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Dispatches from Target Field

By Star Tribune, 06/18/13, 1:24AM CDT

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Tidbits from Monday's championship day of baseball


Osakis' Lane Berberich (2) throws to first base in his team's championship game against BOLD Monday at Target Field. Photo: Anna Reed * anna.reed@startribune.com

Douglas Zimmel is a senior with plenty of experience. He is also Osakis’ leading hitter.

When he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning against BOLD ace Logan Sandgren, he was looking for a specific pitch to break up his no-hit bid. He got exactly what he wanted from the lefthander.

“I was looking for a fastball all the way,” said Zimmel, who lined the 1-0 pitch into center field for a single. It was the only hit for the Silverstreaks in their 3-0 loss to BOLD in the Class 1A finals at Target Field.

Sandgren was in pursuit of his third consecutive no-hitter.

“He’s not an overpowering pitcher, but he hits his spots perfect,” Zimmel said. “He was doing that all day against us.”

For Zimmel, it brought to a close his prep career that included playing baseball in the Metrodome his freshman season.

“Target Field is way better,” Zimmel said. “This place is awesome.”

Two Shore fans with interest

Coon Rapids pitcher Logan Shore made himself more valuable after throwing a no-hitter in the first round of the state tournament last Thursday. Watching as he struck out eight and walked one in a 2-0 victory over Wayzata were Twins general manager Terry Ryan and University of Florida assistant coach Craig Bell. The Twins drafted Shore in the 29th round of the MLB First-Year Amateur Draft on June 8. Florida is Shore’s college choice.

The Twins have yet to present an offer to the two-time Metro Player of the Year. Florida’s coaching staff is doing everything it can to make sure he is still on track to turn them down.

“It was nice to see them here,” Shore said. “It shows that they both really care about me.”

Shore said he is set to leave for Gainesville, Fla., and summer school on Sunday unless the Twins surprise him.

Making state again and again

Perham second baseman Luke Sailer made his third trip of the year to the Twin Cities as a member of a state tournament team Monday.

Sailer, a senior, was a running back and defensive back for the football team, which lost to Blue Earth Area in the Class 3A semifinals. He was a 138-pounder for the Yellowjackets wrestling team, which lost to none other than Kasson-Mantorville — Perham’s championship game opponent — in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

“It’s been a great year,” said Sailer, despite obvious dejection over the loss. “Not many people can say they played in one tournament and I got to play in three.

Outstate 5, metro 1

Mounds View felt a responsibility to represent the Twin Cities area well. The Mustangs were the only metro area team to earn a spot in Monday’s baseball state championship games at Target Field. The last time just one metro representative reached the state title games was 2005 when Lakeville, before it split into two schools, defeated Grand Rapids 6-1.

Mr. and Ms. winners

Coon Rapids’ Shore was named Mr. Baseball and pitcher Samantha Hartmann of Orono named Ms. Softball on Sunday night at an awards banquet held by the Minnesota Minute Men, the organization that also gives out top senior awards for boys and girls in hockey and lacrosse.

 

Staff writers Ron Haggstrom, Jim Paulsen and Jason Gonzalez contributed to this report.

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