Rogers, East Ridge, New Prague and Stillwater win in Class 4A baseball quarterfinals

When Rogers coach Brian Harapat set up his team's schedule, he deliberately scheduled the toughest slate he could manage hoping to prepare his team for the postseason.

The strategy paid off handsomely Friday when Rogers, which finished 7-13 during the regular season, beat No. 3-seeded Hopkins 4-2 at CHS Field to advance to Saturday's Class 4A baseball state semifinals.

"You don't necessarily expect it to pay off to this degree, but in our section, you have to play teams like St. Michael, Elk River, Buffalo and Maple Grove," Harapat said. "The only way to get ready for teams like that is to play teams that are better than them."

Rogers even played Hopkins, their opponents Friday, late in the regular season and lost by a run, 2-1. A loss, sure, but Harapat said it was a huge factor in their victory Friday.

"It had everything to do with it," he said. "We've been there, we know we can play with you."

Starting pitcher Garrett McLaughlin has been Rogers ace all season and lived up to the role by throwing a complete game, holding Hopkins to two runs on three hits and striking out seven.

East Ridge 9, Mounds View 5: It's certainly not the way East Ridge coach Brian Sprout would draw it up. But trailing by four runs in big games, then putting together game-winning rallies is the path the Raptors have followed in their past two games.

"We've been doing this for a while now," Sprout said. "It's the idea that we're not done." Mounds View took a 5-1 lead in the third inning on Robert Hogan's grand slam . The Mustangs maintained that margin until the sixth inning, when East Ridge (19-6) scored two runs without a base hit, thanks to Mounds View miscues, to make it a 5-3 deficit.

In the seventh inning, the first six batters for East Ridge reached base and five of them scored. Mounds View made one error and misplayed ground balls on two other occasions. By inning's end, the Raptors led 9-5.

"We talked about championship level execution,'' Mounds View coach Mark Downey said, "and we didn't do it."

New Prague 7, Blaine 6: The ball was earmarked for left-center field, likely to score at least one run. New Prague junior shortstop Jake Deutsch took a step to his left, timed his jump and elevated, snaring the ball with a flick of his glove.

Inning over. Runs averted. And New Prague's quarterfinals tussle with Blaine remained tied headed into the seventh inning.

"I've got to say that was the hardest ball that's ever been hit to me," said Deutsch of his leaping catch to end Blaine's threat in the bottom of the sixth inning. "Dang near took my glove off."

"I thought it was a base hit," New Prague coach Tanner Oakes said. "Luckily, he's a very athletic kid and he had just enough hops to get that one."

Blaine coach Eric Feigum said,"That just goes to show how one play can change a game," he said.

New Prague took a 6-0 lead with five runs in the top of the fifth inning. Pitcher Luke Tupy had held Blaine to one hit to that point.

But Blaine touched Tupy for five hits and six runs in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game.

Stillwater 11, Eden Prairie 0: Pitcher Drew Gilbert corralled the final out of a five-inning, no-hitter by snaring a line drive by the Eagles' Ryan Hanahoe that seemed headed toward center field.

That defensive play by Gilbert elicited the most excitement from Ponies coach Mike Parker, who has grown accustomed to greatness on the mound from the senior lefthander.

"Pitching-wise from Drew, we've seen that kind of effort," Parker said. "Making that last play, that guy absolutely smashed it at him. For him to have the reflexes and athleticism to make that's play, that's his biggest thing"

While Gilbert was retiring Eden Prairie's hitters — he didn't allow the Eagles (17-9) to put the ball in play in the first two innings and struck out eight of the first 10 batters he faced — the Ponies (23-2) put up 11 runs and 11 hits in a five-inning rout.

"I can't say enough about my teammates," said Gilbert, who has three of his team's five no-hitters this season.