Teutopolis Hits Their Way to The Class 2A State Title

June 3, 2017

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

Teutopolis 10, St. Joseph-Ogden 2

PEORIA, IL – The Wooden Shoes of Teutopolis captured the Class 2A state championship over St. Joseph-Ogden in convincing fashion. Teutopolis pounded out 14 hits leading them to a 10-2 victory and their third baseball state championship. With the loss, St. Joseph-Ogden finishes runner-up in Class 2A for the second straight season.

The Wooden Shoes wasted little time to get going as shortstop Carson Hartke took the very first pitch of the game and smoked it for a double that one-hopped off the left-field wall. Hartke and Jason Kenter carried the load throughout for Teutopolis. Combined the two went 7-for-8 with five RBI and scored five runs. Hartke went 3-for-4 with two doubles, four runs and two RBI. Kenter went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, three RBI and one run.

The relentless Wooden Shoe offense scored multiple runs in four of the seven innings. In the sixth inning, Teutopolis broke the game open for good with three runs to take an 8-0 lead. Five batters in a row reached base at one point in the frame with Kenter and starting pitcher Eric Kremer delivering run-scoring singles.

Junior, right-handed pitcher, Eric Kremer delivered an impressive complete-game performance. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound, athletic righty challenged hitters with a firm fastball especially early on. As the outing progressed he started to mix in a slider/cutter getting a number of swing and misses with it. Kremer limited the St. Joseph-Ogden offense to five hits in the seven innings. He allowed two runs, none earned, walked one and struck out five.

The big bright spot for St. Joseph-Ogden came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Mason Coon reached on an error and then a few batters later, Brant Hoveln unleashed on a ball, driving it over the left-field wall for a two-run homerun. Hoveln finished the day 2-for-3.

Brock Bueker went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Wooden Shoe offense.

In the third-place game …

Chicago Christian 9, Orion 0

In the Class 2A Third Place game, the Knights of Chicago Christian beat Orion 9-0, collecting their 40^th win of the year. John Vander Wall picked up his 14^th win of the year, spinning a complete game shutout. The big right-hander, undefeated on the year, scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out three.

Tyler Edgar and Zach Frieling led the offensive attack for the Knights who scored in every inning but one. Edgar finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Frieling, a St. Louis commit, went 2-for-2 with three RBI.

Tommy Moran added a hit and two RBI as well for the Knights. Noah Anderson went 3-for-3 and Brayden Newman went 2-for-3 to lead the way for Orion.

The win caps an incredible year for Chicago Christian who finished the season with a 40-2 record.