Sign-up Meeting Held; First Practice Scheduled for Wednesday
MONDAY, MAY 5, 2003
FARGO, ND -- The Fargo American Legion baseball program held its annual sign-up and informational meeting Sunday night, and the first official practice of the year is scheduled for Wednesday night at Jack Williams Stadium beginning at 6 p.m.
Third-year Post 2 head coach Bill Ibach has announced nine practices running through June 4, which is the day before the North Dakota Class A state high school baseball tournament. An updated schedule will be announced later in May or in early June regarding practices near the end of the high school season.
Practices are planned for Wednesday and Sunday nights at 6 p.m. through May and the first week of June. The dates are May 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, and June 1 and 4.
The Fargo American Legion baseball season begins June 9 when the Fargo Bombers take on the West Fargo Aces in West Fargo. Post 2 will open at home on June 10 with the Bismarck Governors. Both opening dates are doubleheaders beginning at 5:30 p.m.
First State High School Tourney at Jack Williams This Week
MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Jack Williams Stadium, home to Fargo American Legion baseball for the 38th year, will see another first in its storied history when it hosts this week's North Dakota Class A state high school baseball tournament. Action begins on Thursday at noon with four first-round games and will run through Saturday.
This is the second Class A state high school baseball tournament to be planned in Fargo, but if it is completed it will be the first successful run of the tourney. The 1998 affair in Fargo was rained out at Newman Outdoor Field and Jack Williams Stadium and moved to Bismarck and Mandan for completion.
The eight-team tournament features the top four qualifiers from the east and west regions. Fargo North is the top seed from the East Region and Bismarck is the top seed from the West Region. Jamestown, Grand Forks Central and Wahpeton have qualified from the East, while Minot, Williston and Mandan will join Bismarck from the West.
Games are scheduled to begin at noon, 2:15, 4:30 and 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Fargo's Seelig No-Hits Minot, Luecke Saves Sweep of Vistas
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Aaron Seelig became the 19th person in Fargo Post 2 history to pitch a no-hitter as Fargo swept the Minot Vistas in an American Legion baseball doubleheader Wednesday at Jack Williams Stadium, 7-0 and 3-2.
Seelig capped the no-hit performance in the first game of the twinbill with a pair of strikeouts. He fanned five Minot batters in all and allowed just one walk. Matt Sommerfeld and Reid Arnold were each 3-for-4 in the game.
The Vistas loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh in the second game but Post 2 reliever Caleb Luecke came on to save a 3-2 win. Brett Gustafson fanned seven Vistas and was the winning pitcher.
Fargo, now 2-2 on the season, plays in the College World Series Tournament in Omaha, NE, this weekend.
Kittelson No-Hits Wahpeton, Fargo Sweeps 10-0 & 4-0
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Reid Kittelson threw the 20th no-hitter in club history and Brett Gustafson followed with a one-hit outing as Fargo Post 2 swept Wahpeton Post 20 at Jack Williams Stadium on Wednesday.
Kittelson only needed to toss five innings for Fargo in the opener as Post 2 won by a 10-0 count. Gustafson went the scheduled seven innings as Fargo recorded a 4-0 win in the nightcap.
The no-hitter is Fargo's second this season. Aaron Seelig recorded the other on June 11 as Fargo beat Minot 7-0 at Jack Williams.
Post 2 hosts Valley City Post 60 on Thursday night for a doubleheader beginning at 5:30. It will be the final home appearance for Fargo this season. The regular season wraps up with a Friday through Sunday western swing to Minot, Bismarck and Mandan.
Fargo Tops Mandan 8-2, Awaits Eastern Division Tournament
MONDAY, JULY 28, 2003
MANDAN, ND -- Brett Gustafson extended his scoreless inning streak to 33 as Fargo Post 2 beat the Mandan Chiefs 8-2 on Sunday in a nine-inning American Legion baseball game at Mandan Memorial Ballpark.
The originally scheduled doubleheader was shortened to a single contest after a 90-minute rain delay during the opener. Fargo ended its regular-season schedule 38-17.
Aaron Seelig went 2-for-5 with his second home run of the year while Reid Arnold batted 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Matt Sommerfeld and Mitch Kary each recorded two hits, with Kary collecting a triple and two RBIs.
Gustafson relieved Reid Kittelson after the delay and fanned six Chiefs. Kittelson was charged with both Mandan runs.
Fargo has the No. 1 seed for this weekend's Eastern Division tournament at Charlie Brown Field in Valley City. Four teams from that six-team, double-elimination affair will advance to the Class A state tournament being held at Jamestown's Jack Brown Stadium August 6-10.
Bombers Claw Back & Hang On for First Round Win
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2003
FARGO, ND -- The Fargo Bombers clawed back from an early 3-0 deficit Wednesday night to defeat Larimore 13-8 in the first round of the North Dakota Class B Section 3 American Legion baseball tournament at Jack Williams Stadium.
Larimore got back-to-back, one-out home runs from Jeremy Nesdahl and Casey Kramer to go up 3-0 in the top of the first inning. Bombers starter Chris Althoff answered back, though, fanning seven Larimore batters and recording a complete game win as Fargo advanced to the second round.
The Bombers will face No. 1 seed Thompson in Thursday's second round at 6 p.m. Thompson defeated Central Valley-Hillsboro 13-4 in Wednesday's third game.
All of the tournament box scores play-by-play recaps can be viewed on this Web site by clicking on the Handouts link at the left.
Hirchert Lifts Bombers to Upset of Defending State Champs
THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Steve Hirchert threw five and two-thirds innings of no-hit baseball and struck out 10 batters to lift the fourth-seeded Fargo Bombers to a 5-1 win over top-seeded Thompson on Thursday in the second round of the North Dakota Class B Section 3 American Legion baseball tournament at Jack Williams Stadium.
Hirchert lost his bid for a no-hitter against the defending Class B state champions when Thompson's Tyler Riedeman laced a two-out RBI single off the chest of a half-diving Tyler Hofer in right field. The run was unearned.
Thompson committed four errors in the game's first three innings, including a pair of miscues in the top of the third that gave Fargo three unearned runs and a 3-0 lead.
Fargo rapped out seven hits off Thompson starter Scott Schmacher and finished with 10 in the ballgame. Shortstop Logan Schmitz, catcher Nick Shannon and Hofer were all 2-for-4.
Shannon clinched the Bombers' win with a spinning, diving catch of a Matt Chandler foul ball in front of the Thompson dugout with the tying run on deck.
The B squad advanced to Friday's semifinal and will take on Hope-Finley at 6 p.m. Hope-Finley scored four times in the third inning to overcome a 3-0 deficit and erupted for four runs in the sixth to seal an 11-6 win over Mayville-Portland in Thursday's other second round game.
Two elimination games will be played before the semifinal. Thompson and Casselton will play at 1 p.m. followed by Larimore and Mayville-Portland at 3:30.
Tournament box scores and a statistics summary are available by clicking on the Handouts link at the left.
Hope-Finley Advances to Title Game With 12-7 Win Over Fargo
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Hope-Finley sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning, then held on for a 12-7 win over the Fargo Bombers on Friday in the semifinal of the North Dakota Class B Section 3 American Legion baseball tournament at Jack Williams Stadium.
Bombers starter Todd McDonald lasted just two-thirds of an inning after walking five batters and surrendering three hits. He was charged with all of the first inning runs, and all eight were earned. Casey Bovkoon went the final 5 1/3 innings and kept the B squad within striking distance, fanning four batters along the way.
Fargo scratched across four runs in the top of the fourth to cut Hope-Finley's lead in half at 8-4. Nathan Erbstoesser relieved Hope-Finley starter Josh Barker in the fourth and was credited with the win for two innings of two-hit ball. Joel Mitchell worked the final two innings but did not earn a save for the Wolverines.
Hope-Finley first baseman Brandon Krueger, right fielder Jeff Hashbarger, and Bombers first baseman Matt McManus were the only players to record multiple hits. Krueger and McManus were 2-for-4 while Hashbarger was 2-for-3.
Hope-Finley earned an off day Saturday as two elimination games are played to determine the Wolverines' title game opponent. Mayville-Portland and Thompson play Saturday at 1 p.m. and the winner of that contest gets the Fargo Bombers at 3:30 p.m. The winner of that latter game will face Hope-Finley in Sunday's double-elimination championship scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
Bombers Edge Thompson for Chance at Section 3 Title
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Right-hander Logan Schmitz pitched all seven innings and belted a two-run double in the sixth inning to lift the fourth-seeded Fargo Bombers to a 6-5 comeback win over No. 1-seeded Thompson on Saturday in the North Dakota Class B Section 3 tournament at Jack Williams Stadium.
Fargo's win over the defending state champions advanced the Bombers to Sunday's 1:00 championship game against Hope-Finley. Fargo will have to win two games against the tournament undefeated Wolverines. Only Sunday's section champion advances to the Class B state tournament.
Schmitz scattered nine hits and weathered six walks to pick up the pitching victory. He finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs at the plate, hitting a run-scoring triple prior to the game-winning double in the sixth.
Thompson, which lost to Fargo in the tournament's second round Thursday night by a 5-1 score, committed two base running blunders that ultimately cost Post 181 the game. Both were appeal plays that negated runs. The first was a missed third base and the second was an early departure from third on a fly out to left field -- directly after the first appeal play.
Hope-Finley has already beaten Fargo once in the tournament. That was a 12-7 triumph in Friday's semifinal. The Wolverines are expected to pitch right-handed ace Brady Burchill on Sunday. The Bombers may counter with ace righty Steve Hirchert, who twirled a two-hitter in the upset win over Thompson in the second round Thursday.
Hope-Finley Blanks Fargo for Section 3 Title
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2003
FARGO, ND -- Tony Champion threw a five-hit complete game shutout as Hope-Finley cruised to a 7-0 win over the Fargo Bombers on Sunday to claim the North Dakota Class B Section 3 American Legion baseball tournament championship at Jack Williams Stadium.
Champion struck out only one batter but was the benefactor of Hope-Finley's errorless defense. The Wolverines completed a 4-0 run through the Section 3 tournament and advanced to the Class B state tournament that begins Wednesday, August 6, in Bottineau.
Hope-Finley got all the runs it would need in the third inning. The Wolverines got an RBI single from catcher Brady Burchill with one out before Joel Mitchell's two-out single brought in a pair of unearned runs to extend Hope-Finley's lead to 3-0. They would score once again in the fifth and tack on three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final margin.
Leadoff hitting Burchill batted 2-for-4 against Fargo after entering the contest 1-for-10 in three previous tournament games. Fargo shortstop Logan Schmitz was the only other player in the game with multiple hits. He finished 2-for-3.
Fargo pitcher Steve Hirchert suffered the loss and evened his record at 1-1 in the tournament. The star of the B squad's upset second-round win over Thompson, Hirchert gave up seven runs (three of them earned) on six hits, walked one and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings of work on just two days' rest.
Minot Rallies in 10th for Second State Crown in Three Years
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2003
JAMESTOWN, ND -- The Minot Vistas pounded out four runs off Fargo Post 2 reliever Caleb Luecke to break a scoreless tie in the top of the 10th inning Sunday at Jack Brown Stadium and win their second American Legion Baseball Class A state championship in three years.
Three Fargo pitchers combined to shut out the Vistas for nine innings while right-handed fireballer Charlie Shirek kept Post 2 in check. Three of Shirek's 11 strikeouts came in the bottom of the 10th inning as he retired the side in order to clinch his team's berth in the Central Plains Regional that begins Thursday in New Ulm, MN.
Fargo finished 43-19 overall and was second at state for the second year in a row. The famed Post 2 baseball program hasn't won a state championship since 1992 when it advanced to the Legion World Series on its own field, Jack Williams Stadium.
Minot and Fargo traded zeroes for nine innings in the championship tilt that finished in 2 hours, 2 minutes. Fargo forced the second championship game with a 12-2 pounding of the Vistas in Sunday's first title match that went only an hour and 58 minutes.
Fargo, which piled up 47 runs on 59 hits through its first four games of the state tournament, rapped out 18 hits in the first game Sunday. But that wasn't the case in the second outing. Post 2 mustered only five knocks against Shirek and couldn't advance a runner past second base.
Aaron Seelig pitched five scoreless innings before giving way to Brett Gustafson for an inning of no-hit ball. Ace righty Reid Kittelson pitched a scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth, but could not go further. Kittelson pitched all nine innings of Fargo's 13-5 win Saturday over Bismarck in the elimination bracket and was not eligible to start the 10th inning due to American Legion pitching regulations that allow only 12 innings in three consecutive days.
Luecke started the 10th and was promptly rocked with back-to-back doubles by ninth-hitting Josh Heilman and leadoff man Dale Allard to deep center field that held up as the game-winning hits. Post 2 lefty Joe Krabbenhoft fanned Ryan Bodell six batters later to end the rally.
It was a case of deja vu for Luecke, who saw short work at the tail end of the game as Fargo blew a 7-1 lead against Minot in Thursday's second round. Jake Laber was better than his Thursday relief performance, however, in Sunday's first game.
Laber whiffed eight Vistas in an eight-inning complete game Sunday afternoon to help Fargo force the second game. He surrendered two runs in the last frame but they both went unearned.
Fargo had its top three players in the batting order rap out three hits in the first championship. Second baseman Matt Sommerfeld was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the leadoff spot, center fielder Doug Sylvester was 3-for-4 with a run scored, and third-hitting shortstop Mitch Kary also was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer. Kary's blast to left field was one of four Post 2 longballs in the 12-2 rout.
Post 2 first baseman Reid Arnold was awarded as North Dakota's Player of the Year after the final game. Arnold received a $1,000 scholarship and is expected to attend North Dakota State University and play in the Bison infield.
The tournament MVP was Minot's Shirek, who recorded a pair of wins and one save on the mound, including Sunday's 10-inning masterpiece, plus six RBIs during the tourney. Minot coach Todd Larson was named the Herman Larson Coach of the Year award winner.
Annual Legion Baseball Banquet Set for Sunday, Sept. 28
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2003
FARGO, ND -- The annual Fargo American Legion Baseball year-end banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Post 2 club downtown. Cost is $10 per parent and guest, and reservations for those expected to attend must be made by Thursday, Sept. 25, by calling (701) 293-3930.
All players from the Fargo Post 2 and Fargo Bombers teams are expected to attended and will be admitted free of charge. The banquet will follow its traditional format including a season review by the coaches and recognition of all the players. There will also be awards announced for both teams.
The Fargo American Legion club is at 505 Third Avenue North. The program and dinner will be held in the upstairs reception hall.