New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

*** For scores of all games go to "Legion Tournament" at top of page and then to "Schedule and Results. Also attached is a special a PDF file for those with older computers. photos at the state Legion II tournament are attached and identified below. There is also a bushel of info on the Legion Touranment menu ***

Identifications for photos posted to this page follow. Go to attachments, below.
(1) Players, officials and fans numbering 450 people were on hand Wednesday night at Martin Luther College for the welcome banquet. Details of the banquet and awards given out as part of the festivities are located on the news events newspaper to be reached by navigating to "Legion Tournament" at the top of the page and locating the "Gazette" there. The Gazette was the first issue to be published during the touranment.
(2) Teams got all checked in for the state tournament Wednesday afternoon at the New Ulm Senior Community Center. Don Erdahl and Bob Hager run through the paper work with tournament volunteers, left to right, Roger Niebling of ninth district, Wes Thompson, sixth, Mike Gort, seventh; and Mike Perry, 10th.
(3) New Ulm Legion volunteer Paul Wienke goes over housing arrangements with Don Erdahl and Rob Hager of Excelsior as part of the check-in procedures Wednesday at the state American Legion baseball tournament. Jim Pack looks on at right.
(4) New Ulm Park and Rec employees spruce up Johnson Park. Ed Tietel and Derek Nelson were busy spray painting the grass behind home plate to designate Johnson Park as the tournament site.
(5) Ben Ruter receives 2009 Legion baseball scholarship award from Darwin Berg at tournament in New Ulm.
(6) State Legion 2009 Baseball tournament directors at New Ulm were Vern Kitzberger, left, and Paul Sabatino.

Sunday, Aug. 2 >>>>CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY <<<<
Apple Valley will go into Sunday's championship game of the American Legion tournament at New Ulm with an unblemished record while one-time losers Wayzata and Rochester play a single game at 1:30 to determine the opponent.
Trailing 4-0, Apple Valley rolled up six runs in the fourth inning enroute to a 7-4 win over previously undefeated Wayzata in Saturday night's single contest. Earlier the Rochester Patriots knocked out Mankato for the right to play the survival game. The championship deciding game will be at 3:30. The two contests are both assured of berths in regional competiton. Apple Valley beat New Ulm Gold, Willmar and Rochester. The 5-4 win over New Ulm Gold didn't come until the ninth inning and was Apple Valley's closest win. Wayzata had beaten Mankato, Fergus Falls and the Acadmey Stars. The Rochester club topped Waite Park, Eagen, Lost to Apple Valley and then beat Hamline Purple and Mankato to move to Sunday's competition.
Saturday Night Results

Wayzata ....... 100 300 000 --- 4 - 8 - 2
Apple Valley . 000 060 10x --- 7 - 5 - 4
Soule, Johnson (5) and Trysgstad; Bodin, Pirchard (9) and Gretz. W-Bodin.
Wayzata took an early lead behind a strong defense, the clutch pitching of BillySoule and a three-run third inning featuring two RBI from Caleb Reesnes and one from Logan Brau. Apple Valley responded with a six-run fifth inning featuring a three-run triple by Mark Hermes, giving Appley Valley the first lead of the game. Matt Bodin pitched eight strong innings for Apple Valley,allowing four earned runs.

>>> (Previous )Reports <<<<
7:30 p.m. - Rochester Patriots Move to Championship Sunday
Overcoming a 3-0 first inning deficit and pushing over seven runs in the seventh inning, Rochester's Patriots eliminated Mankato National 12-6 to advance to the championship Sunday.
The game featured 15 walks given up by Mankato pitching plus another 11 hits by the Patriots. Derek Hovick had three hits and Jordan Stokes and Matt Miller each two with Miller batting in three runs. For Mankato, which won District 2 by beating New Ulm, Dan Larson had four hits in five trips.
Rochester plays the Apple Valley/Wayzata winner at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. A win would send the team to a regional tournament.
Mankato National .... 300 000 021 -- 6 10 1
Rochester Patriots .. 001 220 70x - 12 11 2
Kopel, Watts (5), Kleist (7), Larsen (8) and Kleist, Kiefer; Roble, Moen (8) and Rysavy, Nelson. WP-Roble. LP-Kopel.
Rochester literally walked into Sunday's semi-final game as they benefited from 15 free passes from the Mankato pitching staff. Coupled with 11 hits and three hit batsmen, the Patriots were able to double up the Nationals 12-6. The loss ended the National's long march through the loser's bracket after four straight wins. Rochester scored seven in the seventh to put the game away. For Mankato, Daniel Larsen had four hits including a double. For the Patriots Derek Hovick was three for four. Jordan Stokes and Matt Miller had two and Hovick drove in three.

Previous -As the sun starts its descent from the hills of the Minnesota River valley, Mankato plays Rochester Patriots in the final day game Saturday as the American Legion tournament geared down to the final two teams to meet in the championship. Earlier Rochester toppled Hamline Purple 3-0 to stay alive.
the Mankato/Rochester winner gets to play the loser of the Wayzata/Apple Valley battle of unbeatens and that winner will then go to the finals against either Wayzata or Apple Valley. Apple Valley and Wayzata play Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
First game Sunday is at 12:30 with the championship to follow. The two survivors go to regional tournaments as the play down for the national championships at Fargo, N.D. continue. Double elimination does not apply to the championship game since each has already earned a regional trip.
Mankato stayed alive with a 4-3 win over Academy Stars in Saturday morning's regularly scheduled game. In the two rained-out games, Apple Valley topped Rochester Patriots 7-3 and Hamline eliminated Fergus Falls 15-11.

Saturday, Aug. 1, 9 a.m. - Again the sun shines over New Ulm in between some fast moving clouds as two Legion games suspended Friday night continue. Hamline Purple led Fergus Falls12-6 in the top of the sixth and Apple Valley was leading Rochester Patriots 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Friday night rains suspended the game. In the neighborhood of a half inch of rain was quickly absorbed by the dry field and good playable conditions were being encountered this morning as the tournament pares its entry field in leading up to Sunday's championship game.
>>> Tournament Continues Friday <<<
Friday, July 31, 9 p.m. The great weather turns threatening with two games still left to finish Friday's eliminations. Light rain is sprinkling the area. Watch our weather scan at left for further developments.
Friday, July 31, 9 a.m. And it's another fantastic sun-shine morning here at the state Legion tournament.
Check the "Legion Tournament" connection for the state committee's Gazette newspaper report of the first day. The second issue will be distributed at games starting this morning. All first day scores have been posted and we can expect the bracket to get updated today. In meantime, through that site you might be interested in seeing all the wonderful stats that have been added for the season of all the teams, particularly for New Ulm Gold. Also look for some of the line scores to appear.
>>> Tournament In Progress - Thursday <<<
Thursday, July 30, 9 p.m. - Veteran state legion personnel were trying to remember when as many as four teams were sent home after the first day ... meaning they all lost two straight. New Ulm avoided being one by beating Hopkins 4-1 behind Garrett Fischer. Fischer was felled by a vicious line drive in the first inning but remarkably hung on the complete the nine inning game. New Ulm plays again at 1 p.m. Friday against Hamline Purple. That game will be at Al Mueller Park.

Thursday, July 30 - At 8 a.m., it's a beautiful New Ulm sunshine-filled morning to open the tournament. Thanks to Legion color guard, Leanne Fluegge for National Anthem and National Guard for helicopter flyover in opening ceremonies.
Wednesday, July 29 - Welcome banquet sells all available tickets as 450 attend to honor teams and hear former New Ulm High School baseball coach as the keynote speaker. Photo shows crowd at Martin Luther College.
Wednesday July 29 - Teams began the check-in process and had team photographs taken starting at noon and lasting to 3 p.m. at Community Center, 600 North German (next to Johnson Park). Park and Recreation employees of New Ulm were putting finishing touches on Johnson Park and Al Mueller Park in preparation for first games Thursday morning. And personnel involved with computer programs to enter all the activity of the games were getting ready for the first games.
Tuesday July 28 - Tournament brackets and other information listed under the "Legion Tournament" menu tab at the top of the page has been added to this site. For example, the tournament bracket is now available as one of five "quick links" to important information. Others include: daily news, schedule and results, team rosters and team stats, sites and dates.