North Dakota Preps

May 24th
#1LaMoure -bye

#4 Valley City
#5 Central Cass

#2 Enderlin-Maple Valley
#7 Northern Cass

#3 Kindred/Richland
#6 FSHP

This tourney is truly up for grabs. LLM slight favorite maybe. Enderlin very definitley a good shot. But with single elim first round, situations are so big in wood bat baseball.
LLM will have tough task with either Casselton or VC. LLM pretty deep at pitcher. But 2-3 hits and a couple walks, anything happens.
Enderlin solid on the mound. I've been impressed last couple years how few they walk.
Overall, nobody in this tourney can simply show up.
I doubt whoever in championship that it will be over in 2 games.

In the first game, Central Cass beat Valley City 6 to 1.

Second game was a pitchers duel. LaMoure won 2 to 1. Bresnihan(?sp) for CC pitched an excellent game other than one inning. LaMoure scored two in that inning. Coach Haugen took a chance sending a runner from third after a grounder hit the pitcher and bounced between first and second giving a play at home. The throw was in the dirt and the catcher couldn't handle it. Run scored which turned out to be the winning run.

CC had a few excuse me hits off of Dunn. Had runners on 1st and 3rd in the 7th with two outs. schumacker at the plate with two strikes against him. The CC coach decided to try the "pickle" play to get the runner from 3rd across. It didn't fool Dunn. He faked liked he was going to throw to second to get the runner. by then the runner from 3rd had committed. Dunn threw home for an easy out to win the game.

Definitely a gamble by CC, but not that bad of one. Dunn almost threw the ball over the catcher's head which would have scored the run.

It is fun to watch games where coaching strategy comes into play. This one had plenty.

Bresnahan is going to be a good one. Heck of a job for only being a Freshman (i believe). Going to be fun to watch for a few years.

InTheKnow wrote:Bresnahan is going to be a good one. Heck of a job for only being a Freshman (i believe). Going to be fun to watch for a few years.

Bresnahan is certainly an impressive young pitcher. He pitched a hek of a game. As he matures, he is possibly going to be pretty special to watch.

EMV/LLM battle for 2 of 3 will be a good matchup. EMV will have 2 days rest from Monday's games, LLM will have one day. EMV pitchers do not seem to walk people at all and EMV hits the ball too. LLM goes to A Stemen, Cole Gentzkow and Z Stemen for Thursday's games. These guys haven't given up many runs all year. Probably only see Dunn if it is to close something out for 20-30 pitches. If games go into Friday, probably Dunn for a few depending on pitch count type deal.

Will be a great series.

EMV swept Lamoure. LLM only scored 1 run in 2 games. something like 3-1 and 2-0. Dunn never pitched.

Both these teams are solid, but with HS baseball and wood bats anything can happen. Even if LLM would have been able to throw Dunn they would have had to score to win.