Krekling gets 200th win as Vikings squeak past Awesome Blossoms

Published 8:07 pm Tuesday, May 13, 2025

By Rocky Hulne

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HAYFIELD – Hayfield head baseball coach Kasey Krekling has seen a lot of things on the diamond, and now he’s seen his program move into elite territory as coach Krekling picked his 200th career win in a 3-2 victory over Blooming Prairie in Hayfield Tuesday.

The Vikings (11-7 overall) didn’t put together any big rallies, but they stepped up when they needed to as Kael Steele singled in a run with two outs in the third, and he added another two-out RBI single to put Hayfield up 3-1 in the fifth.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play and hit a gap so we could score a run,” Steele said. “I’ve had (Krekling) as a coach for three years now. He’s a big mentor for me and he’s helped me alot with my swing.”

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Krekling started coaching the Vikings in 2012, just one year after he graduated from Waldorf University, where he played baseball until 2011. Krekling graduated from Hayfield high school in 2007, where both of his parents coached before him.

“It was always a pipe dream to come to Hayfield, but I was lucky enough to get the job out of college,” Krekling said. “There has been a lot of community support from parents and players.”

Krekling also wanted to thank assistant coach Tom Dublin, who helped Krekling lead Hayfield to three state tournaments – and one Class A title in 2021. Hayfield’s participation has also boomed as the team has over 50 players out in grades 7-12 this season.

“This is Tom Dublin’s 200th win as well. When I first got here there were no returning coaches and Tom had just as big a part as I have,” Kreklings said. “He puts in so much work. That first year was rough; we had one senior, one junior, and we played eighth, ninth and tenth graders. We took it on the chin playing against the HVL back then, but ever since then we’ve been above .500. It’s really been the dedication of the players buying in.”

Hayfield pitcher Ben Nelson allowed five hits, seven walks and four hit batters in six innings, but he was able to escape jams, including when he struck out Gabe Staloch with two runners in scoring position to end the sixth.

“I was just trying to go back to my fundamentals and throw strikes,” Nelson said. “They were talking a lot (in the dugout) and I just couldn’t let that bother me. I knew my defense would help me out if I was able to force contact.”

Nelson has a unique perspective on Krekling’s 200 wins as he had two older brothers who played under Krekling. He also has memories of watching Krekling play amatuer baseball in Hayfield.

“It’s cool to be in his 200th win,” Nelson said. “The things he does are just different from every other coach. There’s just a different vibe with him.”

Krekling said that Nelson and Steele both stepped up when the team needed them.

“This was just Ben’s second start due to an arm injury he had earlier and he was tired towards the end; you can tell he’s not in the end of season shape yet,” Krekling said. “We have all the confidence in him in the world going forward now. Kael had a big two out hit to score that third run (in the fifth) so we didn’t have to worry about the runner on third on their double steal in the seventh.”

It was a frustrating day for the Awesome Blossoms (10-5 overall) as the team stranded 16 runners. BP left the bases loaded in the second and fifth innings and it suffered a botched sacrifice fly in the second and a botched squeeze play in the fifth that slowed down its attack.

BP 0 0 0  0 1 0  1  –  2   6  2

Hayfield 0 0 1  1 1 0  X  –  3   8  1

Hayfield pitching: Ben Nelson (W) 6 IP, 5 H, 7 BB, 2 ER, 5 K, 4 HBP; Kaden Ziegler (S) 1 IP, 0 R

Hayfield hitting: Rylan Nelsen, 0-for-3, R; Hunter Simonson, 1-for-3, double; Eric Bermea, 1-for-3; Kael Steele, 2-for-3, 2 RBIs; Josiah Dornink, 0-for-3; Axel Meek, 2-for-3, R; Nelson, 0-for-2; Layne Nelson, 1-for-3, RBI; Charlie Walker, 1-for-3, R

BP pitching: Alex Lea (L) 6 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 K

BP hitting: Brady Kittelson, 0-for-4, 2 SB; Carsten Ingvalson, 1-for-2, 2 SB, 2 BBs; Gabe Staloch, 1-for-2, R, 2 BBs, SB; Lea, 1-for-2, SB, R, 2 HBP; Eliot Gimbel, 1-for-3, HBP; Carter Bishop, 0-for-3, RBI, BB; Lukas DenHerder, 1-for-4; Brayton Ingvalson, 0-for-1, BB, HBP; Bo Zwiener, 1-for-2, BB

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