MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Blues Win State Title

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and hear comments from Erik Johnson, Jake Peterson, Pete VandenAvond, Justin Wenk, and Marquette Manager Derek Swajanen....as well as some radio highlights.

MARQUETTE---The Marquette Blues American Legion Baseball team captured a Class A state championship on Saturday, beating the surprising Copper Country Flames, 10-0, in an all-U.P. final at Marquette's Haley Field.

It was the completion of a dream that started two years ago in downstate Gladwin, when the Blues lost a heartbreaker to Mount Pleasant Rosebush in the state tournament there. But it was also announced then that Marquette would host the 2020 state tournament, and after being cancelled by the coronavirus last year, it all came together this summer.

"We had arms stockpiled, we had catching, we were deep," longtime Marquette manager Derek Swajanen said. "This is one of the best teams I've had in 25 years now. They just did a phenominal job. You saw it in the last game. They don't have to think about stuff."

"They take the extra base. If there's a ball in the dirt, they're there. You don't have to say much to them. They just continue to do the right things. Over the last nine games, we've given up eleven runs. They've done a great job."

And it was a veteran group that had the eye on the prize ever since that disapppointing day in Gladwin, and even in the disappointment of losing the U.P. semifinal game to Gladstone in the semifinals last summer in Iron Mountain. They weren't going to come up short again.

"I'm pretty happy. I didn't think we'd make it this far," Blues pitcher Justin Wenk said. "It was all in our heads, we knew we could do it, and we did. We just had a good time through the ride. It sucks because, as a senior, I'm never gonna experience that bond ever again. But I just hope the young guys take it all in, next year, and the years coming up, that it's really about the team bond. It's not as easy as it looks. But we made it happen."

Catcher Jake Peterson played junior hockey in Canada for the past year, but jumped at the chanmce to be with his boys on the field again this summer.

"It's great," Peterson said. "I've been at it for five years trying to get a state championship and it's awesome to get one in my last year. It hurt down in Gladwin two years ago. I couldn't be happier to do it here on our new field. All of us, teammates, coaches, put hours and hours into this field. It's great to win it here."

Peterson is one of the Blues who will "age out" and not be able to play any more Legion ball. He is heading to Texas in late August to play more junior hockey in a different league.

One of the guys who will be able to play for another year is Pete VandenAvond, who's birthday makes the cut and he will play for a sixth year in 2022, after being dual rostered with the Blues and Reds teams as a 14-year-old. He hit a solo home run to right field to start Saturday's game, and that proved to be enough runs to win the championship.

"I didn't know it was gone," VandenAvond said. "I know I got a really good piece of it and luckily, I hit it high enough that the wind just carried it. That's huge right there. First at-bat of the game. Really set the tempo. I knew from there that we were just gonna keep it rolling. And we did. We pulled it out. And it was really nice."

Marquette scored six runs in the second inning when the Copper Country pitcher, Dean Jurmu, walked three batters and uncorked a pair of wild pitches that scored runners from third base. Brock Taylor added an RBI double and an error scored two more runs.

By that time, it was clear that Marquette would win the title, as Dakota Maki did not allow a base hit and the Blues defense made only one mistake. The Flames, which were nearly mercied in a U.P. tournament game by Escanaba last week that would have ended their season, just didn't have the hitting, pitching, or defense to match Marquette on Saturday.

Copper Country Assistant Coach Wes Frahm was proud of his team's multiple come-from-behind wins in the U.P.and state tournaments. His team also knocked out a talented Mount Pleasant Rosebush team from lower Michigan in the first Saturday game, 7-3, to even get a chance at facing Marquette.

"The whole point, in my book, is making memories for these kids," Frahm said. "We're out here having a good time together. We're a loose bunch. We're having a blast."

Eli Oldt threw a complete game for Copper Country against Rosebush, using just 83 pitches. The Flames built a 4-0 lead, and after the downstate boys cut it to 4-3, Brandon Norkol came through with a two-run single up the middle to make it 6-3.

Cam Cischke, in the #9 hole, had three hits for the Flames.

But they couldn't carry that over against Marquette, which mercied CC 10-0 for the second time in as many days.

The pick for tournament Most Valuable player was Marquette's Erik Johnson, who threw a two-hitter against the Flames Friday night and batted .429 in the state tournament.

"I'm feeling really good," said Johnson, who will play at Finlandia University next year. "It was my first time here. It's been a great time. It's just been a lot of extra work after practice, and just staying focused throughout all of the innings in the games. A lot of us didn't know each other at the start of the year. But we've really come together at the end of the year. It's a great group of guys and we have a great relationship. It's just awesome to be a part of it."

The only loss in the post-season for Marquette was a 1-0 setback to Escanaba in the first game of the U.P. tournament, when Escanaba's Grant LaMarche was dominant on the mound. But the Blues have run the table since then, and now have a big trophy for the Legion post.

"Their mental game has been phenominal going down the stretch," Swajanen said. "That's the biggest part of this team. Mentally, they don't get down. They're always up. Real positive with everybody. Mentally, they're prepared. Last night, the game was over, and there were four or five of them in the batting cage, and then this morning, they were out there before everybody was out there. It's crazy. But the hard work has paid off."