Eastview knew who was in command, so its players watched confidently as he took control.

Evan DeCovich appeared calm as he became the centerpiece of the Lightning's run to the state championship. On the mound and at the plate, he did it all during Monday's Class 3A championship game at Target Field.

He completed his sixth consecutive start, collected half of his team's hits, scored the game's only run and even caught a pair of popups in a 1-0 victory over Bemidji.

The senior carried the load throughout the season and did even more when it was required of him.

"I know DeCovich is a stud," Eastview first baseman AJ Stockwell said.

This was the sentiment around the dugout as the Lightning (22-5) celebrated its first baseball state championship. The pitcher's teammates praised the performance of the 6-4, 260-pounder, adding that he never let them down this year.

 "In my opinion, he's Mr. Baseball. I don't how he can't be," Eastview center fielder Brennan Espinda-Banick said. "He's an animal. He carried us. He knows what his role is."

Over the weekend, Eastview coaches considered not starting DeCovich in Monday's finale. In Friday's quarterfinal- semifinal doubleheader, he threw a complete game in the early afternoon and returned that night to close out the second game. It was hard for the righthander to ignore the soreness in his arm. Then he remembered his role.

The excitement of playing at Target Field and in the state championship helped numb any discomfort the pitcher might have had. He struck out four of the first six batters he faced and gave up only one hit through the first four innings. And that was just on the mound.

Batting fourth in the lineup, he collected Eastview's first two hits, a double and a single. His double in the second inning, the game's only extra-base hit, led to the game's lone run. Patrick Strey bunted DeCovich's courtesy runner to third and Stockwell drove in the run on a groundout to shortstop.

DeCovich needed no other runs.

"That's kind of been my job all year," DeCovich said. "I knew I had to put everyone on my back and go. Sometimes I do all I can and sometimes I can't."

Seven innings, two hits, one walk, five strikeouts and 2-for-2 with a run scored showed he can. But DeCovich wouldn't take all the credit. He quickly referenced the team's motto of "Ohana," which mean's family in Hawaiian.

Defensive plays such as center fielder Espinda-Banick's diving catch in the fourth inning were what the team relied on all season to earn the program's first state tournament berth.

"I knew that was the game-changer right there," said DeCovich (8-2) about Espinda-Banick's catch. "I started relying on my defense."

The offense of Bemidji (25-3) never could get anything going. Only once did the Lumberjacks advance a runner into scoring position, but stranded him on third base in the sixth inning.

Sophomore pitcher Ryan Hirt (10-1) continued an impressive season despite picking up his first loss. He threw only 56 pitches, gave up four hits, walked one and struck out three in six innings, but he admitted he was outpitched.

"He pitched better than me today," Hirt said. "I figured for sure we'd score runs. We couldn't though."

Eastview completes a memorable spring for the Apple Valley-based school. The boys' lacrosse team won the school's first boys' varsity state title earlier this month and the baseball team added another in quick fashion.

"I don't know if we expected it, but we knew we could do it," Eastview coach Tom Strey said. "We've never lost in these blue [uniform] tops this year. We call them championship blues."

-- Jason Gonzalez, Star Tribune Staff

In what could be the fastest championship game in tournament history, Eastview beat Bemidji 1-0 to capture the 2012 Class 3A State Championship. The game finished in less than one hour and twenty minutes, as a pitchers' duel was in effect from the opening pitch.

Evan Decovich threw a complete game shutout, striking out five and walking one. He is also the only player that had more than one hit in the game, going 2-2 with a double. He was the beneficiary of stellar defense behind him all day, highlighted by a full-extension catch by Brennan Espinda Banick and a charging play by second basemen Austin Hebig in the top of the 7th. 

Ryan Hirt took the tough-luck loss for the Lumberjacks, throwing a complete game allowing only one earned run. The sophomore lefty worked all 6 innings throwing only 56 pitches, 37 for strikes. The loss was his first of the season.

This is Eastview's first state tournament appearance and also their first state championship. The day ended with all three tournament champions (St. Agnes, Holy Family Catholic, and Eastview) shutting out their opponents, a first in Minnesota Baseball State Tournament history.

-- Alec Kinsky, MN Baseball Hub Staff

1. Evan DeCovich, Eastview
Pitching a complete game shutout against a very talented Bemidji offense, DeCovich was masterful on the mound. He allowed only one walk and two hits over seven innings. DeCovich also was the only player in the game with more than one hit, one of which was a towering fly ball that went for a double.