By Nick Gerhardt
We’ll begin this week by giving congratulations to our long-time pollster and chronicler of amateur baseball, Tom Elliott, for his induction to the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the recipients of the Glenn Carlson Distinguished Service Award. Congratulations Tom and thank you for your dedication to covering amateur baseball!
We’ve got a lot of moving pieces in the latest Class B poll as three new teams enter the fray while the usual suspects got thrown around in the hopper to make for a lively debate.
Delano dropped from the top spot after holding it down in the previous two polls, but that might just be alright for the Athletics, who came out of District 7 last year as the No. 3 seed to win the state title, a year after missing the state tournament and two years removed as being the top-ranked team and host site for the state tournament.
Buckman, buoyed by wins over Nisswa, Sobieski and Avon, moved to the top spot as the Goats have slugged their way to nine straight wins.
Raymond has stayed steady despite an extra-inning 5-4 loss to Elrosa and continued to hold down the No. 2 ranking. The Rockets earned a split with Delano in their home and home series by winning 17-13 in Raymond.
The Cold Spring Springers have put together an eight-game win streak and can clinch the Sauk Valley League title this week. They remained as the No. 3-ranked team this time.
Young America represents one of the rising teams in this polls as the Cardinals went from No. 8 to No. 4, but as we all know, things can change quickly in the Crow.
Webster redeemed itself against St. Benedict after an early-season loss and held down the No. 5 spot once more while the Bluffton Braves entered the top 10 at No. 6 as they showcase their depth with ace Jake Dykhoff dazzling in the Baltimore Orioles farm system.
The veteran-laden Nisswa Lightning seem to find a way when the calendar turns to August and continue to lurk at the No. 7 spot. Buffalo moved up two spots in this poll to No. 8 and shares the spot with Watertown, which leads the Crow at the moment. Bird Island in the Corn Belt League and Loretto round out the top 10 in an ever-evolving North Star League where several teams could vie for the top spot.
And this week, we introduce bonus picks from one of our pollsters. Enjoy!
Nate Jackson — St. Boni Saints
Top 10, why not top 20!? Too many good teams in Class B so I decided to expand my rankings in hopes of not leaving anybody out.
1. Cold Spring Springers (12-1) — The Springers haven’t lost a game since May 29. They have a tough remaining schedule, which will test the pitching staff.
2. Young America Cardinals (11-3) — Consistently winning since the beginning of the season. Expected to be the No. 1 seed out of the Crow.
3. Raymond Rockets (14-3-1) — When they lose, it’s not by much. Rockets have made work of their schedule. Big matchup against Bird Island on July 31. It looks like the only thing bringing the Rockets down to earth is Elon Musk.
4. Buckman Billygoats (9-1) — The GOATS are owning the Victory. Might be one of a few teams that could hit its way to a title.
5. Bluffton Braves (12-0) — Looks like they’re second to none in District 5.
6. Nisswa Lightning (8-3) — Loses to Buckman and the Springers. Slipped up against a pesky Avon team. All hands-on deck to make a run for the title.
7. Webster Sox (14-1) — Ten spot by St. Ben’s and then proceeds to 10-run St. Ben’s. They could be higher in the rankings as they have taken care of some formidable opponents.
8. St. Martin Martins (13-3) — Martins keep winning. Ben Schroeder will help with that.
9. Buffalo Bulldogs (11-4) — Somehow I missed on them. Was a big fan of them trying to “upset” the Monarchs last year. Well, they’re back in the fold. Tough squad.
10. Loretto Larks (9-1) — Loss to Buffalo. The fighting Kempers and the pitching staff will keep them in ball games if their bats go silent.
11. Austin Greyhounds (13-1) — Taking care of business in southern Minnesota. Only loss is to the Rochester Royals. Otherwise, they’re beating the brakes off teams.
12. Bird Island Bullfrogs (10-2) — Winning games comfortably. They might have one of the toughest schedules to round out the season.
13. Stewartville-Racine Sharks (11-2) — The Sharks are a pleasant surprise to some, but not to all. Two games against the Hounds will decide the district.
14. Jordan Brewers (13-5) — The Brewers started slow but are coming on strong. They play a healthy schedule so don’t let the record fool you. They’ll be a problem.
15. Eagle Lake Expos (10-4) — Winning and playing competitive games as of late.
16. LeSueur Braves (7-4) — Eagle Lake and some top “A” teams are the reason for the four losses.
17. Sauk Rapids Cyclones (9-4) — Battled the Springers and Clear Lake. If they win those two games, they’re easily in the top 10.
18. Carver Black Sox (11-5) — Started hot but are slipping up as of late. Can they bring it back together in time for Districts?
19. Watertown Red Devils (11-5) — A few runs away from being a top 10 team and on top of the Crow.
20. Delano Athletics (10-7) — The defending champs are sliding down the poll. Will they get back to playing their best ball to retain their title?
Justin Plein — Red Wing Aces
1. Webster Sox (14-1) — Riding an eight-game win streak, and avenging their only loss with a 10-0 win over America’s team.
2. Cold Spring Springers (12-1) — Another team with an eight-game win streak. Pitching has been fantastic as they are allowing 2.5 runs per game.
3. Buckman Billygoats (9-1) — The top team in District 4. Wins over Sobieski, Nisswa and Avon.
4. Loretto Larks (9-1) — Sitting atop District 6. Their July schedule toughens up as Hutchinson (x2), Buffalo, St. Martin and Delano await.
5. Young America Cardinals (11-3) — Winners of 11 of their last 13, YA is always a threat every season.
6. Bluffton Braves (12-1) — Bluffton dropped their first game of the season on July 3 to New York Mills. The top team in District 5, but only one team will make it out of this district.
7. Raymond Rockets (14-3-1) — A group who has postseason experience and is having another great season. A 3-1 victory over Bird Island in May is a good win, with a rematch set for the end of July.
8. Jordan Brewers (15-5) — 15 wins is nothing to scoff at. A team that knows how to win and will be well tested come tournament time.
9. Nisswa Lightning (8-3) — Of their three losses two are to Cold Spring, and Buckman two teams ranked in the top three.
10. Bird Island (10-2) — Five or six teams could have a great argument for this spot. We will give it to Bird Island this time.
Tom Elliott — West Central Tribune
1. Cold Spring Springers — The Springers are playing well, posting an 11-0 record in the Sauk Valley League.
2. Raymond Rockets — Raymond’s on target to win the Corn Belt League. The Rockets are 8-1 and are deep and talented, with a mix of veterans and young players.
3. Webster Sox — Webster is 14-1 in the tough Dakota-Rice-Scott League.
4. Buckman Billygoats — The Billygoats have won nine straight Victory League games after opening the year with a 5-4 loss to Foley.
5. Nisswa Lightning — Nisswa is 7-2 in the Victory and definitely a team to keep an eye on.
6. Watertown Red Devils — Watertown plays a really tough schedule and yet is 5-1 in the Crow River Valley North and 12-5 overall.
7. Young America Cardinals — Another Crow River Valley team to watch.
8. Bluffton Braves — Somebody will make a run in this part of the state and why not the Braves? They’re 12-1 overall and are the team to beat in the Hi-10 league.
9. Buffalo Bulldogs — Is Buffalo the best team in the North Star League? Loretto and Hutchinson are definite contenders. But right now, it’s Buffalo.
10. Austin Greyhounds — All Austin does is keep winning. The Greyhounds are 11-0 in the Twin Rivers League and 13-1 overall.
Kip Kovar — Herald Journal
1. Buckman Billygoats — One of the hottest teams in the state. The Billygoats look to be on a revenge tour after missing out on the state tournament last year.
2. Raymond Rockets — Won a shootout with Delano to earn a split in their home/away contests. Keep an eye on these guys.
3. Young America Cardinals — Josh Lenz appears to be OK, and that’s huge news for Young America. The lineup is still very good, and Jackson Paumen has stepped up on the mound. I wouldn’t want to play the Cardinals when it comes to the postseason.
4. Bird Island Bullfrogs — Chasing Raymond in the Corn Belt League standings right now. That will be a race that will be fun to keep an eye on down the stretch.
5. Buffalo Bulldogs — Starting to rise in the North Star League Class B standings. A team that, like many others in the list, we will see playing their best ball when it matters most.
6. Watertown Red Devils — I’ve yet to rank them this season, but they’ve earned it so far. They have two wins over Delano already and sit atop the CRVL standings. There are two big matchups with Young America coming up to close out the year, which could determine the top seed in District 7B.
7. Delano A’s — I’m not in panic mode yet for the A’s, but they’ve struggled to string wins together. Injuries have three key starters out, but they are still one of the most talented teams in the state. Playing in the CRVL can magnify blemishes along the way, but I fully expect Delano to be firing on all cylinders come the postseason.
8. Jordan Brewers — Coming off a tough loss to Union Hill, but still believe they will be in the mix of things come August. Like Delano, no reason to panic or overthink the Brewers.
9. Webster Sox — Welcome to my top 10. Probably should have been in before, but playing well in a competitive league.
10. Union Hill Bulldogs — The win over Jordan garners my attention, and this will be a squad I’ll be watching. Looking to take in a game outside of the Crow River Valley League and the North Star League. This might be the place, as it’s been too long since I’ve been there.
Class B rankings (As of July 8)(Pts)(Previous)
3. Cold Spring Springers (29)(3)
4. Young America Cardinals (27)(8)
8. Watertown Red Devils (10)(NR)
10. Bird Island Bullfrogs (8)
Also receiving votes: Jordan Brewers, St. Martin Martins, Austin Greyhounds, Union Hill Bulldogs, Delano Athletics, Stewartville-Racine Sharks, Eagle Lake Expos, Le Sueur Braves, Sauk Rapids Cyclones and Carver Black Sox.
