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

New Ulm Journal announced July 5 that eight New Ulm school high school players were included on its All-Journal baseball team. Two others were honorable mentions.

First team selections included:

Chase Meyer, New Ulm, Sophomore, OF/P

Meyer led the Eagles in wins this season, notching eight wins compared to just one loss in his 50 1/3 innings of work. He compiled a 1.95 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 24 walks, holding opponents to a .250 batting average against him. He pitched in 12 games, also a team high. He received All-Conference honors in the South Central Conference and was named to the Section 3AA All-Section team.

Tim Kehren, New Ulm, Senior, RF

Kehren was named as the Eagles' team MVP this season, playing an instrumental role in helping the team reach the Section 3AA finals. He produced a team-high .459 batting average, with team highs in hits (39), runs scored (27) and home runs (two). He also had two doubles, one triple, 15 RBI and a .530 on base percentage. He received All-Conference honors in the South Central Conference, was named All-Section and was also named to the Section 3AA All-Tournament team.

Ben Wolf, Cathedral, Senior, SS/P

Wolf was the Greyhounds' ace, taking the mound in the team's most challenging games and helping the team reach the Section 2A finals. Wolf compiled a 1.03 ERA in 54 innings pitched, striking out 38 batters and walking only 19. At the plate, Wolf hit for a .302 average with 26 hits, 24 runs scored, 12 RBI, 10 walks and nine stolen bases. He received All-Conference honors in the Tomahawk Conference.

Meyer led the Eagles in wins this season, notching eight wins compared to just one loss in his 50 1/3 innings of work. He compiled a 1.95 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 24 walks, holding opponents to a .250 batting average against him. He pitched in 12 games, also a team high. He received All-Conference honors in the SCC and was named to the Section 3AA All-Section team.

Dan Blackstad, Cathedral, Senior, OF

Blackstad's big bat was enough to carry the Greyhounds to two big wins this season, helping them reach the Section 2A finals. He batted .347 with 25 hits, 17 runs scored, 16 RBI, 11 walks and four stolen bases, while also making some big catches in center field throughout the season. He received All-Conference honors in the Tomahawk Conference.

Second team Honors went to:

Jordan Guggisberg, Cathedral, Senior, SS/P

Guggisberg recovered from an early-season hamstring injury to produce strongly both on the mound and at the plate for the Greyhounds, achieving a 1.01 ERA in 28 innings pitched and recording a batting average of .316. On offense, Guggisberg compiled 18 hits, 21 runs scored, seven RBI and seven stolen bases, while also earning 19 walks. From the mound, he struck out 21 batters, walked 13 and allowed only 13 hits.

Tanner Kluis, New Ulm, Sophomore, P

Kluis pitched a team-high 61 innings for the Eagles, compiling a 5-2 record with a 2.18 ERA. He earned the most strikeouts on the team with 43 strikeouts and just 11 walks. He held opponents to a .220 batting average against him.

Judd Davis, New Ulm, Sophomore, SS

Davis was a strong leadoff hitter for the Eagles, reaching base at a .454 clip and running well when on the base paths. He batted for a .338 average with 27 hits, 20 runs scored, four doubles, one triple and 16 RBI, while also earning a team-high 16 walks. He also played well at shortstop, finishing with a fielding percentage of .955. He received honorable mention All-Conference honors in the South Central Conference and was named to the Section 3AA All-Section team.

Travis Kretsch, MVL, Senior, P

Kretsch was as stingy as they come this season on the mound for the Chargers, finishing with a 5-1 record and a 1.00 ERA. In his 42 innings of work, Kretsch gave up only 22 hits and six earned runs, allowing opponents to bat only .145 against him. He had 35 strikeouts and gave up nine walks. He received All-Conference honors in the Tomahawk Conference.