In his 31 years of coaching Mahtomedi’s varsity baseball team, John Hardgrove accomplished something Tuesday night that he or no other Zephyrs coach has done.
Hardgrove guided Mahtomedi to the state tournament for the first time in program history with a 9-5 win over East Ridge in the Class 3A, Section 4 championship game at Midway Stadium in St. Paul.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve been close, but these guys have earned every part of it," Hardgrove said.
The Zephyrs, who lost just one regular season game, have steadily increased their scoring output through the playoffs. They beat Henry Sibley 2-1, Stillwater 4-3 and East Ridge 8-4 before topping the Rapotrs again Tuesday night.
“It’s an honor, because there was some good guys before me,” Hardgrove said about reaching the state tournament. “After 31 years, it’s just something I’ve strived to do and with this group. ....”
Senior center fielder Jackson Hull, who drove in two runs with a fourth-inning single, said Hardgrove is deserving of Tuesday's achievement.
“It’s good for him, I’m glad he’s doing stuff like this,” Hull said. “He gives us a hard time at practice, but that’s what winning teams do. He’s a great guy, and I’ll miss him next year.”
“He’s a great coach and I’m proud of him, and I’m glad I’m just on his team,” senior starting pitcher Mike Baumann said.
Baumann pitched six innings, struck out seven batters and walked five.
“This is what I’ve been working for,” Baumann said. “I feel like everything is starting to pay off, and we just got to keep going, we’re not done yet, we’re just getting started.”
Mounds View, last year's Section 4 champion, beat Rocori 8-0 in the state Class 3A championship game. Hardgrove said he wants his team to mimic the Mustangs' success.
“We’re just hoping to continue to represent our conference and our section and play the kind of ball that they aspire to do, that they’ve been playing for the last couple years,” Hardgrove said.
