Northfield's specialists lead return to baseball tournament

It started when senior Adam Rodgers, Northfield's designated hitter, hit a 1-2 pitch down the left field line for a single.

After senior Zach Eddy came on as a pinch runner, another senior, Joey Eckhoff, laid down a successful bunt, again in a two-strike count, to move Eddy into scoring position.

Then senior Tommy McDonald was intentionally walked.

So, with one out and runners on first and second, Northfield's Thomas Meland — yet another senior — came to the plate with the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, one hit away from defeating Owatonna for the second time in as many days. One hit from a Class 3A, Section 1 title and Northfield's first trip to state since 2002.

Meland had struck out in his previous at-bat, unable to get his hands around on a curve ball down and in. With two strikes, he got the same pitch again in the seventh, and drove it the other way for a run-scoring single.

Northfield 4, Owatonna 3.

See the pattern? Not only did each hitter come through with two strikes on them, but all four were seniors and all four executed so precisely in such a critical situation that it left Northfield coach Peter Maus still gushing about it several days later.

The Raiders have 10 seniors — many of them three-sport athletes — who know how to win.

"This is a special, special group of kids," said Maus, the Raiders' coach for the past 30 seasons. "Just as athletes, I'd put them up there with any group I've had. As a baseball team, they're up there with the best we've had here."

Northfield (20-4) finished first in what will be its only season in the Big Nine, and came into sections as the top seed. Now, the Raiders will cap off a big sports year with its first trip to state tournament in 13 years, when they take on Mounds View on Thursday in the opening round.

"We were returning a lot of kids, six starters," Maus said. "And we really had some high expectations with this senior class. They made it to VFW state tournament as sophomores, and they've just been winning in every sport they play."

There were 10 of Maus' baseball players on the Northfield varsity football team last fall, including seven seniors. The Raiders finished 10-2, with their only losses coming to Mankato West — once in the regular season, and then again in the Class 5A, Section 2 title game.

"All but one of our starters plays at least two sports," Maus said. "They're just competitors, and they've had great seasons in all their sports."

This spring the Raiders hit .341 as a team, led by junior catcher Caleb Malek (.395 batting average, seven home runs and an OPS of 1.184), senior Cody Polzin (.412) and Meland (.346 and a team-best 30 RBI). But the season turned, Maus said, when sophomore Hunter Koep was promoted to varsity and instantly became the team's ace.

"He's 4-0 now, and he's our big-game, big-situation pitcher," Maus said. "It makes a big difference having that kid you can hand the ball to."

Overall, Maus said the Raiders are simply a smart, experienced and talented team, one that understands how to come through in key situations. The coach wasn't surprised at all by Meland's game-winning hit in the section final. He's done that all season, the coach said.