By Ryan Simonson
Contributing Writer
BELLE PLAINE — Buckman’s home ballpark, affectionately referred to as “Beer Cap Stadium,” is easily visible on the west side of Highway 25 as it jogs north from Foley toward Pierz. The rather unremarkable skinned infield diamond might be mistaken for a simple softball field by some if not for its charming wooden grandstand and raised pitcher’s mound. A soft vinyl sign adorning the outside of the right field fence, beside the street leading into the ballpark, welcomes you to the home of the 1999 state champion Buckman Billygoats, while another just to its right features a jolly and intoxicated cartoon gentleman inviting you to the local Bottoms Up Saloon.
Their quirky nickname aside, the Buckman Billygoats have become known for two things over the last many seasons: their hard-nosed and highly competitive brand of baseball, and the unruly and colorful collective of loyalists who enthusiastically support them everywhere they play. If you’re unfamiliar, ask folks who’ve attended a state tournament in recent years and they’ll tell of their encounters with the mob of royal blue clad fanatics with their noisemakers, their bountiful supply of cold beverages, and their signature chant of “GOAT NA-TION! GOAT NA-TION!” The unmistakable society of Billygoat devotees is a phenomenon that’s an equal mix of the famously dedicated cult of Chicago Cubs fans and the notoriously rowdy Buffalo Bills Mafia.
Between the lines, the Billygoats themselves are an intimidating collective. With their assortment of shaggy hair, mustaches, soiled and threadbare baseball pants, and forearms shaped like traffic cones, the Buckman nine seem like a crew more likely to to be found on a cattle ranch or lumber camp than in a dugout. Each member of the club appears to have just clocked out of a 14-hour shift of hard labor and driven straight to the ballpark with a chip on their shoulder.
The hard-hitting Buckman team has made a name for itself as a perennial powerhouse for much of the last quarter-century, taking home the state title in 1999 and finishing as runners-up in 2001 and 2022 in their 12 tournament appearances since 1997, which includes trips to the final four in 2019 and 2023.
Wins over Webster and Fergus Falls in this year’s tournament pitted this batch of Goats against the Brewers of New Ulm, the top finisher from Region 2, who stormed through its region and advanced to Labor Day weekend with an impressive victory over the Saints of St. Bonifacius last weekend. While both teams are known for their offensive prowess and ability to score runs in bunches, the stiff wind blowing straight in from center field in Tiger Park would come into play numerous times in the contest.
Buckman started toe-headed righty Matt Tautges on the mound to face New Ulm southpaw Ethan Stade and the two worked around a handful of early base runners to keep the game scoreless through the first two frames, often aided by the hard breeze transforming well-struck balls into garden variety flyouts.
The Billygoats got on the board in the third, with Tautges himself drawing a walk, advancing to third on an errant pickoff throw, and then scoring on a Lane Girtz single. They went go up 2-0 in the fourth on an Andrew Rueckert single that scored Aaron Weber.
The Brewers tied it up in the bottom of the fourth with a Trevor Nissen single, an RBI triple pounded into the right field corner by Andrew Peters, and an RBI single by Ayden Jensen. The score remained tied at 2-2 until the ninth inning, with both clubs stranding runners and both starters craftily escaping jams. Draftee Mark Schommer of the Searles Grizzlies took the ball for New Ulm with two outs in the seventh, get out of a jam, and work a clean eighth inning.
Max Barclay led off the top of the ninth for the Billygoats with a sharp single and was replaced by pinch runner Reece Young. After failing to get a bunt down, Rueckert drove a ball up the middle that appeared ready to become a double play ball, but thanks to some hustle by Young and a New Ulm error, both Goats ended up safe on second and third base with no one out. The Brewers then intentionally walked Tautges to load the bases. Girtz followed with an RBI single to give Buckman the lead, but they were not done. With two out and the bases loaded, Benjamin Thoma blasted a double into right field, scoring three Goats and pushing the score to 6-2.
Tautges returned to the hill in the ninth and was welcomed with back-to-back singles by Ayden Jensen and Wade French. Hunter Ranweiller banged a one-out single to score Jensen, and a Buckman error allowed another New Ulm run, making the score 6-4 with the bases loaded and two out, where it would end with a Girtz 6-3 putout, producing an audible collective exhale from the horde of Billygoat boosters tightly clutching their warm and empty beer cans.
Buckman advances to face the Jordan Brewers on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 11 a.m. in Jordan, and Goat Nation will most certainly be present.
Waconia Lakers 4, Bemidji Blue Ox 1
Missing their ace John Bezdicek, the Lakers handed the ball off to draftee Blake Tritch of the Mayer Blazers and he delivered, going eight innings for Waconia and allowing only four Bemidji hits, while striking out eight and allowing only a single run.
Bemidji countered with their own draftee, Ethan Opsdahl of the Ada Athletics, who kept the Blue Ox in the game despite some defensive slip-ups that put them behind early. He allowed only one earned run through four innings and left the game trailing 3-1 after giving up runs in the first and fourth innings as a result of three Bemidji errors.
Bemidji’s lone run came in the top of the second inning on a single by Brandon Lussier that scored Caleb Manecke. Waconia added a run on a fielder’s choice in the fifth inning to make the score 4-1, where it ended after draftee from Green Isle, Austin Dent came on to close.
Waconia advances to face the Bird Island Bullfrogs on Sunday at 11 a.m. in Green Isle.
Buffalo Bulldogs 4, Watkins Clippers 1
This game was set up to be a pitchers’ duel between Buffalo draftee Max Otto, who struck out 21 hitters in last weekend’s win over St. Joseph, battling Watkins’ longtime ace Matt Geislinger, and for most of the contest it delivered as advertised.
Buffalo struck first in the contest, exploiting a pair of Watkins errors to push a run across in the top of the second inning, but Watkins countered in the bottom of the third, tying the game at 1-1 by scoring Caden Neilman on a single after he reached on a Bulldogs error.
The game remained tied with both pitchers working effectively until Buffalo added two runs in the top of the eighth inning on a two-run homer by Ramon Vega Jr. Geislinger exited the game having scattered 10 hits through eight innings with six strikeouts and only two earned runs. Scott Lieser, draftee from St Martin, took over the ninth inning and allow a single Buffalo run, bringing the final score to 4-1.
Otto went the distance for Buffalo, striking out 17 with no walks and no earned runs allowed. Matt and Carson Geislinger led the Clippers with four of the team’s six hits in the contest.
Buffalo advances to face the Courtland Cubs Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Green Isle.
