The Chaska Cubs advanced to the Minnesota State Baseball Tournament for the first time since 2010 after winning three straight games in a best-of-five series with St. Bonifacius.
Under cloudy skies and a touch of Canadian smoke, the Chaska Cubs faced off against St. Bonifacius in game 3 of their best-of-five series on Aug. 3. The Cubs had already defeated St. Boni 9-0 and 3-0 the previous week, taking a two-games-to-none lead over the Saints.
On Aug. 1, the Cubs took on the Saints in St. Bonifacius. Drake Kilver pitched for the Cubs and went nine innings, giving up three hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Patrick “the hole in my pants is a fashion statement” Fontaine had three hits and Walker Rogers had a home run in the 3-0 win.
On Aug. 3, right-hander Pete Ohnsorg took the mound for the third game of the series. With two outs in the second inning, left fielder Griff Wurtz drew a walk and scored the Cubs’ first run on catcher Jaeger Solis’s long double, which hit the top of the home run barrier in deep right field and bounced back into play.
The score remained 1-0 Cubs until the fifth inning, when Wurtz again drew a walk and Solis singled. Right fielder Walker Rogers followed with a two-RBI double. Not wanting Rogers to get all the glory, designated hitter Alex Twenge drove a ball into the gap in right for a double of his own, scoring Rogers. Second baseman Wyatt Rogers and shortstop Maddox Foss reached base on consecutive errors, with Wyatt coming around to score, putting the Cubs comfortably ahead 6-0 after five innings.
In the sixth, center fielder Walker Rogers and Twenge each reached base and scored, pushing the lead to 9-0. Ohnsorg continued his strong outing through six innings, allowing just five hits, striking out five, and walking none. Mason Windschitl, Anthony Steinhoff and Zak Brown handled relief pitching in the later innings each striking out at least one.
St. Boni finally broke their 25-inning scoreless streak with one run in the eighth and another in the ninth, making the final score 9-3. Chaska finished the game with 14 hits, two errors and 13 left on base.
After the game, manager Bob Popitz addressed the team.
“Fantastic game, guys. This is something you all should be proud of. We have now won 30 games. I’ve been coaching a long time and I’ve never had a 30-win season before. But this is about you—great accomplishment,” he said.
Coach Ben Hendricson credited the win to strong pitching.
“Pete had a great game and kept their hitters guessing. Alex (Twenge), Walker (Rogers), Patrick (Fontaine), Maddox (Foss) and Jaeger (Solios) all knocked the ball around well tonight,” he said.
With the win, the Cubs advance to the Minnesota State Baseball Tournament for the first time since 2010. The 2025 tournament will be held in Brownton, Hutchinson, Gaylord, and Glencoe on the weekends of Aug. 15 to 17, Aug. 22 to 24, and Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
As the number one seed in their section and having swept the St. Bonifacius series in three games, the Cubs are unsure of their next opponent or game time. They now have more than a week off and will continue to practice and perhaps attend a few events to stay sharp both individually and as a team. The Cubs website (www.ChaskaCubs.com) will post state games, dates and locations when they are announced.
The last game also marked the close of the Cubs’ 75th season at Athletic Park. The venue is not only an ideal ballpark and home to a stalwart team, it’s also a community-focused destination. The Chaska Rotary was on-site to raise awareness for a proposed barrier-free playground at Southwest Chaska Park. The Rotary sold raffle tickets to help fund the project.
Nate Bostrom, the Cubs’ Director of Marketing and Promotions, shared that this was the 25th group hosted by the Cubs this season in support of Chaska community needs or awareness.
“We set out at the beginning of the year to make this a family-friendly and community-focused atmosphere at the ballpark. We’re so glad to have had some wonderful groups join us and showcase all that Chaska has to offer—all while watching some great baseball,” he said.
