N.D. American Legion Class B state baseball tournament: A grand finale

Incentive hasn't been hard to find for the Munich American Legion baseball team.

Several members of the Munich team have played in four state baseball tournaments in the previous three seasons. Now they're looking at an end -- not just to their Legion careers, but possibly to the tradition-rich Munich baseball program.

Declining numbers has the future in jeopardy. For the present, however, there's one more week.

Munich and Grafton are the area teams that will be playing in the North Dakota Class B state Legion tournament, which begins today in Grafton. As host team, Grafton was an automatic qualifier. Munich advanced after finishing second to Grafton in the Section 4 tournament. Munich lost in the first round of the double-elimination section tournament.

"After we lost the first game, I kept hearing from the kids after that, 'Don't let this be our last game,' '' Munich coach Trevor Schommer. "They wanted to get back to state. (Another loss) could have been their last game, and the program's last game.

"We have too much tradition to not go out on a good note."

Munich will be making its second straight trip to state. Players like Travis Beck, Jesse Goeser, Blake Klein and Alex Anderson also were regulars on three Munich-Starkweather-Cando co-op teams that were Class B high school state tournament participants from 2007-09.

But after this group of 18-year-olds, numbers become an issue.

"Right now, I'd say we probably won't have a Legion team next year," Schommer said. "We have 11 guys on our roster; I think only three of them will be eligible next year. With our numbers, it will be a real reach to try to put a team together next summer."

Munich, 20-10, packs a lot of punch at the top of its batting order. Goeser (.500, 23 RBI), leads off, followed by Ben Tohm (.376, 5 HR, 32 RBI), Klein (.526, 10, 53), Beck (.387, 7, 35), Brandon Hoffman (.308, 1, 16) and Anderson (.273, 3, 20).

Balance could be the key to how much longer Munich extends its season.

"We need consistent hitting," Schommer said. "In the middle of the season, we won a lot of games by the 10-run rule. Our whole lineup was hitting. We'd been in a bit of a slump. But in our last few games, the bottom of the order has been on a terror. We need those guys getting on base."

Grafton no tourney stranger

Grafton has become a state baseball tournament regular.

Since the spring of 2004, Grafton has appeared in five state high school baseball tournaments, and this will be the fourth state Legion tournament appearance in that span.

The program's best showings came in 2005, when Grafton was runner-up in the high school state tournament and finished third in the state Legion tournament.

"Winning state would be nice," said Chad Kliniske, the coach of both the high school and Legion programs in Grafton, "especially when state is on your home turf.

"There's a little more pressure playing at home. And I feel some pressure, like it's time to win some more games at state and show that we're one of the elite baseball programs in the state."

The strength of the 29-6 Grafton team is its balance.

The team has a solid batting order, averaging 9 runs a game and a .370 team batting average. Leading the way are Sam Tweten (.434, 4 home runs, 32 RBI), Todd Paulson (.418, 2, 30), Joe Demers (.417, 6, 37), Austin Campbell (.393 2, 19) and Cory Blanchard (.390, 23 RBI).

And there is enough pitching depth that Kliniske isn't afraid of running out of quality arms the deeper the team goes into the tournament. Colby Aasand (3-1, 0.85 earned run average), Demers (5-0, 1.59), Cull (5-1, 2.24, team-leading 54 strikeouts), Ryan Dusek (5-0, 2.86) and Tweten (3-2, 3.00) head the staff.

"We may have had better teams over the last several years," Kliniske said. "But we're a good club in all facets of the game. And this group is playing up to near its potential. They're ratcheted up their intensity at tournament time."

DeVillers reports on sports. Reach him at (701) 780-1128; (800) 477-6572, ext. 128; or send e-mail to gdevillers@gfherald.com .

Munich at a glance

Record: 20-10.

Coach: Trevor Schommer.

Recent state tournament history: Munich is making its second consecutive trip to the Class B state Legion tournament.

Leading hitters: Jesse Goeser (.500, 23 RBI, 33 runs), Ben Tohm (.376, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 32 runs), Blake Klein (.526, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 47 runs, Travis Beck (.387, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 27 runs), Brandon Hoffman (.308, 1 HR, 16 RBI), Alex Anderson (.273, 3 HR, 20 RBI).

Leading pitchers: Goeser (6-1, 2.63, team-high 55 strikeouts), Anderson (4-3, 7.36), Beck (4-0, 3.18), Trevor Darling (2-0, 3.38).

Grafton at a glance

Record: 29-6.

Coach: Chad Kliniske.

Recent state tournament history: Grafton returns to state after a one-year absence and will be making its fourth appearance since 2004.

Leading hitters: Sam Tweten (.434, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 33 runs), Todd Paulson (.418, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 24 runs), Joe Demers (.417, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 44 runs, 19 SB), Austin Campbell (.393, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 30 runs, 22 SB), Cory Blanchard (.390, 23 RBI, 23 runs), Tom Houdek (.382, 2 HR, 12 RBI), Alex Cull (.375, 1 HR, 27 RBI), Colby Aasand (.352, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 32 runs), Cole Anderson (.338, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 26 runs).

Leading pitchers: Aasand (3-1, 0.85), Demers (5-0, 1.59), Cull (5-1, 2.24, team-leading 54 strikeouts), Ryan Dusek (5-0, 2.86), Tweten (3-2, 3.00), Blanchard (3-1, 3.50).