MITCHELL, S.D. – The Alexandria Angels and Dell Rapids PBR will meet Saturday with a spot in the Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament championship game on the line.
First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Cadwell Park in Mitchell. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship game. Coverage also on KORN News Radio FM 101.3/AM 1490 and KORNRadio.com
Alexandria enters the semifinals with 19-3 record. The Angels opened the tournament with a 6-4 victory over Crofton, Neb., before beating Wynot, Neb., 11-1 in seven innings in the second round.
A.J. Wilber earned the win against Wynot, throwing all seven innings while allowing one run on four hits and striking out eight.
The Angels then held off Volga 5-4 in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Alex Mizsak turned in another strong postseason performance, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing three hits with seven strikeouts.
Alexandria built a 5-0 lead through five innings before Volga rallied for four runs in the eighth. Wilber entered with the tying run at second base and recorded the final two outs before returning for the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
Preston Nedved (Platte) went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against Volga, while Dakota Munger also collected three hits and drove in a run. Jerrod Zens added two hits and scored twice.
Alexandria is seeking its first state championship since 2020. The Angels reached the semifinals last year before falling to the eventual champion Parkston Rays 7-2.
The Angels have been productive offensively throughout the season, batting .306 as a team with 29 home runs. Jerrod Zens is hitting .345 with 29 hits, 26 runs and 26 walks. Dakota Munger Munger is hitting .354 with 28 hits, three home runs and 19 RBIs, while Ben Wilber has added a .317 average with five home runs and 20 RBIs.
On the mound, Wilber has been the Angels’ ace. He is 7-2 with a 0.74 ERA in 73 innings, striking out 78. Mizsak is 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.
Dell Rapids PBR enters Saturday’s matchup after a pair of close wins in the second round and quarterfinals.
PBR opened with a 16-0, five-inning victory over Colome and then defeated Garretson 6-4 in the second round. Drew Sweeter went eight innings against Garretson, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven.
In Thursday’s quarterfinals, PBR defeated the Parkston Mudcats 3-1 behind a complete-game performance from Brett Mogen. Mogen allowed one run on five hits and struck out 11, retiring 16 consecutive batters at one point.
Chris Kropuenske, Brayden Pankonen and Weston Hansen each drove in a run for PBR.
PBR is hitting .326 as a team this season with Jake Brandenburg leading the way with a .450 batting average, four home runs and 26 RBIs. Zach Puetz is hitting .420 with six home runs and a team-high 38 RBIs.
Drew Sweeter is batting .333 with three home runs, 18 RBIs and a team-high 36 runs scored. Chris Kropuenske has a .306 average and a .494 on-base percentage, while Riley Hoffman is hitting .301 with 23 runs and 14 RBIs.
PBR’s pitching staff has posted a 3.03 team ERA. Mogen is 7-1 with a 1.31 ERA in 53 1/3 innings, striking out 66. Sweeter is 4-0 with a 1.18 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings.
The matchup also features two teams with recent championship history.
PBR won the 2024 state championship, defeating Platte 3-1, and reached the semifinals in 2023 before losing to Canova 14-4. The team fell to the Parkston Rays 5-3 in last year’s quarterfinals.