Bandits Take in Legion All Star Game

Although the Bandits could not stay for the entire game, the legion all star game held in Osceola on Monday was a doozy. Athletes from St. Croix Falls, Cumberland, Grantsburg, Unity, and Luck made up the North Squad and Amery, Osceola, Baldwin, New Richmond and Somerset. With towns such as Luck, Unity, Amery, Osceola, New Richmond, and Somerset being within the needed 25 mile radius of St. Croix Falls, this Bandits was able to look at the local bright young talent and see who would look the best in a Bandits uniform in the future.

Here are the rosters for each team.

NORTH ROSTER

Cumberland:
Ryan Behling Fr. OF/2B
Graham Miller So. P/OF
Tommy Zappa Fr. OF

Grantsburg:
Trent Bonneville Jr. SS/P
Thane Larson Jr. p/3B

Luck:
Jamison Gross Jr. 2B
Harry Severson-Dickinson Jr. P/1B
Colin Svoboda So. SS/P

St. Croix Falls:
Cory Gebhard So. 2B
Gus Koecher So. OF/C
Matt Vold So. SS/P

Unity:
Brady Flaherty Fr.
Luke Nelson Fr. SS/C/P
Jason Vlasnik Fr.

SOUTH ROSTER

Amery:
Brock Luehman Jr.
Jared Nelson Fr.
Joe Rubenzer Fr.

Baldwin:
Jason Geurkink Jr. P/IF
Bryce Lunzer Jr. OF
Luke Trickle Jr. IF

New Richmond:
Corey Berger Jr. OF/IF/P
Michael Jansen So. OF/P
Danny Leavens So. IF

Osceola:
Ryan Burkhamer So. OF/P
Ian Kalata Jr. C/1B
Darby Nelson So. SS/2B

Somerset:
Dakota Belter So.
Josh Baillargeon So. 3B
Rocky Larson So. C

The game ended up going 11 innings, final score North 11 South 10. The last 3 innings were jam packed with action, the South team held the North to a 6-5 going into the top of the ninth. The North team was able to get the tying run across and then score 3 runs in the top of the tenth. The South team countered with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. The North bats came out swinging again in the 11th scoring 2 more runs. The South team only managed to get 1 more run across, ending the game 11-10.

SCF's (and future full-time Bandit) Gus Koecher was a homerun shy of the cycle, went 4-5 and reached base 6 times, and was named game MVP. I didn't keep books but I will have some more detailed game info later.

Opinions / Scouting - I will only comment on the players I noticed from teams within the 25 mile radius who will be Seniors next season - excluding New Richmond (a fairly young town team - who can offer starting roles to incoming players) and including Osceola (a somehow underachieving team with experience and decent depth).

Trent Bonneville - Grantsburg - SS/P. Bonneville batted in the 4 slot for the North team, had some good at bats, hit the ball hard. Well built, large frame guy - something the Bandits seem in short order of. If we were interested in playing with the Bandits, we would like to slide him over to 3rd base and see how we does, and he would bat anywhere from 4-7 if he could show power with a wood bat.

Thane Larson - Grantsburg - P/3B Saw him pitch, he pitched well, not over powering but consistently near the plate, breaking ball comes in a lot slower than fastball, so if its not picked up by the batter they swing at it like a changeup. Although I only have 2 years of experience looking at town ball pitchers, you never quite know which pitchers will fair well in town ball. Some "finesse" pitchers do work out better than hard-tossers, depending on their pitch movement and location. Possible pitching prospect for the Bandits.

Harry Severson-Dickinson - Luck - P/1B. One, tall athletic ballplayer, great build for 1st. Threw some gas while on the mound, pitched well in this game, if he pitched at the next level he would need to be able to keep his pitches low and throw strikes with movement. Town-ball hitters seem to high 70's to low/mid 80's heat down the pipe. Unfortunately i wasn't sitting in a location where I could properly judge fastball movement. Hit in the #3 slot for the North team. Had a great day at the plate, sprayed the ball to all fields, hit line drives. If indeed our right side of the infield moves on to greener pastures in La Crosse next season, HSD could have a shot a starting 1B and making the pitching staff.

Jamison Gross - Luck - 2B - still compiling notes
Brock Luehman - Amery - still compiling notes

Ian Kalata - Osceola - C/1B. Probably one of the most athletic builds at the legion game. Kalata hit in the 3 hole for the South team, and looked great hitting for contact and power, if he could keep it up with a wood bat he could bat anywhere from 3 to 6 in the Bandits lineup. I heard that he had played some 3B this year, not sure if that true, if it is and he opted to join the Bandits, he would probably be the starting 3B next season. Otherwise he would get a solid look at playing 1B with some departures likely on the Bandits roster.

Exception - I was told that I had to list Sophomore Colin Svoboda, pitcher, from Luck by another Bandit who attended the game. I had left before Svoboda entered as a pitcher, but from the sounds of it, his movement is filthy. I was told that he is dropping his breaking pitches into the strike zone at will, that they move fast, break hard, and he throws them early in counts. Backing that up with a sneaky fastball that he uses for his out pitch to mix up batters. I didn't see it myself, but my source is pretty honest.