Class B rankings: Burnsville bounds to the top

By Nick Gerhardt
nickgerhardt@mnbaseball.org

Sparkling things grab attention and the sparkling records of some teams in Class B caught the eyes of our pollsters in this round of rankings.

Burnsville has cruised through the regular season and recently picked up a big 8-2 victory over Lyon’s Pub last week. That win and the resume thus far vaulted the Bobcats to the top spot in this edition of the poll.

Burnsville supplanted Miesville, which held the No. 1 spot. The Mudhens have an equally impressive record, going undefeated against league and section opponents. Miesville dropped just one spot to No. 2.

Perennial power Minnetonka moved up a spot to No. 3 while defending state champion Air Freight Unlimited moved up to No. 4 from No. 7 in the previous poll. Victoria has rattled off a bunch of wins and sits just behind Burnsville in the RVL East standings. The Vics rose from No. 9 to No. 5 in this poll.

Stockmen’s Irish dropped one spot to No. 6 but they’re a top 10 mainstay this season. Lyon’s Pub saw the biggest drop, going from No. 2 to No. 7. The Warriors share the spot with Elko, which enters the top 10 for the first time this year. Cold Spring dropped to No. 9 and the Rochester Royals took the No. 10 slot with one fourth-place vote.

Nate Jackson — Lyon’s Pub Warriors
We’re getting close to the playoffs (insert Jim Mora) and teams are making it really difficult to measure their seasons. We found out that playing on paper doesn’t lead to success. League games are important. Tourneys are fun. Club teams can play. People said they’re going to retire but they didn’t … Shally. 😉 Teams in constant flux due to pro ball, Northwoods/collegiate summer leagues, and vacations. In the end, it’s about who’s available and how the teams are playing. We saw last year that regular season success can blind you when it comes to playoff time.

1. Burnsville Bobcats — The Kitties are good. It takes superior pitching to beat that lineup. If you get down early, pack your bags and go home. They’re positioned to rebound from last year’s section collapse.
2. Miesville Mudhens — Nothing better than a town of 100-plus people which has an A team with a C setup. Field, bar, church and cemetery. Woodbury/St. Thomas pipeline serves this team well. You won’t get an inch from this club but if you do, you better take full advantage of it. Just a bunch of college vets living the dream in the country.
3. Cold Spring Springers — Historical team that always seems to find a way to get it done. It’s not an easy lineup to get through and they have the pitching to support. They play a competitive schedule across B and C which makes it hard to hang a L on them. Look for them to make a run per usual with the potential of running the table.
4. Victoria Vics — Clark Poppitz has this team primed for a deep run. They’re playing really good baseball and it appears the guys have a chip on their shoulder from last year. Only losses are to Burnsville and Minnetonka. They’re firing on all cylinders and if they can keep this going, they’re going to be trouble.
5. St. Louis Park Town Team aka the Pirates — New management. Young blood. Smaller schedule. This is a recipe for success. Healthy vets, energetic youth and league focused. Leading the Riverview. Not much is known about them due to visibility but if you ask the right people, they’re playing well. Although, which Park team is going to show up to the playoffs? They’re capable of running the table or pooping the bed.
6. Champlin Park LoGators — Rough start to the season but Marek has these boys playing ball at the right time. They’re running through the Metro Minny and I don’t think there’s no stopping this train. I’m sure they’re ready to bounce back from the first round exit from state last year.
7. Elko Express — Speaking of trains, the Express out of Elko have the tools to make a run this year. Bolstered pitching staff with the bats to support. Terry has his crew ready to show up to state and make a statement this year.
8. Stockmen’s Irish — The lads out of South St Paul are a little younger but still dangerous. They’re always in games, which can be troublesome for teams to compete with. Hit a little bit of a skid against the Snowmen and the Knights but that’s not going to deter the Irish. They like revenge and they will seek it. We miss Teddy!
9. Moorhead Brewers — Vet squad who is much like Cold Spring. Not much losing takes place with the Brewers. Hard to travel when you’re that far up north but saw them in Hinckley and I’m still convinced they can make some noise. They put balls in play, play defense and have strike throwers. They’re not a team you’ll want to see at state.
10. Minnetonka Monarchs – The Millers, I mean the Kings of Tonka are not an easy out. Shally retired but unretired because I’m guessing his golf game is not as good as his baseball game? Either way, Tonka has a squad per usual no matter what you call them. Wyatt Nelson leads the pack and Mike Davis swings the stick. New group of ball players is leading the change. Apparently, they do not like lefties who pitch for Baseball 365 who have added a wrinkle into the Riverview after leaving the P-Nash.

Other notables: Lyon’s Pub Warriors, Baseball 365, North St. Paul Snowmen, Shakopee Indians, Air Freight Unlimited, Minneapolis Cobras, St. Paul Mudhens, Andover Aces, Rochester Royals, Minneapolis Mudcats. *These are literally the teams that can turn these rankings upside-down and probably will.

Aldon Severson — Northfield Knights

1. Burnsville Bobcats
2. Lyon’s Pub Warriors
3. Miesville Mudhens
4. Minnetonka Monarchs
5. Air Freight Unlimited
6. Elko Express
7. Stockmen’s Irish
8. Victoria Vics
9. Shakopee Indians
10. Champlin Park LoGators

Jon Sands — Victoria Vics

1. Air Freight Unlimited
2. Miesville Mudhens
3. Minnetonka Monarchs
4. Burnsville Bobcats
5. Victoria Vics
6. Cold Spring Springers
7. Shakopee Indians
8. Elko Express
9. Moorhead Brewers
10. Anoka Bucs

Matt Marek — Champlin Park LoGators

1. Burnsville Bobcats (18-1)
2. Miesville Mudhens (13-2?)
3. Stockmen’s Irish (13-4)
4. Rochester Royals (13-4)
5. Minnetonka Monarchs (15-6-1)
6. Lyon’s Pub Warriors (20-8)
7. Air Freight Unlimited (9-3)
8. Victoria Vics (15-2)
9. Elko Express (17-7-1)
10. St. Paul Mudhens (10-2)

Honorable Mention
North St. Paul Snowmen (7-1-1)
Shakopee Indians (11-6)
Baseball 365 (17-7)
Moorhead Brewers (11-3)
Cold Spring Springers (15-6)
Champlin Park (16-10)

Class B rankings (as of July 18)(Pts)(Previous)

1. Burnsville Bobcats (37)(3)
2. Miesville Mudhens (35)(1)
3. Minnetonka Monarchs (22)(4)
4. Air Freight Unlimited (20)(7)
5. Victoria Vics (19)(9)
6. Stockmen’s Irish (15)(5)
7. Lyon’s Pub Warriors (14)(2)
8. Elko Express (14)(NR)
9. Cold Spring Springers (13)(8)
10. Rochester Royals (7)(NR)

Also receiving votes: Shakopee Indians, Champlin Park LoGators, Moorhead Brewers, Anoka Bucs, St. Louis Park Pirates, St. Paul Mudhens, North St. Paul Snowmen, Baseball 365, Minneapolis Cobras, Andover Aces and Minneapolis MudCats.