By Nick Gerhardt
Jordan will have a chance at repeating history.
The Brewers are one of two host teams to have won a state tournament, having done so in 2004. Jordan will have a shot at repeating the feat Monday after a 6-0 victory over Young America. The Brewers are just five years removed from winning a title in 2019.
The Beckman name has dotted Jordan lineup cards for decades and have become woven in the fabric of the Brewers success. Cousins Ron and Jon Beckman helped Jordan win its first two state titles. Ron’s sons Alex, Steve and Nate helped win the 2019 state title. When the Brewers won in 2004 no Beckmans appeared on the roster. Alex didn’t join until 2005, then Steve a year later and then Nate.
“To win one on our home field with all of us playing would be pretty special,” Nate said.
The Beckman brothers have a chance to equal Ron’s state title total.
“He had sent me a text the other day, ‘A fifth one would look really good if we can find a way to add another championship,’” Steve said. “To have a chance to do that tomorrow would be really cool.”
The Brewers also have two second-place finishes in the team’s history. Nate and the rest of the Beckmans hope they don’t match Ron in that respect.
“I think they lost a handful of championship games, too,” Nate said. “Hoping we don’t tally one of those and start catching up to him.”
After playing for 20 years Steve gets questions about how much longer he’ll continue plays.
“People ask how long are you going to do it?” Steve said. “I’ll do it as long as I can still help out and I’m wanted. It’s definitely a part of who we are.”
St. Clair draftee Louis Magers, a Minnesota State University junior pitcher, started for Jordan and kept the Cardinals in check. Magers went seven innings and allowed just three hits. He walked four and struck out six in the win.
Jordan grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Turner Storm drew a leadoff walk. He later scored on a single from Afton Koch.
The Brewers added three runs in the fifth after Jonathan Draheim singled and Michael Vohnoutka walked. Brandon Arnold reached on a bunt single and Draheim later scored on a wild pitch. Vohnoutka scored on a sacrifice fly from Steve Beckman and Joe Lucas drove in Arnold on an infield single to make it 4-0.
Jordan extended the lead in the seventh inning with a pair of runs to make it 6-0. Beckman led off with a single and Lucas followed with a double to set the table for Storm. Storm delivered an RBI single to score Beckman and Lucas later scored on a Dylan Peterson ground out.
The Brewers will play Waconia Monday at 1 p.m. at the Mini Met for their fifth state championship.
Young America 1, Fairmont 0
Young America got a stellar start from Plato draftee Reece Schwirtz and a Matt Mann RBI double to advance to the Class C semifinals with a 1-0 victory over Fairmont.
Schwirtz went all nine innings and allowed seven hits. He walked none and struck out 12 in the win.
Isaac Hormann led off the fourth with a single and after a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, Mann clubbed a double to center field to score Hormann.
Collin Lovell, a Window draftee, dueled with Schwirtz. Lovell allowed one run on seven hits in eight innings. He walked two and struck out five.
Jordan 8, Buckman 2
Jordan had one hit through five innings Sunday against Buckman at the Mini Met in Jordan. By the end of the sixth inning the Brewers held a 4-2 lead behind two hits.
Joe Lucas hit a two-run shot to left field to tie the game 2-2 and Afton Koch’s single up the middle through a drawn-in infield gave Jordan a lead that it held on to as it moved to the Class C state tournament semifinals in an 8-2 victory.
Buckman grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Matt Kummet singled in a pair of runs. Matt Tautges led off the game with a single and Lane Girtz got hit by a pitch to set the table for Kummet.
Jordan starter Tommy Thompson settled in on the mound. He went all nine innings and allowed two runs on seven hits. He walked none and struck out seven to pick up his second win of the tournament.
St. Stephen draftee Jack Greenlun started for Buckman and went five innings. He walked six hitters and struck out four while allowing four runs on just two hits.
Scott Hollingsworth added an RBI double to right field in the bottom of the eighth to add an insurance run for a 5-2 lead. Brandon Arnold reached on an error at shortstop to allow Koch to score to make it 6-2. Turner Storm extended the lead to 8-2 with a bases-loaded single.
Koch finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Jonathan Draheim went 2-for-3 with a run.
Jordan defeated Buckman in the 2019 state tournament 4-3 to reach the championship game where the Brewers defeated Hutchinson 4-2 in Delano.
Jordan will face the winner of Young America-Fairmont in the semifinals in Jordan at 4 p.m.
