Packers get rematch with champs

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 6, 2000

In the first year of a three-class format, both the Minnetonka Skippers and the Wabasso Rabbits return to defend titles, but one of them under a different class designation.

Tuesday, June 06, 2000

In the first year of a three-class format, both the Minnetonka Skippers and the Wabasso Rabbits return to defend titles, but one of them under a different class designation.

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The Skippers, who won the 1999 Class AA title, will compete in Class AAA this year, while the Rabbits, who won the 1999 Class A title, will continue to compete in Class A.

With the addition of the third class, seven teams are making their first appearances at the state tournament this year. Those teams are: Jackson County Central, Big Lake, Park Rapids Area, Houston, Mankato Loyola, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, and Ogilvie.

All three classes of the tournament will be conducted at Caswell Park in North Mankato on Friday and Saturday.

Class AAA Quarterfinal Highlights

n Section 1 champ Austin (18-7) vs. Section 6 champ Minnetonka (20-2) at 1 p.m. Friday: In a replay of last year’s Class AA semifinal game, Austin meets the defending big-school champions from Minnetonka. Last year, Minnetonka defeated the Packers 5-0.

The Skippers are making their fourth overall tournament appearance and are led by junior pitcher Lyn Peyer. She has allowed an average of only 2.5 hits per game this season and has a 0.17 earned run average. Peyer also recorded 212 strikeouts during her 20-2 season.

Senior Lindsey Burton leads the Skippers with a .385 batting average. She played in all 22 games and had 30 hits and scored 16 runs. Seniors Kristin Nagle and Sarah Webster also both bat .300-plus. Nagle will play softball at Augustana College in the fall. The Skippers did not face any other tournament qualifiers during the regular season.

The Austin Packers placed fourth last year in Class AA and are making their seventh overall appearance. They won state titles in 1980, 1981 and 1987. Austin split its regular season series with qualifier Mankato East in a double-header in April with the Packers winning 1-0, then losing 8-2.

Senior Brooke Gentzler, who was an All-Conference and Academic All-State selection, leads the Packers with a .569 batting average.

She hit three home runs during the regular season, tallied 41 hits, and scored 26 runs.

Senior Sara Turvey added 36 hits and scored 17 runs. She also has a .468 batting average. Ninth-grader Amy Kelly emerged as the top pitcher for the Packers this season. She has an ERA of 0.74 and had 100 strikeouts during regular-season play. Gentzler, Turvey, Kelly, and senior Lauren Feller were also named to the All-Conference team.

n Section 2 champ Mankato East (21-2) vs. Section 5 champ Totino-Grace, Fridley (20-4) at 1 p.m. Friday: Mankato East is returning for its third consecutive and 10th overall appearance. The Cougars earned Class AA consolation honors in 1999, and won state titles in 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1991. During the regular season Mankato East splits its series with Austin.

The team’s leading hitter is junior Ty Ries. Her batting average is .413, and she had 31 hits during the regular season. Sophomore Elizabeth Landwehr led the team with three home runs and also had 19 RBI. Her batting average is .412. Junior Kelly Terrell and sophomore Caitlyn Cornell share the duties on the mound. Terrell had a 0.72 ERA and 112 strikeouts during regular-season play, and Cornell had a 1.09 ERA and totaled 42 strikeouts on the season. The Cougars have a team grade-point average of 3.807.

Totino-Grace of Fridley is making its second consecutive and sixth overall appearance at the state tournament. In 1999, the Eagles finished third in Class AA after defeating Austin 2-1 in eight innings. The Eagles have never won a state title. Totino-Grace did not face any other tournament qualifiers during the regular season.

The Eagles’ strength comes from the strong pitching of senior Sara Medved. She had 205 strikeouts and a 0.55 ERA during the regular season. Medved also has the top batting average for the team. She bats .333 and had 26 hits. Senior Nicole Kunkel, senior Joanna Naumann, and junior Christy Manske all have .300-plus batting averages.

n Section 3 champ St. Paul Johnson (20-4) vs. Section 4 champ White Bear Lake Area (17-8) at 1 p.m. Friday: The Governors of St. Paul Johnson return to the tournament after a nine-year absence. It is their second overall appearance and they have never won a state championship. The Governors did not face any other tournament qualifiers during the regular season. Sophomore Allison Sanchez leads the team with a .400 batting average. She scored 25 runs and had 21 RBI during the regular season. Sophomore Kristen Linell scored 18 runs for the Governors and ninth-grader Darcy Snaza added 24 RBI. Senior Holly Bertelsen led the Governors on the mound with a 0.95 ERA during the regular season and struck out 124.

White Bear Lake Area is also returning to the tournament after a seven-year hiatus. The Bears are making their third overall appearance and are still in the hunt for their first team championship. They did not face any other tournament qualifiers this year. The Bears scored 90 runs during the regular season while holding opponents to a mere 30. The team’s leading hitter is junior Victoria Parker with a .481 batting average and 37 hits. Seniors Annalisa Jordan, Devanie Bigalk, and Ingrid Olson all pitched for the Bears. Jordan led the trio with a 0.460 ERA and 45 strikeouts. (Note: The second-round game, championship or consolation semifinal, involving White Bear Lake Area, will be played at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 10, to accommodate the school’s Friday night commencement exercises.)

n Section 7 champ Forest Lake (22-3) vs. Section 8 champ Rocori, Cold Spring (17-4) at 1 p.m.: The Forest Lake Rangers are making their fourth consecutive appearance at the state level and their sixth overall. The Rangers finished sixth in Class AA last year and continue to seek their first team championship. They did not face any other tournament qualifiers during the regular season. Forest Lake averages 2.65 runs per game and holds opponents to 0.95. The Rangers were led by the "Triple A" this season: junior Allison Paitich, senior Angie Berg, and junior Amanda Gage. Paitich led on the mound with a 0.57 ERA and 154 strikeouts. Berg had 25 hits and a .325 batting average, and Gage scored 16 runs during the regular season. They were also the top fielders for the team.

After an eight-year absence, the Rocori Spartans also return to the tournament. Rocori is looking for its first title in its fourth appearance. The Spartans did not face any other tournament qualifiers during the regular season. The Spartans scored 149 runs this year, compared with their opponents’ 69. Led by senior Kari Turkowski, Rocori averages 7.1 runs per game. Turkowski has a .500 batting average, scored 22 runs, and had 38 hits. She is followed by seniors Kristi Rausch who bats .417 and had 25 hits. Senior Rachael Ebensteiner led the Spartans on the mound. She went 15-4 during regular-season play with a 2.001 ERA and 65 strikeouts. Turkowski, Ebensteiner, Rausch, senior Shari Vogt, and junior Megan Jahnke were all named to the All-Conference team.