The 2021 Three Rivers Conference baseball season saw teams from Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Caledonia, Lewiston-Altura, and Chatfield have the best years. The All-TRC baseball team is thus littered with players from those four teams. Caledonia gets a league best seven All-Conference picks, including five seniors, Austin Klug (SS), Devin Vonderohe (P/1B), Jake Staggemeyer (2B), Andrew Kunelius (CF), and Casey Schultz (OF/P), a pair of juniors in Thane Meiners (3B/P) and Brady Augedahl (OF/P). Klug earned the largest honor of the cast, as he also was acknowledged Class AA All-State. The senior hit a team high five home runs and led the Warriors with 41 runs scored. He led all Journal 11 baseball players in long balls.
He was second on the team with 31 RBIs, nine doubles, and 23 stolen bases. Klug struck out just five times in 106 plate appearances. He will play baseball at North Iowa Area Community College next season. Kunelius was the Warriors’ top hitter, sporting a .494 average. He had seven doubles, 23 RBIs, and 23 runs scored. Coach Brad Augedahl regarding Kunelius: “fantastic centerfielder, who saved us a bunch of runs with his defense.” Staggemeyer his .392 with a pair of home runs, 26 RBIs, and 24 runs scored. He led the Warriors with ten doubles. Schultz hit .348. Twenty-seven of his 31 hits were singles, but he led Caledonia with 33 RBIs. Vonderohe was the Warriors top pitcher, going 10-1 with a 1.21 ERA (27 hits, 58 strikeouts, 32 walks in 58 innings pitched). He led all Journal 11 layers in wins. He won his first 10 games. Vonderohe chipped in a .324 average with 16 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
From the junior class, Thane Meiners hit a team-second best .473 with a team second-best 37 runs scored as the Warriors lead-off man. He chipped in 16 RBIs. He led the Warriors with 28 stolen bases while tallying seven doubles. Meiners was also 5-3 on the mound with a 3.34 ERA (53 strikeouts, 28 walks, team second-best 46 innings pitched). Classmate Brady Augedahl hit .344 with 17 RBIs, 15 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. He went 3-0 on the mound with a 1.04 ERA (26 strikeouts, nine walks in 27 innings pitched).
This group of guys helped Brad Augedahl’s Warriors win a TRC-East title, post a 21-5 record, while making it within one game of the 1AA final. From the TRC-West, Brian Baum’s Chatfield Gophers get five All-TRC picks, seniors Henry Gathje (C), Seth Goetzinger (OF/P), and Tate Karver (OF), junior Caden Nolte (1B/P), and sophomore Drew O’Connor (C/DH). Goetzinger led the Gophers with a .431 average including eight extra base hits (five 2Bs, two 3Bs, one HR), 14 RBIs, and a team-high 29 runs scored. He struck out just seven times in 92 plate appearances while posting a .597 slugging percentage.
The senior also pitched 28 1/3 innings (1-1, three saves, 2.72 ERA). Gathje (bound for St. Mary’s) made All-TRC for a second time (2019). He hit a team second-best .400 with a team second-best 18 RBI and 12 runs scored. He directed the Gopher pitching staff from behind the plate. Karver hit .280 with 12 RBI and 11 runs. He struck out just four times in 84 plate appearances. Nolte was Chatfield’s top pitcher/hitter combination. The junior batted .277 but posted an easy team-high of 29 RBIs. He had five doubles (tied Goetzinger for team lead) with just six strikeouts in 90 plate appearances. He was also the Gophers top pitcher, going 8-2 on the mound with a 1.47 ERA over a team-high 57 innings pitched.
He had a team-high 42 strikeouts versus just 13 walks. O’Connor flashed as just a sophomore, hitting a team fourth-best .314 with five extra base hits (three 2Bs, one 3B, one HR). He had 13 RBIs, doing all despite not playing a full season. Said players helped the Gophers go 16-8 and reach the 1AA East title game. They beat 1AA champ PEM and 1AA third place squad Caledonia. Nolte and Goetzinger joined Warriors Klug, Vonderohe, and Meiners in making the All-Section 1AA team. Rounding on the Journal 11 All-TRC picks are one man each from Rushford-Peterson and Fillmore Central/Lanesboro. Senior Evan Loney (SS/3B) is the Trojans lone pick. He was credited with hitting a team-best .333 with 9 RBI and a team-second best 19 runs scored. Sixteen of his 20 hits were singles.
Wilson Storhoff (Sr. OF) made All-TRC for the Falcons. He led FC/L in hitting at .347 and was second in runs scored with 13. Making All-TRC from non Journal 11 teams were PEM’s Conner Schumacher (Sr.), Luke Stevens (Sr.), Dereck Boyum (Sr.), Brock Martinez (Sr.), Jason Feils (Jr.), and Matthew Keller (Jr.), Lewiston-Altura’s Connor Ramthun (Sr.), Tommy Lee (Sr.), Sam Bronk (Sr.), Caleb Mueller (Jr.), and Kyle Frederickson (Jr.), St. Charles’ Braeden Ihrke (Sr.), Harper Schaber (Sr.), and Brady Koeppel (Jr.), La Crescent/Hokah’s Braden Abnet (Sr.) and Mason Bills (Sr.), Wabasha-Kellogg’s Brady Wodele (Sr.) and Klayton Hawkins (Sr), Cotter’s Cale Beckman (Sr.), and Dover-Eyota’s Gavin Gust (So.). Twenty-three of the 34 selections were seniors. PEM’s Schumacher and Caledonia’s Klug were the TRC’s two All-State selections. PEM (12-2, 22-5) won the 1AA title and went on to take fourth at state.
All Three Rivers Conference Softball
The All-TRC softball list of 2021 sees players from just two of the four Journal 11 Three Rivers Conference teams get selections. Jerry Chase’s Chatfield Gophers boast four All-league picks. Junior catcher Peyton Berg heads the cast. Berg had a team-high (tied with M-C’s Kenidi McCabe for a Journal 11 best) seven home runs, driving in a team-best 31 RBIs with 15 runs scored. She hit .410 with a gaudy .769 slugging percentage. Berg had 13 extra base hits (five 2Bs, one 3B, seven HRs) and struck out just five times in 90 plate appearances. She had eight multi-RBI games. She earns her second All-TRC selection (2019) after hitting four home runs and driving in 37 runs as a frosh in 2019. Joining Berg are junior Jaiden Zimmerman (P/SS), sophomore Kara Goetzinger (CF), and freshman Alexis Hinckley (1B). Zimmerman hit .346 with seven doubles, a team second-best 17 RBIs, and a team-high 20 runs scored. Her one home run was a grand slam. She also went 9-1 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA over a team-high 77 innings pitched (99 strikeouts, 33 walks). Goetzinger led the team in hitting with a .444 average.
She had 11 extra base hits (seven 2Bs, three 3Bs, one HR) while notching 12 RBIs and 17 runs scored. The Goetzinger family thus had the baseball team’s best average hitter (Seth) and the softball team’s best average hitter (Kara). Both were All-TRC. Hinckley hit a team third-best .384 with five doubles, 15 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. Said players helped the Gophers to a 17-7 season. Chad Augedahl’s Caledonia/Spring Grove Warriors get two picks, both multi-year starters, seniors, Dana Augedahl (C/LF) and Grace Privet (P/1B). Augedahl had a team-best .463 average and a team-best .731 slugging percentage.
She had 10 extra base hits (five 2Bs, two 3Bs, three HRs), 13 RBIs, and a team-best 22 runs scored. She hit safely in all but two games. Privet hit .346 and was the Warriors main pitcher. She logged the lion’s share of C/SG’s innings pitched (79 2/3), striking out 59 (4-7, 6.59 ERA). Journal 11 teams Rushford-Peterson and Fillmore Central/Lanesboro didn’t have pure All-TRC picks. Cotter led the way in the league with six selections; Abree Dieterman (Sr. SS), Ellie Macal (Sr. C), Lexi Hadaway (Sr. 1B), Ali French (Jr. 3B), Hailey Biesanz (Jr. CF), and Maddy Hazelton (Fr. P). St. Charles got five All-TRC picks: Jade Krenik (Sr. LF/P), Brenna Koeppel (So. P/LF), Grace Buringa (So. C), Lauryn Delger (So. 3B), and Madakyn Gust (Fr. CF).
PEM got four All-TRC picks; Ellie Eidenschink (Sr. P), Mariah Henry (Sr. 2B), Kaylee Peter (Jr. RF/P), and Teagan Hansen (Jr. SS). W-K got three: Julia Schmoker (Sr. P), Ella Lineweaver (Jr. CF), and Jacqueline Avilez (Jr. 2B). Dover-Eyota’s Mariah Palmby (Sr. CF) and Kegan Coulson (Fr. P) were honored, as were La Crescent/Hokah’s Piper Walton (Sr. SS) and Destiny Mullen (Sr. C). Rounding out the group was Lewiston-Altura’s Olivia Funk (Sr. P). Cotter’s French (Class AA) and W-K’s Schmoker (Class A) made 2nd Team All-State. PEM’s Kaylee Peter made All-State Class AA Honorable Mention. St. Charles won the 1AA title over Zumbrota-Mazeppa. The Saints (12-2, 24-5) went on to the state title game, losing to LeSueur-Henderson 7-4. Wabasha-Kellogg (15-12) won the 1A Section title but bowed out in the state quarterfinals, losing 2-1 in eight innings to Browerville/Eagle Valley.
All Southeast Conference Baseball
The All-SEC baseball team sees each Journal 11 squad get one selectee. GMLOK’s Dustin Copley (Jr. P/SS) headlines the list. Copley had a big year, leading the Bulldogs in batting (.393), slugging percentage (a whopping .804), RBIs (21), runs scored (24), doubles (five), triples (three), and home runs (four). He had more extra base hits (12) than singles (10). From the mound, Copley went 2-3 over 31 innings of work with a 4.06 ERA. He struck out 56 and walked 28. Copley repeats as All-SEC, as he made the team as frosh in 2019. He was also voted to the All-Section 1AA team. Spring Grove’s one honoree is their ace pitcher, senior Isaac Griffin (P/OF).
Griffin went 8-1 over 64 2/3 innings with a 1.08 ERA. He struck out 123 while walking just 18, a fantastic ratio, giving up 41 total hits. His strikeout total was the third most ever by a Lion pitcher and the most since 1978. SG won ten games and he got credited as the victorious pitcher in eight of them. At the plate, Griffin hit .281 with 7 RBIs, a team-best 19 runs scored plus 14 stolen bases. He had three triples. Mabel-Canton’s sole All-SEC pick is Cayden Tollefsrud (Fr. P/C). Tollefsrud led the Cougars in batting (.391) including a team-high 10 extra base hits (four 2Bs, five 3Bs, one HR).
He had a team-best 17 RBIs, a team-best 20 runs scored, and a team-best 12 stolen bases. The freshman also tossed the most innings for M-C (40 IP), going 3-7 with 57 strikeouts and 42 walks. Houston’s sole All-SEC pick is Caiden Olson (Sr.). Like Copley, Olson repeated as All-SEC from 2019. Olson led the Hurricanes in batting (.404), RBIs (9), and runs scored (19). He had four doubles and a home run. The senior also tossed a team-high 30 2/3 innings (0-6 with a 6.16 ERA, 42 strikeouts versus 26 walks).
Players from Randolph, Lyle/Pacelli, and Southland dominated the All-SEC list. James Mullenbach (Sr. P/utility), Harrison Hanna (Jr. P), Nick Boe (Sr. C/P), Alec Bissen (Sr. P/utility), and Dan Boe (Sr. 1B) made it for the Rebels. Nathan Weckup (Jr. SS/P), Brandon Gerster (Sr. P/IF/OF), Jacob Weckup (Jr. P/C/IF), and Mason Lorenzen (Jr. 1B/P) made it for the Rockets. Zach Bollingberg (Sr. P/SS), Cole Walter (Sr. C/P), Jed Nelson (Sr. Utility/P), and Sam Nelson (Sr. OF) made it for the Athletics. Walter and J-Nelson were also Class A All-State. Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons’ Brady Lair (Jr. P/SS) and Schaeffer Academy’s Cole Morgan (Jr. SS/P) rounded out the list.
Spring Grove’s Caleb Griffin (So. C/P/OF/DH), M-C’s Randy Gerard (Sr. 1B), GMLOK’s Lucas Huesinkveld (Sr. OF/P), and Houston’s Landon Carrier (Sr. IF) made All-SEC Honorable Mention. Randolph (15-0, 23-2) won the conference and made state out of Section 4A. They took fourth on the big stage (fell 9-8 to New York Mills in 15 innings in the semis). L/P (14-2, 20-4) fell to Hayfield in the 1A finals. The Vikings (26-0) won the Class A baseball state title just months after a basketball state title.
All Southeast Conference Softball
The Southeast Conference in softball was dominated by Randolph (14-0), and thus the All-SEC softball team has a bunch of Rockets on it. Journal 11 teams Houston and Mabel-Canton each got two picks while GMLOK got one. The Cougars two selections are Kenidi McCabe (Sr. SS) and Jordyn Newgard (Sr. CF). The duo helped M-C go 15-11 and make Austin for the third time in four years. McCabe led M-C with a .465 average, 49 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases. She had a team-best 12 extra base hits including tying Chatfield’s Peyton Berg for the most home runs of any Journal 11 player with seven. McCabe scored 49 runs in 100 plate appearances, meaning she scored nearly 50% of the time she batted. The Cougars stand-out added a team second-best 37 RBIs. The senior was M-C’s multi-year starting shortstop.
She made Class A All-State. McCabe was All-State volleyball as well. It’s her third All-SEC nod in softball. For her four year career, she hit .475 with 93 RBIs, 21 doubles, seven triples, and 11 home runs. McCabe drove in and scored 20-plus runs her freshman, sophomore, and senior years (didn’t have a junior season). Newgard hit a team second-best .450 with a team-high nine doubles and 39 RBIs. She had 13 total extra base hits (nine 2Bs, two 3Bs, two HRs) and scored a team second-best 28 runs. Newgard made the Class A All-State Honorable Mention team. For her three-year career, she hit .384 with 73 RBI and 20 doubles. Houston’s two selections were Becca Rostad (Sr. SS) and Hailey Alfson (Jr. CF).
Stats were not provided. Rostad was a four-year starter (without a junior season). GMLOK’s sole pick is Lily Hughes. The Bulldogs pitcher tossed 92 1/3 innings, striking out 146, the most of any Journal 11 pitcher, and walking just 19. She had nine 10-plus-K games and a pair of shortened (four/five inning) no hitters. Hughes went 10-5 on the year with a 1.82 ERA. She was also GMLOK’s top hitter, batting around .315 with three home runs and a team-best 15 RBIs. She scored 13 runs. Hughes was selected to play in the Minnesota Fast-pitch Coaches Association All-Star Series. She was All-SEC HM as a sophomore in 2019. Randolph had five All-SEC picks, five-time selection Megan Erickson (Sr. C), four-time selection Morgyn Otte (Sr. P), three-time selection Meredith Taylor (Sr. CF), Carly Kimmes (Fr. SS), and Carter Raymond (8th grader, 3B). Erickson, Taylor, and Otte were all Class A 1st Team All-State. Kimmes was 2nd Team.
Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons got the next most, four All-SEC picks: Abbie Theusch (Sr. CF), Kylie Korman (Sr. SS), Mallory Ignazewski (Jr. C), and Kaetlin Bendickson (Sr. P). Southland got two, Kayla Nelson (Sr. LF) and Bailey Johnson (Jr. P/SS/3B). L/P got two, Alana Rogne (Jr. C) and Kearah Schafer (Jr. SS). Making All-SEC Honorable Mention for the Journal 11 teams were GMLOK’s Lydia Voeltz (Jr. C), Houston’s Richelle Botcher (Sr. P), and M-C’s Emily Carolan (Jr. P). Randolph dominated the post-season, going 27-0 overall and winning the Class A state title. They out-scored three state level opponents 26-1.
All Three Rivers Conference Golf
The All Three Rivers Conference golf teams are based off scoring throughout the season. Players are thus ranked (highly) by how low they scored. On the guys’ side, Fillmore Central sophomore Jake Fishbaugher heads the list. He trailed only La Crescent/Hokah’s Owen Davison in conference scoring. LARP got three guys in the top 11, three guys to make All-TRC. Andrew Hoiness (#3), Anders Shurson (#9), and Carson Thompson (#10) made the list. Caledonia’s Dominick Konkel (#5) rounds out the Journal 11 All-TRC boys golfers.
On the girls’Journal side, Caledonia’s Jenna Wiebke is the league’s #1 ranked golfer. Fillmore Central girls Courtney Hershberger (#2) and Chloe Morem (#3) checked in next. Falcons Marissa Topness (#6) and Lily Miller (#11) also made All-TRC. LARP’s Alexa Agin (#4) and Halle McElmury (#8) made it as well. Joining Wiebke from Caledonia were Ally Jilek (#5), Libby Jilek (#7), Miranda Schroeder (#9) and Lexie Hoscheit (#10).
*The Fillmore County Journal Sports is a written collaboration of Paul Trende and Lee Epps.