Weekly Round-Up - Area sports scores and reviews

Baseball

The Grand Rapids Thunderhawks are matched-up against top-seeded Mankato East on Thursday in Chaska for their opening game of the MSHSL Baseball State Tournament.

Head coach Bill Kinnunen says it will be a good match-up between the two teams, since both teams hang their hats on defense, pitching, and a small-ball style.

“They’ve got some speed at the top of the order and some power in the middle,” Kinnunen said.

“They have a real tough lefty too,” he said referring to East’s 6’1 starting pitcher Owen Studtmann who has a fastball, slider, and changeup in his arsenal.

Kinnunen mentioned experience as an advantage in the Thunderhawks’ favor, considering significant state tournament experience the last few years. Mankato is young with only two seniors and didn’t make the tourney last season. But as young or inexperienced as they may be, they are tough, going 20-5 this season and entering the tournament as the No.1 seed.

First pitch is at 10 a.m. at the Chaska Athletic Park.

Fishing

The team of Mykah Johnson and Drew Stanley finished 6th out of 194 boats on Lake Le Homme Dieu in Alexandria on Sunday. They are the first team to qualify for the State Tournament of Champions later this summer, according to head coach Chris Stanley.

Stanley explained the State Tournament of Champions is essentially the state tournament for the Student Angler Tournament Trail (SATT). The top 10% of each qualifying tournament get an invite to the state “TOC,” he says.

Golf League

June 4, 2024 Pokegama Women’s Morning League Team Standings (Revised)

Pokegama Grill - +14

Midwest Amphibious Equipment - +12

Providence Financial - +11

Eye Care Clinic - +11

Birdies: Deb Godfrey – hole #4, Terri Fjosne – hole #3

Low weekly net challenge winner: Sue Wolfe and Cindy Gilbertson tied with a net score of 72. Sue Wolfe won with a scorecard playoff.

Low Gross: Terri Fjosne with a score of 85, Sue Wolfe with a score of 86, Jan Maki with an 87.

Wrestling

From the Grand Rapids Area Wrestling social media page:

“Congratulations to Romeko Young and Destan Skelly on making the MN Storm Schoolboy Dual meet team for 2024. They will compete in the USA wrestling Championships held in Pennsylvania this week!”

Legion Baseball released their Division I Sr. pre-season rankings on June 7, with the Grand Rapids Post 60 Wolfpack coming at No. 18 in the state.