Blue Jays 2019 Roster: Player shirt # 1- Brett Fischer, 2- Jesse Brockhouse, 3- Nick Bonte, 5- Darin VanDeBerg, 6- Aaron VanDeBerg, 8- Sam Johnson, 11- Mark Vandersnick, 14- Dustin Steckler, 15- Brad Ulmer, 19- Scott Splett, 20- Isaiah Mader, 21- Brady Bonte, 23- Derek Fischer, 24- Austin Vanhove, 25- Nick Bruning
The Garretson Blue Jays amateur baseball team went into the Class B State Tournament as region champion for District 7B, having had a successful season so far with eight wins and only two losses. Hopes were high that the team would come out on top, but the team fell short in its final game, losing to Alexandria 0-2, ending the Blue Jays season with 16 wins and 3 losses.
In the State competition, the Blue Jays obliterated their opponents, starting by winning 15-0 against Groton in Game 10 of the tournament.
Per the Mitchell Daily Republic, “Jesse Brockhouse launched a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning as Garretson blew past Groton Locke Electric…Brockhouse was 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Nick Bruning was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Dustin Steckler tossed four scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk for Garretson.”
In the next round of the finals, the Blue Jays took out Menno with a score of 2-1. The game was the shortest at that point in the tournament, with both teams keeping the other from scoring. Pitcher Derek Fischer allowed only four hits and two runs, while Menno’s pitcher allowed four hits and one run.
Per the Daily Republic, “Garretson’s bats finally broke through in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the frame, Nick Bruning belted a two-out, solo home run over the 340-foot right field fence to even it up at 1-1.”
The Blue Jays then faced up against Clark, and made quick work of them, as well, beating the Traders 15-0 in only five innings. This game saw Austin VanHove hit a home run in the fifth inning, and Nick Bonte and Fischer scoring three points each. In all, eight players scored for that game.
Photos by Matt Anderson of Anderson Publications
They then faced up against 25-4 opponent Canova on Saturday night/Sunday morning, scoring another impressive 5-0 after a rain delay forced the game to hold until midnight. The Blue Jays immediately went on the offensive in the second inning re-start, scoring two points at the top of the inning.
“We had to get on top right away,” Garretson co-manager Aaron VanDeBerg said to the Daily Republic. “We scored two right away in the top of the second. So that was big for us.”
Garretson prevented the single close score Canova almost had, when Canova Gang batter Trey Krier singled. Runner Tim Gassman sprinted from second base toward home, but the Blue Jays’ Brad Ulmer made a throw from right field to home plate, allowing Bonte to put the player out in an amazing show of perfect tosses and quick reflexes.
The final game had the Blue Jays facing an old rival, the Alexandria Angels. Garretson lost to the Angels in the 2016 State Championship, and hoped to get their revenge. Unfortunately, the Angels again closed out the Blue Jays, ending their hopes with a score of 0-2.
Three times, Garretson got to third base, but were unable to find their way home. The Angels made their first point in the fifth inning, and finished the game with their second point in the ninth. The low score was thanks in part to the strong performance given by Blue Jays’ Fischer, but the Angels were still able to get in nine hits to the Blue Jays’ six.
This game marked the second time in three years that the Blue Jays lost to the Angels, but hopefully, Garretson will be able to rally and come out on top in 2020!
Big thanks go to the Mitchell Daily Republic for their outstanding reporting on the 2019 Class B State Tournament.
