Journal Sports Writer

Both the New Ulm Brewers and the Courtland Cubs take to the field on Saturday in the Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament with tough games.

The Brewers (27-4) play a 21-3 Buckman Billygoats team at 1:30 p.m. in Belle Plaine.

At 4 p.m. in Green Isle, the Cubs (22-8) face off against the Red Wing Aces, who enter the contest at 22-11.

File photo by Travis Rosenau Courtland Cubs manager John Giefer greets Nolan Drill (77) at third base after a home run by Teddy Giefer during a Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament game against Isanti on Aug. 25 at Tiger Park in Belle Plaine.

Wins on Saturday would move teams to Sunday contests.

BREWERS VS. BILLYGOATS

Buckman, a team that is perennially strong, enters this game with an impressive 28-13 record in state tournament play.

“They are a good baseball team that comes from a strong area (Victory League and Region 8),” Brewers manager Al Flor said. “They are in the state tournament year after year (13th appearance) and they typically are a team playing on the last weekend of the state tournament.”

The Billygoats are a team that does rely on the big hit — they do depend on the long ball a little bit — they have good hitters on their team. They are solid all-around baseball team.”

Flor said they have to find a way to neutralize Buckman’s big hitters.

“We need to keep them in the ballpark and we need to make good pitches at good times.”

And the Brewers batters are going to be facing solid arms from the Billygoats’ mound staff.

“They have some good arms — they throw with decent velocity — so we are going to have to put runners on base and use our attributes to our advantage,” Flor said. “Their pitchers resemble pitchers we have seen here, like Jackson Huiras (Leavenworth) and Jaden Drill and Jackson Bode (Courtland) throw that hard. We have faced pitchers like this.”

The Brewers’ offense has put up some good numbers this season and Flor feels that the New Ulm bats are hitting their stride right now.

“We are confident right now at the plate and we can use our speed,” he said. “Good pitching wil slow down an offense but I am confident that we wil continue in our ways — we do not look to 10-run teams, but there is going to be a time when it is going to be a baseball game and it will come down to the last out. [Buckman] is a young team but they have experience.”

Flor said that getting to the Labor Day weekend was important.

“Every year you have something to prove and for us it is winning and advancing on to play on Sunday.”

Flor did not say who he will send to the mound on Saturday.

He did say that having both the Brewers and Courtland from the Tomahawk East League playing on Labor Day weekend is a massive statement for Region 2C.

“Last year we played and two years ago us and Stark played,” he said. “It is important to keep Region 2 represented well. Both of us have good matchups. I am hoping that we both can come out with a couple of wins.”

CUBS VS. ACES

Courtland also has a tough matchup when they face the Aces out of the Classic Cannon Valley League. The Aces are making their 35th state tournament appearance.

The Cubs will face 35-year old left-hander Aaron Johnson who enters this game 11-0 and with a minus-one ERA.

And Courtland comes into their meeting with Red Wing having scored 18 runs in their first two state tournament games.

“Our guys have been swinging the bats well,” Cubs manager Chase Meyer said. “It seems that we have had quite a few balls that have been hit in the right area and we build off of those.”

And the Cubs mound staff has been solid in the two games in the tandem of southpaw Teddy Giefer and right-hander Jackson Bode. “Gief had a good first game — he also hit a home run — and Jackson had four hits. Last year it was a case of we are happy to be playing in the state and now it is a case of we want to prove that we deserve a right to be here. Our guys have been playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder and that is good to see.”

Meyer said the key Saturday against Johnson is to get keep their bats going. “We are going to be facing a tough pitcher and get the bat on the ball.”

Meyer said that his team has faced strong left-handed pitching in the TEL this year.

“Ethan [Stade of the Brewers], Adam [Sellner of Stark and drafted by Courtand] and the pitcher we just faced, the left-hander from Isanti who was solid.”

Meyer, like Flor, is undecided on who he will send to the mound Saturday.

“We have options in Teddy, Jackson or Jackson Huiras — we have depth — and when you come into the last weekend you need depth and everyone needs to be ready.”

Meyer agrees with Flor in that having two teams from the TEL that both teams deserve to be where they are.

“We do have a lot of good baseball in our area — it is always competitive in our league.”

STATE TOURNAMENT NOTE: There are 53 players in the state amateur tournament that played high school baseball in New Ulm (NUHS, CHS or MVL).