On the Bench with Byron Higgin

Legion teams swing into action

No sooner did the Minneota Vikings put a cap on their baseball season than practices for Junior Legion and Varsity Legion began this week.

The Junior Legion Vultures swung into action with a game at home Tuesday against Cottonwood. The American Legion Baseball Team opens with a 7 p.m. home game Thursday (June 7) against Canby. On Friday, the Junior Legion Vultures play a 6 p.m. game at Madison.

J.D. Pesch is again coaching the Junior Legion and Keven Larson coaches the Varsity Legion.

Three Vikings on All-Conference team

Three Vikings were named to the Camden All-Conference Team and another was on the Honorable Mention list. The Vikings were 8-3 on the year.

Making the special team were:

•Senior catcher Alex Pohlen

•Senior second baseman/pitcher Brant Buysse

•Junior shortstop Thomas Hennen.

The Honorable Mention award went to junior pitcher/infielder Teddy Pesch.

The Most Valuable Player in the conference was Westen Gjerde of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.

His coach James Cortez was named Coach of the Year.

Other members of the All-Conference team were: KMS: Gjerde; Dylan Rudningen; Regan Carlson, Brandon Rasmusson and Ryan Torkelson. LQPV: Braiden Kittelson, Evan Benson, Peyton Mortenson and Wyatt Halvorson. Tracy-M-B: Moses Dolan and Jake Byrne. Renville Co. West: Jake Howard and Trent Kjersten. Yellow Medicine East: Angel Jimenez, Bennett Knapper. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton: Jared Baartman, Hunter VanLerberghe. Canby: Evan Stoks. Dawson-Boyd: Alex Swenson. Central MN Christian: Jake Meyer. MACCRAY: Gabe Henker. Lakeview: Noah Jensen. At-Large All-Conference: Ryan Torkelson, KMS; Wyatt Halvorson, LqPV.

HONORABLE MENTION: Canby: Blake Mercer; CMC: Micah VanderBeek; DB-Austin Schmitt; KMS: Caleb Collins; Lakeview: Conner Dopp; LqPV: Brett Baldwin; RCW: Tony Froland; RTR: Jake Fischer; TMB: Caleb Nordison; YME: Carter Sneller.