By Ryan Simonson
Contributing Writer
Shakopee — It’s not unusual for the Miesville Mudhens to be thought of as the New York Yankees of Class B townball, and it’s not just because of their pinstriped uniforms. This year’s tournament marks the 34th state appearance for the ‘Hens since 1962, a stretch that’s seen them take home seven state championships and leave five tournaments as runners-up.
All summer long, Jack Ruhr Field, iconically nestled along Highway 61 between Hastings and Red Wing with its outfield bordering a gently waving and picturesque corn field, plays host to droves of baseball romantics who venture from the metro to Minnesota’s “Field of Dreams” (after stopping across the street at King’s Place for one of their legendary hamburgers and a frosty beverage, of course), and they’re rewarded with tremendous play from one of the most consistently dominant ballclubs in Minnesota amateur state history.
Less than an hour’s drive away (traffic permitting) Parade Stadium, home to the Minneapolis Mudcats and their Park National League co-tenants, feels light years away from the rustic quiet of rural Miesville. Ballgames are played in the historic metro ballpark beneath the shadows of the glistening urban skyline and the imposing stone walls of the massive Basilica of Saint Mary. Wind-driven cornrows are substituted for by a barrier of thick ivy, and the only chicken for miles is an immense blue fabrication overlooking the field from the nearby Walker Art Center’s sculpture garden. Here games are free, but parking costs you $5 and concessions are whatever you brought along.
The Mudcats, founded in 2016, are run by General Manager Paul Melchior and his son, player/manager Sam. Despite their metropolitan location, the family has deep roots in Minnesota amateur baseball, specifically Belle Plaine. Paul’s father, Tom, is the definitive authority on Belle Plaine baseball and the author of a nearly 400-page nonfiction book “Belle Plaine Baseball 1884-1960.” This year marks their fourth trip to the state tournament as the third seed out of Section 5B.
Through the first two and a half innings of this opening night matchup, it seemed fans were being treated to a classic pitchers’ duel, with Mudhens starter Quinn Kruger and Mudcats pitcher Harrison Blum sitting down opposing batters with surgical precision, Blum striking out the side in the first inning. Miesville broke it open in the third, however, with Ben Vujovich launching a two-run homer into the Shakopee night sky, followed by a Joey Werner RBI double to put the Mudhens up 3-0.
Blum rebounded in the fourth frame with a scoreless inning and another strikeout, his eighth, but was chased from the game in the fifth after four more runs on six hits.
Kruger continued to deal for Miesville, but was relieved of his duties early when the Mudhen bats plated three more runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to end the game by mercy rule, advancing them to the second weekend of the tournament in what has become and annual tradition.
Miesville will face the winner of the St. Paul Mudhens versus the St Michael Saints Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 p.m. in Green Isle.
