Spring Grove is a highly experienced 2023 baseball team, which brings back almost all of the pitching staff and six of eight position starters. That includes all three all-conference selections and another receiving honorable mention from last year’s team which went 11-8, the third-most wins in program history. The Lions went 10-4 in Southeast Conference contests, a third-place finish among eight teams.
File photo by Lee Epps
The Lions were able to open the playoffs with a home game for the fourth straight season after receiving the No. 7 seed in the 15-team Section 1A Tournament. But it was a quick exit, falling in the first round to No. 10-seed Wabasha-Kellogg, 2-0. That was the ninth game (out of 19) decided by one or two-run margins. The Grove guys had a 3-6 losing record in those tight fits.
Last year’s Lions averaged 6.42 stolen bases per game, the third-best season during 30 seasons of record keeping. They batted .288, an improvement over the previous season’s .256 and scored 7.7 runs per game, an improvement over the previous year’s 6.9. Two players batted .400 or better, but no one else was better than .288. Stronger hitting throughout the order would help the team fare better against the best teams in the conference and section.
The defense limited the opponents to 5.2 runs per game, far better that the 10.7 of the previous season. The pitchers combined for a 3.96 earned run aver, again an improvement from 5.03. Opponents batted only .215 versus Spring Grove pitchers, who struck out 176 batters while walking only 117. But head coach Chris Strinmoen pointed out that a high percentage of opponent runs were scored by runners who had reached base with a walk. He expressed the need for consistently pitching strikes.
Jaxon Strinmoen (junior 1B/P) was the most acclaimed Lion last spring as a sophomore – both All-Southeast Conference and All-Section 1A while being voted the Spring Grove Todd Oakes Most Valuable Player Award and the Lou Gehrig Most Improved Award. His extraordinary defensive skills at first base earned him the coaches’ Willie Mays Golden Glove Award. His fourth team honor was being the Ted Williams Batting Champion while batting .424, the Lions’ best batting average in the last four seasons. He also led the team with a .508 slugging percentage.
Last spring, Strinmoen was the third-most-used pitcher with 18 and 2/3 innings pitched. He had a 3.06 ERA and had more strikeouts (22) than walks (18)
Caleb Griffin (senior P/IF) was also both All-SEC and All-Section after leading the Lion mound staff in innings pitched (47 and 2/3), earned run average (1.91) and strikeouts-to-walks ratio (86 strikeouts/38 walks). He received the team Cy Young Pitching Award. He gave up only 18 base hits during 48 innings. The opponents batted only .110 with Griffin on the mound.
When not pitching, Griffin possesses exceptional versatility to play the usual position of whomever is on the mound at the time. He batted .262 while driving in 13 runs and scoring a team-high 20 runs and ranking second with 22 stolen bases.
Elijah Solum (junior CF), All-SEC last year as a sophomore, led the Lions with 23 stolen bases and ranked second in batting average (.400), slugging percentage (.500), base hits (24) and RBI (16). He ranked third in runs scored (18). His teammates voted him the Cal Ripken, Jr. Rookie of the Year.
Ezra Griffin (sophomore C/P) received Honorable Mention All-SEC as a freshman catcher last year. He batted .288 while driving in 15 runs.
Two other sophomores are back after earning starting positions as eighth graders. Brandon Jahnke (sophomore 3B/P) has been a fixture at third base for the past two years and last season had the second-most innings on the mound (22) and the most pitching wins with a 4-1 record. Jahnke had a team-high 19 runs batted in while batting .276. Zach Brumm (sophomore LF/P) returns for a third season to left field, where he has displayed some outstanding catches.
Nathan Solberg (senior SS/P) will start for the third season at the critical shortstop post. He batted .256 with 13 RBI. Logan Brumm (senior dh/3B) handled most designated hitter duty last year. Ty Cleven (senior IF) offers depth at third base and first base.
The graduation of Jonah Udstuen and Matthew Doering and Tysen Grinde no longer out for baseball created vacancies at second base and in right field. Among candidates for assignments at second base are sophomore letter winner Ben Udstuen, juniors Braedon Solie and Caleb Ranzenberger along with freshman Gabe Klug. Solie and Klug are also possibilities in right field as are sophomores Bryce Berns and Isaac Vick. With depth at first base, Strinmoen is also a capable outfield choice.
Seven of last year’s eight pitchers are back. Caleb Griffin, Jahnke, Strinmoen and Ben Udstuen have the most varsity experience. Seeing limited innings were Solberg, Cleven and Ezra Griffin. Berns has been impressive in preseason workouts. Zach Brumm is another mound candidate. Freshmen listed as pitchers are Kolton Nerstad (SS/P) and Lyric Wilson-Stadtler (IF/P).
Other freshmen are Jacob Solum (C/OF), Tysen Moen (1B), Cashton Newgaard (3B), Devon Williams (3B/OF), Calvin Kittleson (OF) and Christian Bjerke (OF/1B).
It will be the seventh season for head coach Strinmoen and assistants Blaine Storlie and Phil Griffin. Former Lion standout and Luther College player Carter Bratland will guide the junior high boys. All four mentors were prominent baseball players while attending Spring Grove High School.
The 2023 Lions are highly experienced, but so are the top conference contenders. Both third-place Spring Grove and second-place Southland return three All-SEC players plus an honorable mention. And defending champion Lyle/Pacelli brings back all five All-SEC performers plus an honorable mention.
Last year, the Lions split a pair of one-run games versus L/P and dropped two close ones to the Rebels, 4-3 and 4-2. Grove also split with fourth-place Glenville-Emmons/Alden-Conger and took two squeakers against sixth-place Mabel-Canton, both with 3-2 scores. The Lions swept GMLOK, Houston and Schaeffer Academy. There will be 12 league games instead of 14 with Schaeffer not fielding a team this season.
The campaign commences with four games in six days. The Lions open on Thursday, April 13 at GMLOK with a Friday home date with Houston, followed by home games on Monday and Tuesday versus Wabasha-Kellogg and Southland, respectively. In non-conference action, there are four neutral site matchups. Blooming Prairie will be the opponent at Riverland College in Austin on April 21, and the Lions face Martin County West in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota on April 29. There are games versus both Goodhue and three-time defending section champion Hayfield on Saturday, May13, at Rushford. Besides hosting Wabasha-Kellogg, Spring Grove will be at home against familiar rivals Rushford-Peterson and Fillmore Central/Lanesboro.
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Lions the last seven seasons:
2022 11-8 (10-4 SEC, 3rd of 8)
2021 10-12 (8-7 SEC, 4th of 9)
2020 season canceled, pandemic
2019 16-8 (9-5 SEC, 3rd of 8) sub-section champion
2018 10-5 (9-3 SEC, 2nd of 7)
2017 8-10 (7-5 SEC, 3rd of 7)
2016 7-11 (no conference games)
(2010 – 2015 shared program with Caledonia)
7 postseason titles:
District 1952, ’60, ’61, ’69, ’78, ’79;
Sub-section 2019
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Spring Grove Baseball 2023 (SEC games in bold)
Thur. 4-13 at GMLOK
Fri. 4-14 Houston
Mon. 4-17 Wabasha-Kellogg
Tues.4-18 Southland
Fri. 4- 21 (at Austin) Blooming Prairie
Mon. 4-24 Rushford-Peterson
Tues. 4-25 Glenville-Emmons/Alden-Conger
Fri. 4-28 GMLOK
Sat. 4-29 (at Minneapolis) Martin County West
Mon. 5-01 at Lyle/Pacelli (Austin)
Tues. 5-02 Mabel-Canton
Thur. 5-04 at Mabel-Canton
Fri. 5-05 Lyle/Pacelli
Tues. 5-09 at Houston
Fri. 5-12 at Southland
Sat. 5-13 at Rushford Invitational
10 a.m. vs. Hayfield
noon vs. Goodhue
Fri. 5-19 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
Mon. 5-22 at Glenville-Emmons/Alden-Conger
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B-Team Baseball
0 wins, 1 loss
L at Caledonia 5-15
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