Team Capsules: Central Plains Regional Tournament

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Dickinson Roughriders

Host team

Head coach: Andy Emard

Record: 12-23

Key players: Sean Kelly P/SS; Aaron Berg P/2B; Jordan Tescher 3B; Taylor Thiel 1B/OF; Brett Braunagel CF; Grant Dvorak OF/1B; Tevin Rettig-Papineau IF/DH; Scott Gordon P/IF/OF; Korey Kallenbach OF.

Notes: As host of this year’s tournament, the Roughriders have now reached the Central Plains Regional three of the past four years. They host the tournament against next year. … Tescher redshirted at Jamestown College last season. … Rettig-Papineau will play for Williston State College next season. … Emard is in his third year as head coach and was an assistant two years before that.

Mandan Chiefs

North Dakota state champion

Head coach: Ryne Jungling

Record: 33-13

Key players: Jay Flaa 3B/P; Reid Jungling 1B/P; Aaron Janz CF; Brent Stoltz SS; Dwight Mack C; Trevor Huck 2B.

Notes: The Mandan Chiefs have won 10 state titles. … It marks the first time since 2000 that Mandan has won the state title. … Reid Jungling was the state tournament MVP. … Reid and Ryne are brothers and Ryne has been the Chiefs’ head coach for three years.

Omaha, Neb.

Nebraska state champion

Head coach: Pat Mooney

Record: 36-11

Key players: Kyle Kubat P/LF; Scott Bates 1B/2B; Derek Petrich 3B/P; Cory Borsh P/2B; Billy Lipari C/3B.

Notes: Omaha Pi Midwest will lean heavily on their pitching staff headed by Kubat and Borsh. … Through districts and state tournament, Omaha had 8-12 hits per game. … Mooney he will happy getting six hits a game during this tournament.

Grand Island, Neb.

Nebraska state runner-up

Head coach: Tino Martinez

Record: 38-17

Key players: Max Ayoub, C/1B; Will Bamesberger, CF/P; Kyle Simonds, 3B/P; Chayse Gulzow, P/RF; Ryker Fyfe SS/P.

Notes: This is Grand Island’s first trip to a regional tournament in more than a decade. … It lost to Omaha in the state championship game.

Sioux Falls (S.D.) East

South Dakota state champion

Head coach: Brandon Hunt

Record: 37-13

Key players: Alex Schultz, P/RF; Connor Schaefbauer, SS; Cole Halgerson, LF/P; Brooks Cross, C/1B.

Notes: Sioux Falls East didn’t lose last weekend in the South Dakota American Legion state tournament. It beat Yankton 8-2 in the championship game. … Schultz was named MVP of the state tournament, which included a nine-inning, 10-strikeout performance.

Carroll County, Iowa

Iowa state champion

Head coach: Matt Lujano

Record: 14-3

Key players: Cody Williams, CF/RF; Bryce Berg, C/1B; Brandon Wessels, C/1B; Chris Halbur, P/1B; Alex Brown, 1B/P; Chris McVey, P/1B.

Notes: Carroll County hasn’t played together since May. Iowa’s legion season is in the spring and high school baseball is in the summer. … The team posted a 38-2 record during the summer high school season.

Eden Prairie, Minn.

Minnesota state champion

Head coach: Scott Hackett

Record: 33-7-1

Key players: Tyler Peterson, 1B; Lance Thornvold, 1B/P/OF; Tony Skjefte 2B; Balek Schmit, SS; Adam Bray P/1B.

Notes: Eden Prairie has won six of the past eight Minnesota state titles and finished second in the American Legion World Series in both 2007 and 2010. … Schmit was named the NJCAA Division II Defensive Player of the Year for Des Moines (Iowa) Area Community College this spring. … Thornvold and Skjefte will be freshmen for the University of Minnesota baseball team year. Peterson plays for North Iowa Community College.

Lino Lakes, Minn.

Minnesota state runner-up

Head coach: Rollie Goertzen

Record: 29-9

Key players: Austin Malinowski, P/1B.

Notes: This will mark the first time that Lino Lakes has made it to the Central Plains Regional. … This season also marked the second time that Lino Lakes had reached its state tournament. … Malinowski was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 16th round of June’s MLB first-year player draft. He won MVP for the Minnesota state Legion tournament and Mr. Baseball in the high school season.

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