By Nick Gerhardt
nickgerhardt@mnbaseball.org
Waconia’s had its sights set on a state championship ever since finishing as a runner-up in 2011. On Monday at the Mini Met, the Lakers accomplished the feat behind a dominating pitching performance and some unlikely heroes.
Waconia defeated Jordan 5-2 to claim the town’s first amateur baseball state title behind starting pitcher John Bezdicek’s sterling performance. Bezdicek threw 8 1/3 innings of no-hit ball after throwing a no hitter last weekend against Montgomery. He ended up throwing a one-hitter against the Brewers.
For the tournament Bezdicek allowed just four hits, three runs, one earned and struck out 45 hitters for a 3-0 record. He claimed Fred Roufs MVP honors for his performance. He racked up 17 strikeouts against Jordan, which didn’t get its first hit of the game until the ninth inning when Joe Lucas doubled to right field. He eventually scored on an error to give the Brewers their second run of the game. But Bezdicek delivered his 17th strikeout with the bases loaded to end the game.
“We knew we were moving to A and we knew this was our last chance,” said second baseman Ronnie Olson, who made a spectacular diving catch in the ninth to preserve Bezdicek’s no hitter before Lucas’ double. “I think that core group of 22 to 25 year olds, you kind of learn how to play town ball and I think they’re at their prime. I think it’s just experience. They’re all talented college players.”
Olson played on the 2011 state tournament runner-up team that lost 4-3 in 13 innings to Isanti. Olson, who completed his 14th year with the club, is one of a handful of players that remain on the roster from that squad. It’s a squad that helped invigorate Waconia and the community around amateur baseball.
Waconia has become a hotbed for amateur baseball since 2011. The team and community members put together a $1.4 million grandstand project in 2017 and went on to host the 2021 state tournament with Chaska and Hamburg. It also hosted state tournament games in 2023.
After appearing in the state tournament in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023, the Lakers finally broke through. Their best finish since 2011 was a final eight appearance in 2021. The round of 16 had snakebitten the Lakers in previous years.
“We’ve had some tastes,” Waconia manager Mike Friedrich said. “We always felt like the runs didn’t go quite as far as we thought they would go. We added a couple of pieces this year and the big one being the guy who’s bringing home all the hardware. We knew if we brought John on we were going to be up there in points and going up. We just said, we’re probably going to be going up anyway. Let’s just go for it. What an addition. He’s that guy who can throw out there and he’s just going to give you solid innings, can strike guys out and that’s what you need at the state tournament.”
Waconia staked itself to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Jake Hendricks hit a two-run home run. Hendricks, the No. 8 hitter for the Lakers, had gone 0-for-10 in the state tournament prior to his home run. Sam Schiffman reached on a one-out single to set the table for Hendricks.
It stayed 2-0 until the fourth inning. Brewers shortstop Brandon Arnold manufactured a run after reaching on an error, moving to second on a balk, stealing third and scoring on a wild pitch in the fourth inning to make it a 2-1 game.
Bezdicek kept dealing and piling up strikeouts while Waconia kept hitting. The Lakers finished with 14 hits in the game and had opportunities throughout, leaving 11 runners on base.
Bezdicek joined the Lakers this season and played college baseball at Southwest Minnesota State University with several Waconia players. He played in his first state tournament this season.
“The atmosphere in the state tournament is something that surprised me being here,” he said. “It’s great to win a state championship with these guys.’
Jordan starting pitcher Nate Beckman gutted out a gritty start to go 8 1/3 innings where he allowed five runs on 14 hits, walked two and struck out five. He left in the top of the ninth inning after giving up an RBI single to AJ Friedrich to make it a 3-1 game. The bases remained loaded for reliever Jonathan Draheim, who got a fly ball to right field, which allowed Robbie Smith to score and got a strikeout to end the inning.
Justin Schultz, who went 2-for-5, started the ninth with a leadoff single. Smith followed with a one out single and Max Kalenberg walked to load the bases for Friedrich. After Friedrich’s single, the Lakers pulled a delayed double steal with Kalenberg on third base. The throw home missed the mark and allowed Kalenberg to score to make it 4-1.
The Brewers answered in the ninth inning after Lucas scored to make it 5-2 and had a chance to close the gap after a pair of walks and an error loaded the bases. But Bezdicek had enough left to get a strikeout to end the game.
Much of the talk about Waconia on Labor Day weekend centered on Bezdicek, but not for his state tournament performance. Instead people wondered about his availability. He missed the other three games this weekend as the Lakers defeated Bemidji 4-1, Bird Island 4-3 and Buffalo 6-3 to reach the title game. Bezdicek missed those games to attend his twin brother’s bachelor party, but returned Monday to start the state championship game.
“When he signed with us, he said, ‘I know this is a long ways away but I won’t be there Labor Day weekend,’” Friedrich said. “And we were like, OK, it is what it is. As it got closer (Bezdicek) was like I’ll be back on Monday. The guys just said, ‘Project get to Monday, get to Bezdicek.’ We got three wins out of our draftees. That just works out great. What a weekend.”
