By Nick Gerhardt
With district playoffs fast approaching the jockeying for positions in the top 10 has headed down the final turn.
Jordan has led nearly wire-to-wire and has done little to dissuade our pollsters from moving away from that spot. The Brewers finished second at the Charlie Larca Invitational after falling to Stockmen’s Irish in the championship.
The movement we saw came in other spots in the poll, with Bluffton and Cold Spring swapping spots. The Braves returned to the No. 2 spot after the Springers supplanted them in the last poll. Cold Spring captured the No. 3 slot.
Young America has gone through some ups and downs as it navigates a schedule that includes several non-district opponents. The Cardinals jumped up to No. 4, trading places with Bird Island, which moved to No. 5.
Delano checked in at No. 6 after grinding through a tough schedule. New Ulm, a mainstay in the top 10, jumped two spots to No. 7 and will meet Delano July 20 in Delano.
Buckman, which lost a doozy of a game to Nisswa, fell a couple of spots to No. 8 while Hutchinson cracked the top 10 for the first time at No. 9. Raymond and Watertown shared the No. 10 spot.
Kip Kovar — Herald Journal
1. Jordan Brewers — Sitting at 11-4 overall this season, it’s been business as usual for the Jordan Brewers. Fresh off taking second at their own tournament, the Brewers will be looking to wrap up the regular season on a strong note with a matchup with Delano awaiting later this month.
2. Young America Cardinals — I’m still high on the Cardinals overall, but after falling to Plato for the second time this season, I had to drop them a spot. Losing to Reece Schwirtz on the mound is nothing to be worried about. We’ll learn a lot about Young America this coming week with some big matchups on the slate.
3. Bluffton Braves — All they do is take care of business. Excited to see what these guys can do in the postseason after being ineligible last season.
4. Buckman Billygoats — Have done nothing to prove they aren’t one of the top teams in Class B. Not to jinx it, but I’m looking forward to seeing the Billygoats in action again at the state tournament.
5. Bird Island Bullfrogs — Another team that is taking care of business. Bird Island appears to be ready to roll as the postseason looms on the horizon.
6. Delano A’s — No matter who you play, winning five games in six days is impressive. That’s what Delano did this past week, including a thrilling comeback win over Watertown. They’re in the mix for the top seed in District 7B, and the young guys are delivering. The A’s could be peaking at the right time.
7. New Ulm Brewers — The pride of the Tomahawk East League, New Ulm has continued to impress. A fun matchup with Delano awaits, which should prove to be a good test.
8. Hutchinson Huskies — A doubleheader sweep of the Loretto Larks gains some attention. The Huskies just might be finding their groove at the right time as they sit atop the North Star League standings at 5-0. A state tournament host, Hutchinson has a little extra motivation to get through a loaded 6B District.
9. Watertown Red Devils — The loss to Delano stings for sure, especially after letting one slip away against Carver as well before that. I’m not too worried about the Red Devils, though. They are still in the mix of things in the CRVL and are setting things up to snap their two-year state tournament absence.
10. Plato Blue Jays — Welcome to my top 10 for the first time this season. A win over Young America earlier this season put them on my radar. Beating them again means they deserve to be in the top 10. With Reece Schwirtz on the mound, the Blue Jays can beat anybody. The question is, do they have another starter they can lean on to make a postseason run?
Aaron Worm — Mankato
1 Jordan Brewers
2. Bluffton Braves
3. Young America Cardinals
4. Bird Island Bullfrogs
5. Cold Spring Springers
6. Fairmont Martins
7. Raymond Rockets
8. New Ulm Brewers
9. Delano Athletics
10. Hutchinson Huskies
Aldon Severson — Northfield Knights
1. Jordan Brewers
2. Cold Spring Springers
3. Bluffton Braves
4. Bird Island Bullfrogs
5. Buckman Billygoats
6. Delano A’s
7. Watertown Red Devils
8. New Ulm Brewers
9. Raymond Rockets
10. Sobieski Skis
Tom Elliott — West Central Tribune
1. Jordan Brewers — The Brewers are 9-0 in the River Valley league, 20-5 overall and favorites to win District 3B.
2. Cold Spring Springers — Cold Spring is 16-3 with losses of 3-2 to Jordan, 8-0 to Stockmen’s Irish (Class A) and 12-4 to Courland (a top Class C team). Cold Spring will be tough in District 1B.
3. Bluffton Braves — Bluffton’s the team to beat in District 5B
4. Delano Athletics — Delano is 7-2 in the tough Crow River Valley league and one of the favorites in District 7B.
5. New Ulm Brewers — New Ulm is 4-1 in the Tomahawk East and 12-1 overall. The Brewers are one of the favorites in District 8B
6. Young America Cardinals — A team to watch in what should be a difficult District 7B with Delano and Watertown.
7. Hutchinson Huskies — Hutchinson is 10-1 in the North Star League and 13-4 overall. District 6B has some good teams, notably Kimball, Watkins and the Cold Spring Rockies. But Hutchinson might be the best.
8. Union Hill Bulldogs — One of the favorites in District 3B with a 12-4 record in the Dakota-Rice-Scott League.
9. Sobieski Skis — The Skis are always a team to watch in the Victory League. They’ve gone 8-2 in the Victory’s B Division and are 10-3 overall. They’ll be a top contender in District 4B.
10. Bird Island Bullfrogs — The Corn Belt League champions are one of the top teams in District 8B with New Ulm and Raymond.
Class B rankings (As of July 16)(Pts)(Previous)
1. Jordan Brewers (40)(1)
2. Bluffton Braves (33)(3)
3. Cold Spring Springers (24)(2)
4. Young America Cardinals (22)(5)
5. Bird Island Bullfrogs (21)(4)
6. Delano Athletics (19)(7)
7. New Ulm Brewers (16)(9)
8. Buckman Billygoats (13)(6)
9. Hutchinson Huskies (8)(NR)
10. Watertown Red Devils (6)(8)
10. Raymond Rockets (6)(10)
Also receiving votes: Plato Blue Jays, Fairmont Martins, Sobieski Skis and Union Hill Bulldogs
