Eastview Legion Baseball Prepares For Postseason Run

First baseman Evan Decovich had a brief, emotional message for the Eastview American Legion baseball team in the Gopher Classic championship game against Coon Rapids.

Trailing by four with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Decovich belted a two-run home run, crossed home plate and greeted his teammates: “Hey, we’re not done here. Let’s go!”

The Thunder , but Decovich’s fiery words showed the crowd at Veterans Field in Minnetonka the type of desire that lives in Eastview’s dugout. It’s the same fire that helped the Thunder reach the Legion state tournament last year, what helped them win the Upper Midwest Classic in New Ulm this month and what fueled a 22-6 regular season this summer.

The Thunder hope that success continues as their District 3 tournament begins Wednesday against Hastings at Dundas. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

"It’s just, we have that determination to win at all times,” Decovich said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go our way, sometimes it does. I was just trying to pump our team up and get it to go our way.”

This summer, the Thunder used a mix of ingredients for success. Pooling together timely hitting and a deep pitching staff fueled Eastview to a streak of 21 wins in 22 games between June 20 and July 12. And even though the Thunder ended the season losing four of its last five games, that pitching depth is what keeps Eastview excited about its prospects in the District 3 tournament.

Coach Bob Klefsaas said when the Thunder went to the state tournament in 2008, his squad relied on four pitchers to handle the bulk of the innings. This year through the Gopher Classic, in 23 games he hadn't had a pitcher throw more than 22 innings.

That depth is keeping his pitchers' arms fresh, which can make the difference during postseason play.

“We’re sharing a lot,” Klefsaas said. “There are seven or eight guys that are in the 22 innings range. That’s where we want to be.”

Perhaps most importantly, the Thunder enjoyed summer success this year because they believe in the importance of summer baseball.

Klefsaas’ group is using the summer months to continue to grow as ball players. They’re gaining confidence with each passing game, and they’re honing their skills with hopes of improving for next high school season and beyond.

“We can compete with anyone hitting the ball,” Matt Decovich said. “Any time we’re down by any amount of runs, I’m confident that we can come back and win.”

Matt Decovich said the team’s 2010 state tournament run was memorable because it was “the best baseball I’ve ever played in my life.” He said that carried over to spring ball and into this summer, where the Thunder have continued to thrive.

“We have all the experience from last year, and we have younger players that are contributing, too,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Now, the Thunder turn their sights to a new goal—continuing the summer’s success while qualifying for their second straight state tournament.

Left fielder Stu Daly said tournaments like the Upper Midwest Classic and the Gopher Classic helped them prepare for this moment.

“We always want to win these tournaments,” Stu Daly said. “It’s fun for us. We’ll go as long as we can.”