Minneapolis Southwest’s Jack Schneider admits he feels his team has something to prove at this year’s Minnesota State American Legion tournament.
Schneider did all he could Friday to prove his point.
Schneider’s three-run home run in the fourth inning helped the Southwest Legion team top Eastview 12-8 in the first round of the state tournament on Friday in Edina. And even though Southwest fell to Osseo 4-2 in the second round, the squad remains alive with its hopes of a state title in tact.
“You see all these teams—Eden Prairie, Eastview—you can tell that this is a new experience for us,” Schneider said. “I do feel like, we’ve just go to put us on the map. Not just Southwest, but other Minneapolis teams.”
Southwest's next game is Saturday against New Ulm Gold at Round Lake Stadium in Eden Prairie. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.
Southwest looked like a team on a mission against Eastview. The favored Thunder, which entered the game 26-6, committed four errors, walked 10 batters and stranded 14 runners in the contest. Meanwhile, Southwest scored in six of the nine innings and made the plays necessary to snuff out any Eastview rallies.
Southwest turned three double plays in the game—two of which ended innings—and matched the Thunder run-for-run after Schneider’s three-run homer.
“They didn’t kick the ball around,” Eastview Bob Klefsaas said. “They played really well. When we hit it hard, they fielded it. When they hit it hard, we didn’t.”
In the second game, Southwest fell 4-2 to Osseo and moved from the championship bracket to the losers bracket. Southwest must now win six games in a row to win the state championship.
Still, that doesn’t deter the Minneapolis South squad. Schneider said he has confidence in his team that they can continue to advance.
“We’ve just got to play our game,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens. We’ll just put it out there. That’s what we always do.”
