- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 435,267
- Reaction score
- 44
Apr. 18—WILLMAR — They finished last in the Central Lakes Conference, with no one predicting what would happen next.
The 1987 Willmar baseball team proceeded on an unprecedented playoff run that ended with the Cardinals winning the state championship.
The '87 Cardinals, Paynesville's Tim Haines and Kerkhoven's Roger Lesteberg have been inducted in the West Central Area Baseball Hall of Fame for 2025. The team is sponsored by the Willmar Stingers Northwoods League baseball team and the Kandiyohi Historical Society.
In '87, Willmar beat Anoka 3-2, Park of Cottage Grove 5-1 and then Hopkins 5-4 in the championship game at the Metrodome to claim the state Class AA title, which was the largest class in the state at the time.
It happened after the Cardinals had finished 3-7 in the conference to tie for last with St. Cloud Tech and Alexandria.
Haines is a Paynesville High School graduate who played baseball at the University of Wisconsin for three seasons after a year at Rochester Community College. In a 20-plus-year amateur baseball career he played for the Paynesville Lakers, Regal Eagles and Watkins Clippers, earning state MVP honors in 1991 when Regal won the state title. He also was part of a state championship team in Watkins.
Lesteberg is a lifelong resident of Kerkhoven. He's a 1974 graduate of Kerkhoven High School who played high school and amateur baseball from 1973-1996 for the Norway Lake-Sunburg Lakers. A standout outfielder, he later played for the Raymond Rockets until 2000.
"We're thrilled to see the 1987 Willmar High School team, Tim Haines and Roger Lesteberg honored for their incredible achievements," said Willmar Stingers general manager Hunter Rommes in a statement. "Their legacies inspire our players and fans alike and we're proud to continue the tradition of excellence in West Central Minnesota baseball, as exemplified by Stingers alumnus Jordan Smith's induction in 2023."
The induction ceremony took place April 15 at the Kandiyohi Historical Society building.
Lynn and Les Plumley, as well as Tom Gruhlike of BOLD, are being inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame on May 17.
All three will be inducted in the 2025 Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at McKinney's on Southside in Benson.
The Plumleys are from Bird Island and attended Granite Falls Tech and both were All-American wrestlers at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Both went on to coaching careers.
Les Plumley coached as an assistant for three seasons at South Dakota State University and then at BOLD High School. Lynn Plumley then also coached at BOLD, mostly in the junior high program.
Gruhlike is from Aitkin and wrestled at Concordia College in Moorhead. He coached at Bird Island-Lake Lillian, Buffalo Lake-Hector, BOLD, Eden Prairie and Ridgewater College. He also was a volunteer at Hutchinson and is currently volunteering at Sartell.
Other inductees include: Todd Bergeron of Oklee and Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, Larry Herm of Foley, Patrick Johannes of Rocori, Steve King of St. Clair, Tom Kuisle of Stewartville and Fairmont, Brian Loeffler of St. Clair, Brad Loeffler of St. Clair, Efrem Novacek of Greenbush, Bruce Olson of Lamberton and Red Rock Central, Jacob Volkmann of Henning, Bruce Wilson of Wheaton, Al Doty of the University of Minnesota-Morris, and Jim Zimmerman of St. John's Prep and St. John's University.
Tickets are available through Steve Ricard at 405 15th St. North, Benson, MN 56215. Contact him at [email protected] or at 320-444-0569.
Eagle Creek Golf Club had its first hole-in-one of the season on April 12. Jaiken Mackedanz aced the 162-yard 16th hole using a 9-iron. Witnesses were his father, Ryan Mackedanz, Paxton Nelson, Matt Spaulding and Mitch Halvorson.
* Former Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg star Jared Cortez is a having a huge freshman season on the Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team. Cortez went into Friday batting .347 with a .405 on-base and .542 slugging percentage for the Mustangs. He is 41-for-118 at the plate with 32 runs, eight doubles, five home runs, 24 RB1s and five stolen bases. He has struck out 17 times and walked nine times, reaching base three times via hit-by-pitch.
* Five other area athletes are playing baseball for SMSU: Luke Ruter of New London-Spicer and Ridgewater College, Bennett Knapper of Yellow Medicine East and Ridgewater, Tyler Froland of Renville County West and North Iowa Area Community College and Cody Dahlager of YME.
Ruter is a junior outfielder who has no hits in five at-bats. He has played in eight games.
Knapper is a senior right-hander who has made 15 appearances and thrown 16-2/3 innings. He has struck out 11, walked six and has a 1-2 record with a 3.78 earned-run average.
Froland is a junior third baseman who has five home runs, 13 RBIs and a .210 average with a .279 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage. In 25 games, he is 13 of 62 at the plate with eight runs, three doubles, 19 strikeouts, five walks and one hit-by-pitch.
Dahlager is a redshirt freshman outfielder who hasn't appeared in a game.
SMSU is an NCAA Division II school in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. the Mustangs are 16-11 in the NSIC and 21-13 overall.
Continue reading...
The 1987 Willmar baseball team proceeded on an unprecedented playoff run that ended with the Cardinals winning the state championship.
The '87 Cardinals, Paynesville's Tim Haines and Kerkhoven's Roger Lesteberg have been inducted in the West Central Area Baseball Hall of Fame for 2025. The team is sponsored by the Willmar Stingers Northwoods League baseball team and the Kandiyohi Historical Society.
In '87, Willmar beat Anoka 3-2, Park of Cottage Grove 5-1 and then Hopkins 5-4 in the championship game at the Metrodome to claim the state Class AA title, which was the largest class in the state at the time.
It happened after the Cardinals had finished 3-7 in the conference to tie for last with St. Cloud Tech and Alexandria.
Haines is a Paynesville High School graduate who played baseball at the University of Wisconsin for three seasons after a year at Rochester Community College. In a 20-plus-year amateur baseball career he played for the Paynesville Lakers, Regal Eagles and Watkins Clippers, earning state MVP honors in 1991 when Regal won the state title. He also was part of a state championship team in Watkins.
Lesteberg is a lifelong resident of Kerkhoven. He's a 1974 graduate of Kerkhoven High School who played high school and amateur baseball from 1973-1996 for the Norway Lake-Sunburg Lakers. A standout outfielder, he later played for the Raymond Rockets until 2000.
"We're thrilled to see the 1987 Willmar High School team, Tim Haines and Roger Lesteberg honored for their incredible achievements," said Willmar Stingers general manager Hunter Rommes in a statement. "Their legacies inspire our players and fans alike and we're proud to continue the tradition of excellence in West Central Minnesota baseball, as exemplified by Stingers alumnus Jordan Smith's induction in 2023."
The induction ceremony took place April 15 at the Kandiyohi Historical Society building.
Lynn and Les Plumley, as well as Tom Gruhlike of BOLD, are being inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame on May 17.
All three will be inducted in the 2025 Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at McKinney's on Southside in Benson.
The Plumleys are from Bird Island and attended Granite Falls Tech and both were All-American wrestlers at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Both went on to coaching careers.
Les Plumley coached as an assistant for three seasons at South Dakota State University and then at BOLD High School. Lynn Plumley then also coached at BOLD, mostly in the junior high program.
Gruhlike is from Aitkin and wrestled at Concordia College in Moorhead. He coached at Bird Island-Lake Lillian, Buffalo Lake-Hector, BOLD, Eden Prairie and Ridgewater College. He also was a volunteer at Hutchinson and is currently volunteering at Sartell.
Other inductees include: Todd Bergeron of Oklee and Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, Larry Herm of Foley, Patrick Johannes of Rocori, Steve King of St. Clair, Tom Kuisle of Stewartville and Fairmont, Brian Loeffler of St. Clair, Brad Loeffler of St. Clair, Efrem Novacek of Greenbush, Bruce Olson of Lamberton and Red Rock Central, Jacob Volkmann of Henning, Bruce Wilson of Wheaton, Al Doty of the University of Minnesota-Morris, and Jim Zimmerman of St. John's Prep and St. John's University.
Tickets are available through Steve Ricard at 405 15th St. North, Benson, MN 56215. Contact him at [email protected] or at 320-444-0569.
Eagle Creek Golf Club had its first hole-in-one of the season on April 12. Jaiken Mackedanz aced the 162-yard 16th hole using a 9-iron. Witnesses were his father, Ryan Mackedanz, Paxton Nelson, Matt Spaulding and Mitch Halvorson.
* Former Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg star Jared Cortez is a having a huge freshman season on the Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team. Cortez went into Friday batting .347 with a .405 on-base and .542 slugging percentage for the Mustangs. He is 41-for-118 at the plate with 32 runs, eight doubles, five home runs, 24 RB1s and five stolen bases. He has struck out 17 times and walked nine times, reaching base three times via hit-by-pitch.
* Five other area athletes are playing baseball for SMSU: Luke Ruter of New London-Spicer and Ridgewater College, Bennett Knapper of Yellow Medicine East and Ridgewater, Tyler Froland of Renville County West and North Iowa Area Community College and Cody Dahlager of YME.
Ruter is a junior outfielder who has no hits in five at-bats. He has played in eight games.
Knapper is a senior right-hander who has made 15 appearances and thrown 16-2/3 innings. He has struck out 11, walked six and has a 1-2 record with a 3.78 earned-run average.
Froland is a junior third baseman who has five home runs, 13 RBIs and a .210 average with a .279 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage. In 25 games, he is 13 of 62 at the plate with eight runs, three doubles, 19 strikeouts, five walks and one hit-by-pitch.
Dahlager is a redshirt freshman outfielder who hasn't appeared in a game.
SMSU is an NCAA Division II school in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. the Mustangs are 16-11 in the NSIC and 21-13 overall.
Continue reading...
