewers
• Sangren did not appear in New Ulm's two games.
Judd Davis (2019) – New Ulm Brewers
• Davis went 3-for-8 in the tournament, scoring twice and belting a double.
Chase Aleshire (2017) – Richmond Royals
• Played in Richmond's lone game against Dumont.
Garrett Anderson (2015) – St. Clair Wood Ducks (Drafted from Blue Earth Pirates)
• "Big Country" threw a gem against Young America, striking out eight over 6.0 innings of two-run ball while scattering two hits and three walks.
Bryan Schlangen (2012) – St. Martin Martins
• Schlangen drove in a run against Fergus Falls.
Kyle Lieser (2016) – St. Martin Martins
• Lieser scored a run and walked twice in St. Martin's two games.
Scott Lieser (2013) – St. Martin Martins
• The former Huskies ace threw a pair of marvelous starts, going 1-1 across 17.0 innings with a 1.06 ERA and a 16:1 K:BB ratio. He fired a complete-game shutout against Fergus Falls, striking out seven and walking one while scattering five hits.
Bo Schmitz (2018) – St. Stephen Steves
• Schmitz had a hit and stole a base against Princeton.
Mat Meyer (2019) – St. Stephen Steves
• Meyer played in the Steves' lone game of the tournament after a season that saw him hit .430 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 RBI.
Jeff Althoff (2009) – Delano Athletics
• Althoff went 1-for-4 with an RBI against Spring Hill.
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