MBA State Titles Go To Waconia and Miesville

The Minnesota Baseball Association (MBA) could not have ordered better weather for their just concluded Class C and Class B Tournaments.

Waconia Lakers win their first state title in Class C today and Miesville Mudhens captured their 8th Class B crown on Sunday night.

Waconia defeated Jordan Brewers 5-2 at the Jordan Mini-Met ballpark thanks in large part to a magnificent pitching performance by Joe Bezdicek.

He threw a one-hitter while going the distance, allowing 2 runs, 0 earned, struck out 17 batters, walked 5 while throwing 148 pitches, 92 strikes.

Jordan starting pitcher Nate Beckman pitched very well with runners on base allowing 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings of work,  The Lakers held a 2-1 lead going into the 9th inning before scoring 3 runs.  Beckman threw 139 pitches, 95 strikes with 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, all 5 runs allowed were earned,

Each team had 2 errors with Waconia leaving 11 runners on base and Jordan stranding 6 runners.

Jake Hendricks crushed a home run for the Lakers with 2 hits and 2 RBI.  A.J Friedrich and Tanner Adams each stroked 2 hits with one RBI.

Joe Lucas was the only Brewers player to manage a hit off Bezdicek,  A double.

Waconia's only other trip to the title game came in 2011 when they lost a 13 inning thriller to the Isanti Redbirds.

Bezdicek was the winning pitcher in 3 of the 6 games Waconia played.  They were Region 7 runner-up to Young America who made it to the semi-finals before losing to Jordan 6-0.

Bezdicek pitched 25 innings, allowing 4 hits with a no-hitter against Montgomery, 3 hits allowed against Hanska before the one hit effort in the title tilt.  He allowed 3 runs, 1 earned with 45 strikeouts, 11 walks, 1 hit batter.

The Lakers outscored their opponents 35 to 10.

Miesville continues to get it done with a great mix of veteran players and youth with an offense that's hard to beat.  The Mudhens scored 45 runs in their 5 games while giving up 14.

They made short work of defending CLass B Champion Air Freight Unlimited 12-1 in 7 innings at Belle Plaine Sunday evening.

Jacob Dickmeyer tossed all 7 innings with 3 hits allowed, the run was not earned, struck out 7 walked 0 and threw an efficient 77 pitches, 53 for strikes.

Seven different Mudhens had a multiple hit game led by Alex Hendrickson with 3 hits.

Miesville had 6 doubles and a home run in the contest, scoring in 5 of the 7 innings including 7 runs in the third inning.

Max Gamm had the home run, Ronnie Sweeny clubbed two doubles.

Alex Van der Bosch, 42, had 2 hits and 2 RBI. The Hastings native and Oral Roberts University player did play some professional ball.

Brian Sprout, 44, is the other Mudhens player with professional experience,  The East Ridge High School of Woodbury baseball Head Coach is a Lake City native, St. Olaf College graduate who excelled in football and baseball for the Oles.

21 of the 24 Miesville players have college baseball experience with 6 Division 1 schools represented by 14 players, 3 Division 2 experienced and 4 Division 3 players.

That's 21 of the 24 players on the roster.