Sports

PRESCOTT SWEEPS BALDWIN-WOODVILLE TRACK REGIONALS; FIRST REGIONAL TITLE FOR BOYS

The Prescott Track and Field teams had big success at Regionals. Both the Boys and Girls track teams came away with regional titles, with the boys winning their first title in program history. The girls team secured the victory by 5.5 points over Baldwin-Woodville, 129-123.5. The 4x800 relay of Sophie Ripley, Ava Budworth, Ella Johnson and Maddie Matzek finished in first place with a time of 10:10.10, winning by over 4 seconds. In the 100m hurdles, Shelby Sizemore came away with a 2nd place finish with a time of 17.99. In the 1600m, Rhiannon Fabian and Nicole Lynes brought it home 3rd and 4th. In the 4x200, Prescott finished in 2nd, with the finals team of Mackenzie Sterud, Nicole Hudak and Ava and Katrina Budworth finishing in 1:53.20. The 4x100 relay also finished in 2nd, with a time of 53.18 for Kendra Ogilvie, Kennedy Braun, Hudak and Katrina Budworth. The 4x400 relay also finished in first, with Sophie Ripley, Katrina Budworth, Matzek and Johnson bringing it home in 4:13.70, nearly 5 seconds ahead of 2nd place. Meanwhile, in the field events, Ella Johnson and Maddie Matzek finished 1st and 3rd respectively in the pole vault.

On the boys side, Prescott won going away for the first regional title in school history. The 4x800 relay of Breckin Schommer, Eric Korfhage, Tyler Loucks and recent college commit Ryan Zerneke took 3rd, with Grant Stanton taking 2nd in the 100 meters, Loucks winning the regional title in the 1600m, the 4x200 relay of Grant Stanton, Dylan Bierbrauer, Aiden Russell and Josh Peterson finishing 2nd, and Bierbrauer and Logan Stewart taking 2nd and 3rd in the 400m. Stanton, Peterson, Andrew Lee and Russell took 2nd in the 4x100, while Lee finished 2nd in the 200m, Loucks finished 1st in the 3200m, and the 4x400 relay of Schommer, Peterson, Zerneke and Bierbrauer finished 1st. In field events, Aiden Russell took 1st in the high jump and 2nd in the long jump, while Ethan West took 3rd in the pole vault.

Prescott will continue its season with sectionals on Thursday.

RAIDERS STUNNED BY PIONEERS; GEARING UP FOR SECTIONS

The Hastings Raiders dropped their third game of the season on Monday with a 9-6 defeat to feisty Hill-Murray. The Raiders clawed back multiple times but the Pioneers had an answer after every Raiders push. It started early in the game, when the Raiders took a 1-0 lead and set the tone early. Hill-Murray responded with a 4 run first, including a three run homer that ultimately made a huge difference in the result. After a couple of scoreless innings, the Raiders would get a little closer, scoring on a wild pitch and a single to make it 4-3. But Hill-Murray again had an answer, adding two more in the 4th to make it 6-3. The Raiders would find a way to tie it up in the 5th inning to make it 6-6, but once again the Pioneers responded, loading the bases and bringing in two runs via walk to take an 8-6 lead. The Pioneers would add their final run in the 6th to take a 9-6 lead, and the Raiders weren't quite able to respond. The loss shouldn’t change the Raiders sectional fate too much as it wasn't a section game, and Hastings has wrapped up 2nd in the Metro East, two games clear of both Two Rivers and Saint Thomas Academy. The Raiders had yet to find out their section fate as of this report, but were likely going to be a Top 3 seed at worst. The Raiders were led by Eddie Peine (1-2 with 2 RBIs and 1 run scored), Connor Stoffel (2-4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored), Jackson Schaffer (2-4 with a run scored), Alex Hendrickson (1-4 with a run scored) and Aaron Vandehoef (1-4 with a run scored). Schaffer, Stoffel and Peine had doubles for the Raiders in the contest. Vandehoef got the start on the mound and went 3 innings, with 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Peine pitched the remainder of the game, with 5 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned, 5 walks and 4 strikeouts, three of which came consecutively as part of a gritty effort to get out of the inning with the bases loaded and no outs. The Raiders completed their regular season on Tuesday against Northfield looking to win 17 of 20 in 2022 ahead of the playoffs. It has been an impressive season for a young Raiders team that only has 7 Seniors. And while that includes Schaffer and Stoffel, the Raiders have potentially started a springboard to becoming a perennial member of the upper echelon of the conference and section. First year Head Coach Ryan Stoffel has been a big part of this success, with the team buying into his philosophy and remaining loose in every game. The Raiders will look to get to the state tournament, where they have two previous titles in 1967 and 1999. Section play begins Monday at the high seed and continues into the first days of June, where it moves to Alimagnet Park in Burnsville.

SCHAFFER NAMED TO METRO EAST ALL-STAR TEAM

Hastings baseball senior Jackson Schaffer has been named to the 2022 Metro East All Star Team by the Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association. Schaffer will represent the Raiders. The team includes players from all schools in the eastern side of the metro, and includes two players from Park in Jackson Tessman and Will Smoot. Schaffer, a Bemidji State commit, is the leadoff hitter and shortstop for the Raiders. He is tied for the team lead in homers with 2, and is 2nd on the team in hits. The Raiders are 16-2 after a 6-5 win over Burnsville that saw Schaffer reach bases multiple times.

PRESCOTT SOFTBALL READY FOR POSTSEASON RUN

Prescott High School softball coach Nick Johnson joined KDWA to review his team's regular season, where the Cardinals finished with a 19-5 record and shared the Middle Border Conference championship. Johnson also looked ahead to postseason play, where the Cardinals earned a 1-seed in their section and are looking to advance to yet another state tournament.

PRESCOTT SOFTBALL READY FOR POSTSEASON RUN

Prescott High School softball coach Nick Johnson joined KDWA to review his team's regular season, where the Cardinals finished with a 19-5 record and shared the Middle Border Conference championship. Johnson also looked ahead to postseason play, where the Cardinals earned a 1-seed in their section and are looking to advance to yet another state tournament.

SIX PRESCOTT ATHLETES TO CONTINUE PLAYING CAREERS IN COLLEGE

There was an exciting ceremony held last week in Prescott where six athletes furthered their playing careers by signing with colleges. Shay Stenroos signed to continue her Dance career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Ben Rohl signed to play football at UW-River Falls, Trey Severson signed to play volleyball at Quincy University in Illinois, and three track and field athletes also signed to play the sport in college, with Amanda Auleciems signing to UW-Oshkosh, Ryan Zerneke to Florida Tech, and Madison Matzek to Minnesota State Mankato. These athletes join the previous signing class in agreeing to play sports in college. Congratulations to all six of these athletes.

STOFFEL REVIEWS GAME ONE

Coach Ryan Stoffel joined KDWA after Game 1 of the Raiders doubleheader sweep of Saint Thomas Academy to discuss the game, a 6-3 win, and preview the following Game 2, which the Raiders would end up dominating, 14-4 in 5 innings. Click below to listen

ODMAN PITCHES COMPLETE GAME IN RAIDERS GAME 1 WIN OVER STA

Gavin Odman joined KDWA after Last Night's Game 1 win over Saint Thomas Academy to discuss his teams come from behind win, as well as his performance on the mound and at the plate.

RAIDERS SWEEP SAINT THOMAS ACADEMY; ILIFF HITS 3 RUN HOMER

Talk about a bounce back. After last Friday's disappointing doubleheader against Mahtomedi, the Hastings Raiders proved that it was a fluke, as they rallied to beat the Cadets 6-3 in Game 1 and obliterated them 14-4 in a run ruled second game. The first game got off to a shaky start, with the first three Cadets all registering a hit, the third of which was a two run homer, and the Raiders trailed 3-0 before most parents were even in their seats. After that though, the Raiders wouldn't surrender another run the rest of the way. Gavin Odman was fantastic on the mound in Game 1, and even helped deliver late in the game. The Raiders were down 3-1 in the 5th when they would tie the game at 3. After a scoreless 6th inning, the Raiders bats came alive. Odman delivered an RBI single to take the lead. Then, Johnny Teigland showed bunt and Eddie Peine stole home to make it 5-3. Evan Nelson then drove in Odman to make it 6-3. The Raiders would then hold on in the bottom of the 7th to get the big win. The second game was of massive importance, with a Raider win giving them a two game cushion over third place, but a loss puts them in a tie. The Raiders carried that momentum from the first game and responded quickly. Mitch Iliff absolutely massacred a baseball to the deepest part of the ballpark, more than 370 feet, and it left the yard for a 3-0 lead, STA would pull within 1 run, but the Raiders would add three more to go up 6-2 before the Cadets added two more to make it 6-4. After that, it was all Raiders. Hastings added 7 runs in the bottom of the 4th, and after stranding two Cadets in the top of the 5th, the Raiders simply needed to register another run to make it a final score. They would do just that, and the Raiders secured a 14-4 win. The wins improved the Raiders to 14-2 on the year, 12-2 in the conference and 2-0 in the section ahead of a massive section game against Burnsville on Friday. The Raiders also completed their suspended game with Simley on Tuesday and travel to Hill-Murray on Wednesday to complete their conference slate. The Burnsville game is the final section game for the Raiders, with the Raiders in the conversation to be the top seed in the section with a win. This game is at Vets Park, not Grossman Field, and is at 5:30. The Raiders then have one final scheduled game after that, with a game on May 25 also at Vets Park against Northfield before section play begins. The sectional will start on May 30 at the higher seeds before moving to Burnsville the first week in June. The Raiders other two section wins were against defending state runner up Park, as well as Apple Valley.

SOFTBALL DAY IN HASTINGS A SUCCESS; PRESCOTT CLINCHES SHARE OF MBC TITLE

The Inaugural Softball Day in Hastings event was deemed a smashing success over the weekend, with 16 Youth teams, and 4 high school teams squaring off over 16 hours of action on two fields. The youth teams represented were three U10 teams, three U12 teams and a U14 team from Hastings, with two U10 teams and the U14 team from Cottage Grove and the rest of the teams were from Prescott. The Hastings youth teams shined, with all of the U10 and U12 games going to the Hastings youth teams. The U14 game was a tightly contested matchup, but Cottage Grove prevailed 4-2. The youth games were played in 65 minute time windows, and for the younger teams, a 5 run rule per inning was implemented. Most games averaged 2-3 innings, with the U14 game going 4. Each game had very high energy, and crowds were in the hundreds for each game.

In the nightcap, the High School teams got their chance to shine. First, Hastings JV played Mahtomedi's JV team, and while the Raiders lost the game 15-0, the atmosphere for the game was through the roof, with both teams excited to play in front of large crowds. The Varsity team finished off the night with a big conference game against Mahtomedi. Before the game seniors from both Mahtomedi and Hastings were honored, and the festive and powerful atmosphere carried over into the game. The Raiders got things started quickly, when Senior Alissa Johnson belted a two run home run to left field to give the Raiders an early 2-0 lead. In the third inning, it was Sophomore Lauren Jenkins' turn, and she crushed a three run bomb to center to make it 5-0. One inning later, her older sister Kendall did the exact same thing in the exact same spot to make it 8-0. Mahtomedi would add a run in the top of the 5th to make it 8-1, but the Raiders would get three more runs in the bottom of the frame and run rule the Zephyrs 11-1 to go to 9-6 on the season and 8-5 in the conference. They have one more game scheduled for Friday against Simley in what is a make up game, and then begin postseason play on May 23.

Prescott Softball Clinches Share Of Conference, Will Host Regionals

The Prescott Cardinals pulled away from Saint Croix Central on Saturday to take at least a share of the Middle Border Conference. On Sunday, the Cardinals found out their postseason fate, with the Cardinals the top seed in the region, they will await the winner of Arcadia and Stratford in a game that will be played May 24 at the Jackie Riley Softball Complex in Prescott. On Monday, Prescott fell to Somerset 5-2.

HOME RUN CRAZY RAIDERS SWEEP TARTAN IN TWO GAMES

The Hastings Raiders went into Friday's doubleheader with Mahtomedi undefeated thanks to an offensive explosion in their near two game doubleheader with Tartan. In game 1, it was close early, as the Raiders led Tartan just 1-0 and then trailed 2-1. But the Raiders responded with 2 runs to give the Raiders a 3-2 lead. Hastings then batted around in the 4th to take a 12-2 lead, and saw almost all of it evaporate as Tartan would pull within 3 runs with a 7 run 4th of their own. But the Raiders would hold serve, and Alex Hendrickson would immediately shift momentum back with a solo home run to left field. Tartan would add another run to make it 13-10, but the Raiders didn't let the Titans get any closer. Eddie Peine would homer in the 6th, and the Raiders would add two more in the 7th to pull away for the 17-10 win. Hendrickson got the start on the mound and went 3 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned and 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Aaron Vandehoef pitched just one inning but was credited with the win, with 4 hits, 7 runs, 5 earned, 3 walks and a strikeout. Eddie Peine completed the night, finishing things off with 2 hits, 1 run, 1 earned, and 2 strikeouts in 3 innings of action.

After a brief break, Game 2 began, and with strong thunderstorms moving in, the game moved quickly. Tartan was setting the tone early, as they loaded the bases in consecutive innings to start the game. But the Raiders would escape those bases loaded jams with only a total of 2 runs scoring. Connor Stoffel would put the Raiders on the board with a solo home run to left, his second of the day, and the Raiders would tie things up at 2. Tartan then brought in 3 runs in the top of the 5th on a 3 RBI triple from Seth Berry, but after the Raiders got one run back to make it 5-3, Mitch Iliff would step in and absolutely crush a ball to right field for a 3-run homer to make it 6-5. With Tanner Anselment stepping in for the Raiders, a lightning strike was spotted and the game was delayed, before the decision was made to end it in the 5th. The Raiders were credited with the 6-5 win. Jack Seleski started the game and went 3 innings with 4 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts, while Peine pitched again and went the final 2 innings with 1 hit, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. The win improved the Raiders to 12-0, 10-0 in the Metro East and set up a colossal doubleheader on Friday against powerhouse and defending 3A champs Mahtomedi. The Raiders also have a doubleheader Monday against STA, looking to make some noise heading into the postseason.

NEWS FILLED WEDNESDAY: SPORTS, SPORTS AND MORE SPORTS

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

It is a jam packed Wednesday of sports, so here is a recap of it all

Big College Baseball Game Gets Bigger

KDWA is excited to announce we will be providing live coverage of the upcoming game between Omaha and Saint Thomas in Miesville. The Summit League conference matchup and regular season finale has a 5 PM first pitch at Jack Ruhr Field. We'll have more on our broadcast information in the near future.

Prescott Wins Big in Baseball, Softball Rallies For Pivotal Win

Prescott baseball took care of Amery 13-3 to improve to 7-7 on the year, Phil Seifert got the win on the mound while Cole Dravis stole home, Mason Bartsch had 3 hits, and Justin Syverson had 3 hits and stole 3 bases. Prescott Softball found themselves down 5-2 in the season finale against Ellsworth, but used a 5 run 6 inning to take a 10-5 lead that they would not lose. The Cardinals are tied atop the Middle Border with Baldwin-Woodville who they will face on Thursday with lots at stake, including a possible 1 seed in the postseason.

Raider Baseball Receiving Recognition

Accidental alliteration aside, the Raider baseball team is being noticed. A 10-0 start has the Raiders in the lead for the Game(s) of the Week when they face Mahtomedi twice on Friday, and Jackson Schaffer has been named one of the athletes of the week by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Raiders have a doubleheader Wednesday at Tartan.

Hastings Names New Girls Hockey Coach

On Wednesday morning, Trent Hanson announced the hiring of Jim Joseph as the new Raider Girls Hockey Coach. The River Falls native is very familiar with the East Metro with coaching experience on the Mens and Womens side at Woodbury, Simley and Cretin-Derham Hall, and has also coached at River Falls. He has spent nine seasons with the Team Wisconsin 18U team and two seasons with the Minnesota Girls High Performance Program, as well as 15 years as a talent evaluator for USA Hockey Player Development programs in the State of Wisconsin.

Prescott Welcomes New Assistant Golf Coach

Prescott High School announced the hiring of a new assistant golf coach on Wednesday. Megan Westerberg, a Prescott alum, will join the Girls' Golf coaching staff effective immediately. Westerberg was the first ever state qualifier for Prescott, and has the 9th best season scoring average in school history.

RAIDERS OVERCOME ADVERSITY TWICE; OVERWHELM SOUTH SAINT PAUL 20-10

The Hastings Raiders baseball team is like a cat, it has multiple lives. That was evident on Friday night when the Raiders made the trip to South Saint Paul to take on the Packers in a hyped up game played later in the day and under the lights. The Raiders got the bats flowing early, as they would open up a 4-0 lead. But South Saint Paul would respond with two runs in the bottom of the first to cut it to 4-2. After the Raiders didn’t bring anyone home in the top of the 2nd, South Saint Paul kept their bats going, and Brayden McLaughlin launched a three run homer to left field to give the Packers a 5-4 lead. But that didn't shake the confidence of the Raiders, who would then reel off 6 straight runs over the course of the next two innings to make it 10-5 Hastings. South Saint Paul wasn't done responding though. The Packers added 5 runs in the bottom of the 5th as the Raiders struggled to record the three outs, and the game was tied again at 10-10. Then, in the top half of the 6th, the Raiders shut the door for good with one of the most epic innings in quite sometime. The Raiders got things started with a Jackson Schaffer hit. The Connor Stoffel followed. Alex Hendrickson thought he had a base hit but South Saint Paul's Lane Engel made a spectacular diving grab to get the out. But that didn't phase the Raiders as they would load the bases and thanks to a few walks, plate a few runners. Eddie Peine then delivered with a double and the rout was on as the Raiders scored ten times in the inning. The Raiders got all the way through their batting order almost twice before the inning ended, and the ten run inning put South Saint Paul into a run rule situation they could not get out of, as the Raiders finished it off in 6 by the casual score of 20-10. Every member of the Raiders lineup got a hit in the contest, as the Raiders recorded 16. Peine led the way with 2 doubles on 3 hits and a team leading 4 RBIs. Stoffel started on the mound lasting two innings, while Gavin Odman pitched three innings. Aaron Vandehoef pitched the sixth and got credit for the win with 1 hit and 1 walk in the inning. Despite allowing 10 runs, only 5 were earned for the Raiders. The win improved the Raiders to 10-0. They only won 11 games a season ago. They had a busy week that included the second half of their series with Simley, followed by a road doubleheader at Tartan and a much anticipated home doubleheader against defending 3A champs Mahtomedi.

AN INNING TO REMEMBER: RAIDERS MAKE STATEMENT AGAINST SOUTH SAINT PAUL

The Hastings Raiders rallied twice to run rule South Saint Paul in a bizare, wild contest, 20-10 on Friday night. The Raiders, after seeing a 10-5 lead in the 5th evaporate, responded in the 6th, in a big way. Listen below to the entire top of the 6th, where the Raiders not only took the lead back, but blew it wide open. A more in depth story on the game will be posted on Monday.

SCHAFFER'S TWO HOMERS LEADS RAIDER COMEBACK WIN VS TWO RIVERS

The Hastings Raiders baseball team improved to 9-0 on the season with a wild comeback win 8-3 over Two Rivers on Wednesday night in West Saint Paul. The Warriors bats were flying early, and they would bring in two runners in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. The Raiders would see that lead increase further in the bottom of the 2nd, as another RBI brought in a Warrior and increased the lead to 3-0. Hastings was kept off the scoreboard further in the 3rd and 4th, but was able to limit any further damage from the Warriors. Then in the 5th, after Evan Nelson flew out, Jackson Schaffer approached the plate, and belted a ball into left field, just clearing the wall for a solo shot to make it 3-1. Soon after, Stoffel, Hendrickson and Iliff would load the bases, and Tanner Anselment approached the plate. Anselment launched a ball into left field, and Two Rivers fumbled the ball, which allowed Anselment to clear the bases with a 3-RBI double and give the Raiders a 4-3 lead. A lead they would not relinquish. The 6th inning was a near carbon copy of the 5th. Nelson was the first batter of the inning and struck out. Schaffer then homered again into the exact same spot in left field to increase the lead to 5-3, and the Raiders would bring in 3 more runs to take an 8-3 lead into the 7th. Two Rivers had a chance to make it interesting in the bottom half of the 7th but was unable to bring home anyone and the Raiders went to 9-0 on the season, 7-0 in the conference and 2-0 in the section. In terms of stats from the game, in addition to Schaffer's two homers, Alex Hendrickson went 2 for 5, Iliff went 1 for 3 with a runner batted in, Stoffel went 1 for 4 with an RBI, Gavin Odman went 1 for 3 with an RBI, Eddie Peine also went 1 for 4 and Anselment's 3 RBIs on 2 for 4. On the mound for the Raiders, Alex Hendrickson went 6 full innings and 1 batter into the 7th, with 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts for an ERA of 2.33. Schaffer finished it off in the 7th inning recording a walk, as two other Warriors flew out to end the game. Odman and Hendrickson also recorded doubles at the plate, while Hendrickson twice, as well as Odman, Iliff, Stoffel and Peine were all walked in the contest. The 3 runs is still the most given up by the Raiders this season, having allowed no more than that in any contest. The Raiders have a very busy stretch ahead, with South Saint Paul on Friday night, Simley on Monday, followed by a Wednesday doubleheader at Tartan, a Friday doubleheader against Mahtomedi, and the following Monday another doubleheader against St. Thomas Academy, the latter two of which are the two teams expected to compete for the conference title with Hastings.

RAIDERS GO 8 FOR 8 ON THE SEASON WITH DOMINANT WIN OVER NORTH SAINT PAUL

The Hastings Raiders improved to 8-0 on the season with a dominant 8-1 win over North Saint Paul on Monday. The Raiders shook off a fast Polars start and locked in the rest of the way to secure the victory, as Gavin Odman again pitched a complete game. The Polars got things started right away, loading the bases in the bottom of the 1st inning, but Gavin Odman got the Raiders out of the jam, and the Raiders led 1-0 thanks to an RBI. The game stayed tight for most of the middle stanza, before Hastings used two consecutive solid batting innings to blow it open. The Raiders added two runs in the 6th to extend the lead, and then doubled their total in the 7th to put the game on ice. North would get one back, but they wouldn't get any closer. Odman pitched another gem on the mound. After allowing 2 hits and loading the bases in the 1st inning, he didn't allow another hit until the 7th, allowing just 1 run, 1 earned, with just 1 walk and 1 strikeout with a 1.00 ERA. Odman is now 3-0 on the season on the mound. In terms of the bats, Odman also led the way there, reaching base four times on three hits and an error. Jack Seleski and Mitch Iliff each had two hits, while Alex Hendrickson, Jackson Schaffer, Joe Schuster, Evan Nelson and Eddie Peine each had one for 13 total. RBIs were from Seleski, Johnny Teigland, Axel Arnold, Schaffer and Iliff with 2. Nelson, Odman and Hendrickson all doubled in the contest, while Brady Greiner and Hendrickson stole bases. The Raiders this week also faced Two Rivers and play Friday night at South Saint Paul before a week full of doubleheaders the following week. North Saint Paul struggled to do much in the contest, as starting pitcher Willy Coborn was pulled in the 6th after allowing 8 hits, 4 runs and 2 earned, but did have 3 strikeouts. Tyler Gschelcht added an inning of work with 3 hits, 4 runs and 1 earned, and Jakob Yang finished it off with 1 batter faced and a hit surrendered. The Polars dropped to 4-3 on the year with the loss. The Raiders sit atop the Metro East Conference as of this report by one game over defending state champs Mahtomedi, with a 6-0 conference record, while Saint Thomas Academy follows at 4-1 in conference play. The Raiders have yet to play either team in 2022, and have doubleheaders against both coming up later in the month. Hastings has gotten its success from consistent play in every facet, having not allowed more than 3 runs in any game this year, and providing consistent offense and pitching. Coach Ryan Stoffel said that expectations are starting to be slightly heightened, as the team continues its impressive start to 2022.

HANSON DISCUSSES NEW COACHING HIRES

Hastings athletic director and current assistant principal Trent Hanson might not currently be serving as the school's AD, but he still is a huge part of the schools' hiring process when it comes to new coaches. He joined KDWA to discuss the hirings of Elisabeth Curran and Joe Rabaey to new coaching roles at the high school.

RAIDERS ANNOUNCE TWO NEW COACHING HIRES

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

Last week, Trent Hanson and Hastings High School announced in a press release a new volleyball coach to lead the varsity program with the hiring of Elisabeth Curran. Curran comes to Hastings from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa where she is a graduate assistant and will complete a Masters this month in Sport Management. Also in Sioux City, she has coached at the club level, and led a series of small group lessons. Curran is a graduate of Waldorf University where she is the school record holder in career assists. She also received two all conference and one all region award as well as being named Waldorf's Comeback Player of the Year for her return from an injury, as well as The Lion's Club Award, which was presented for her excellence in leadership, as well as sportsmanship and athletic success. She graduated from Waldorf in 2019 with a degree in Health Promotion and Exercise Science. The press release also states that she made a name for herself at the MN State Tournament, with two All State awards, three All Conference awards, as well as being selected to the All Tournament team. The release states that Curran is very eager to get to Hastings and meet and learn about the players. A meeting is being coordinated for sometime this month for a face to face with Curran and the players and their parents. Stay tuned for more information on that.

This is the second coaching announcement made this month by HHS, as they announced Joe Rabaey would add Nordic Ski to his head coaching profile. Rabaey was named the head coach of the Cross Country team earlier this year, and will replace longtime coach John DeWall, who announced his retirement earlier this year after decades of coaching in Hastings. Rabaey graduated in 2013 from HHS where he participated in Nordic Ski, as well as running events, and was a three sport athlete at Saint John’s where he graduated in 2017. He has served in recent years as the assistant coach with two years as an assistant and one as a volunteer. Rabaey is expected to transition into this role later in the spring. He is also currently in grad school at U of M, in the ecology department. Rabaey is described as a coach who is "awesome with others" and "totally dedicated to working with all kids and athletes who love running/skiing for him".

RAIDER BASEBALL STAYS PERFECT; PUMMELS PIONEERS; ODMAN PITCHES GEM

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

The Hastings baseball teams took care of Hill-Murray on Wednesday as Varsity throttled the Pioneers 10-1, B Squad won 14-2, and the Freshman team rallied from 6 down to win 16-10. In the Varsity game, Gavin Odman was electrifying on the mound, and took a no hitter into the 5th, before it was broken up by a single. The Raiders scored in every inning except the 1st, and Jackson Schaffer, Mitch Iliff and Connor Stoffel had big days at the plate, with Schaffer tripling twice. Stoffel went 2-3 at the plate, with 3 RBIs. Schaffer, Jarod Neuville, Evan Nelson, Jack Seleski and Alex Hendrickson also brought in runners. In total, the Raiders had 11 hits in 30 at bats, and Hill-Murray’s starting pitcher Kaden Walker lasted just 2 2/3 innings. Odman meanwhile went 6 full, allowing just 2 hits, 1 run, 1 earned, 3 walks and 6 K’s. Eddie Peine finished things off with 1 strikeout in an inning of work. The Raiders for the second consecutive game also stole home, when a delayed steal from Tanner Anselment brought in pinch runner Joe Schuster. The game was scoreless in the first inning, but the Raiders would add two runs in the 2nd, three in the third, one in the fourth and fifth, and three in the sixth to close things out. Hill-Murray only loaded the bases once in the contest, and before the 5th the only baserunners that had made it on were either from walks or errors. Odman improves to 2-0 on the year with the victory. The Raiders are back at it with a busy week, with road games against Apple Valley, Two Rivers, South Saint Paul and North Saint Paul.

Meanwhile, the B Squad improved to 5-0 on the year with a 14-2 blowout of the Pioneers. Mark DeNoyer and Ben Thome went yard in the contest for the Raiders, and Matt Sherry pitched another gem on the mound, and Connor Zgoda got the save. The Freshman team also won, rallying from that six run deficit thanks to a 5-5 performance from Wes Baldwin with 2 doubles, while Hunter Hoff went 5 and change on the mound with a 16-10 victory.

RAIDERS STAY UNBEATEN; HOLD OFF SIMLEY

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

The Hastings Raiders held on against a feisty Simley team on Tuesday to win 4-1 on the road and improve to 5-0 on the season. The Raiders would strike early in the game, when an RBI Double from Eddie Peine brought in Alex Hendrickson to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Hendrickson would have a good day on the mound, going 5 innings. The game was 2-0 entering the 5th, when Connor Stoffel and Hendrickson found themselves on 2nd and 3rd. After a wild pitch, Stoffel would make it home, and the Raiders would add a second run in the frame to go up 4-0. Simley would get on the board in the 5th, but that was as close as they would get. Aaron Vandehoef pitched the 6th inning, while Jackson Schaffer, who reached 10 hits on the season, closed it out with an impressive inning on the mound in the 7th. Hastings would escape bases loaded or two on jams more than once in the contest.

The Raiders (5-0, 4-0 Metro East) return to MEC action Wednesday against winless Hill-Murray, and then have a day off Thursday before taking on Apple Valley on the road Friday. You can hear every game live on KDWA. The Raiders are currently sitting atop section 3-4A but have Eastview and Burnsville right behind them. The Raiders don't play the Lightning in the regular season but do host Burnsville on May 20 at Vets Park.

Hastings softball also stayed unbeaten, as the Raiders used two runs in the 5th to settle a tightly contested game with North Saint Paul. The 4-0 Raiders are back in action Thursday at Mahtomedi.

HASTINGS LEGEND HONORED FOR HOCKEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Former Hastings legend Russ Welch was recently honored with the Cliff Thompson Award for outstanding contributions to hockey in the state. Listen below to hear his thoughts on the award, as well as his favorite memories from coaching in Hastings, and what he is up to now.

RAIDERS RUN RULE PACKERS; MAHTOMEDI CLASH POSTPONED

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

The Hastings Raiders improved to 4-0 on the season with a 6 inning romp of SSP 12-2 on Thursday at Grossman Field. The Raiders got two runs in the first inning to set the tone, and then followed that up with a 4 run explosion in the 2nd to make it 6-0. The Raiders never looked back, adding 4 more in the third after SSP got two to make it 10-2. With an 11-2 lead in the 6th, a run was driven in for an unofficial walk off to end the game by run rule 12-2 and improve the Raiders to 4-0. The Friday game against Mahtomedi was postponed due to weather and will be made up on May 13 as part of a home doubleheader. The big lead allowed the Raiders to clear the benches and many players had chances to hit in the contest, but the Raiders got multiple hits from Alex Hendrickson, Mitch Iliff, Connor Stoffel and Jackson Schaffer with 2 hits each. Stoffel pitched a 6-inning complete game with 9 strikeouts, that included 4 hits, 2 runs and 2 earned for an ERA of 2.33. The win improves Stoffel to 2-0 on the year. The Raiders return to action Monday at 4:30 at Vets Park against Saint Thomas Academy.

STOFFEL RELISHES FAST START AS CONSISTENT PLAY GUIDES RAIDERS TO 3-0 START

The Hastings Raiders baseball team improved to 3-0 on the season with a win over Two Rivers on Tuesday. Coach Ryan Stoffel joined us to talk about that game, and the team's fast start to the season.

RAIDER TENNIS TAKES WINS OVER PARK, SSP

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

The Hastings tennis team took on South Saint Paul and Park yesterday and the Raiders emerged victorious over both 4-3. In the Park match, the Raiders got singles victories from Brady Zak 7-6 and 6-2, and from Michael Johnson 6-3 and 6-0. In doubles, Henry Ascheman and Devon Yang got a victory with a 6-3 6-3 victory. Caleb Teegarden and Charlie Jensen followed that up with a 6-7 6-4 6-2 win.

Against South Saint Paul,the Raiders again split the singles and the doubles. Zak and Johnson both won again, with Zak taking a 6-0 6-0 win and Johnson winning 6-4 and 6-4. The same two doubles duos also won again, with Ascheman and Yang winning 6-3 6-1 and Teegarden and Jensen needing three sets, winning 4-6 6-1 6-2.

The next scheduled tennis events are Thursday, where JV heads to Tartan and Varsity hosts Tartan. The matches are scheduled for 3:30.

ODMAN PITCHES COMPLETE GAME; RAIDERS OVERWHELM WARRIORS 6-2

By Trey Lower, KDWA Sports Director

The Hastings baseball team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 6-2 victory over Two Rivers. The Warriors bats were smooth early, as they were able to bring in two runs on two hits in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. After that, the Raiders buckled down. Gavin Odman and the Raiders would retire 9 consecutive batters, and the Raider offense got going in the third inning with 4 runs to take a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish. They would add another run in the 4th and again in the 5th to secure the 6-2 win. Carson Thuet broke things open in the third with a 2-RBI double and the Raiders never looked back. The Raiders got hits from Alex Hendrickson (3), Connor Stoffel (2), Tanner Anslement (2), Jackson Schaffer (1), Evan Nelson (1) and Thuet (1) for a total of 10 hits to the Warriors' 4. The Raiders were also aided by several Two Rivers errors in the contest. Thuet and Hendrickson each doubled in the game, while Schaffer's lone hit was a triple. In addition to Thuet's 2 RBI's, Anslement also brought home 2, and Nelson and Stoffel each brought home one. Anslement, Schaffer and Stoffel all stole bases in the game.

Gavin Odman pitched a complete game, with 7 innings of work equalling 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts for a 2.00 ERA.

The game was briefly stopped in the third inning when two Two Rivers players collided in the outfield. One of the players was down for over two minutes, and after some concern, he was able to walk back to the dugout. He did not return to the game.

The Raiders are tentatively scheduled to have three more games this week: Today vs. Tartan at Vets Park, then back at Grossman Field tomorrow when they face SSP, and then at Mahtomedi on Friday. The Zephyrs have won two of the last three state titles in their class.