Centennial Cougars

Centennial makes a play on a steal of second base vs Quamba

It was just a single.  Cooper Anderson stood in the batter’s box facing Anoka Bucs’ reliever Austin Lang.  The pitch came in and the lefty made solid contact.  The sound was quintessential.  A crack of the bat, a laser into the outfield and Anderson stood on first base.  Nothing particularly remarkable about the at bat except the celebration.  Anderson turned to the Centennial Cougars’ dugout and let out a full-throated “LET’S GO!”  The surprise from the Anoka Bucs was palpable and Anderson immediately turned to the first baseman and followed up with, “It’s been a while.”  That is the understatement of the season, so far.

Player/Manager Joe Cyzewski pumps up the team

Cooper Anderson is like much of the Centennial Cougars.  He is going into his sophomore season with Bemidji State next year and is playing this summer to prepare for his college team.  This is what a lot of the Cougars’ team looks like, college players hoping to stay in shape and keep their timing and skills dialed in during the long off-season.  This base of collegiate athletes has been built, over time, by the father-son Cyzewski duo.  The elder Cyzewski (Joe) got the team up and running in 2018 in partnership with friend, and current Executive Vice President of the St. Paul Saints, Tom Whaley.  They struggled for a few years as Joe and Tom’s sons played on the team and they looked to establish an identity as a “Townball team without a town”.  Since that time the team has been adopted by the Circle Pines community where their home field is located but has maintained their Centennial name borrowed from the local high school.  

Lefty Benny McDonald was a league leader from the mound in 2023

As the initial members of the team graduated from college and began the next phases of their lives fresh talent was added from area high schools and the team got better.  Things really took shape, though, when the younger Cyzewski (also Joe) started working for Complete Game, a baseball and softball training academy in Lino Lakes.  Suddenly Joe Jr was working with the future of the game in the north metro from a young age.  The pipeline to the local high schools, colleges, and eventually townball teams was instantly upgraded.  I had a lot of time to talk with Joe Sr. while he coached first base, and he expressed that he has really taken a more executive role with the team to make room for his son to take over managerial duties.  Much of this is just a function of age and Jr’s connection with the guys on the team.  Joe Sr quickly counted up the guys and with the exception of about 4 vets almost the entire team was trained and recruited by Joe Jr.  

"Sliding" into third

So, who are these guys that Joe Jr. has recruited?  And, why was a boring single such a big deal for Cooper Anderson?  I spoke with a member of another Metro Minny team who told me, “Centennial is unique because if they ever make it to the state tournament I don’t know if they’ll even be able to field a team.”  It was clear in the Metro Minny playoffs last season when Centennial had a number of guys that were off with Northwoods teams or back at college.  While most townball teams are a solid mix of college athletes and older vets who have been around for years, Centennial skews towards the younger, college athletes.  This makes putting a team together a challenge depending on who is available on any given day.  

On this day there is a solid contingent with about six guys on the bench ready to pinch hit, run, or pitch out of the bullpen.  A week prior there was barely enough to field a team with only a two bench players for a double header in Quamba.  This is because many of the guys were still playing with their college teams.  In fact, one player is still playing in the NCAA Division 3 World Series this week.  In addition they will likely lose a player or two over the course of the season to the Northwoods League.  

Caden Klebba showing his fielding range from 1st base

The Northwoods League is a competitive collegiate summer league that only signs players with remaining college eligibility or graduated seniors (limited to four per side) and is known for being the premier wood-bat summer league in the midwest.  There are teams representing Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, and even Thunder Bay in Canada.  As the Cougars were preparing to face the Anoka Bucs I had a chance to discuss the Northwoods League and its competition with townball with Taylor Nelson of the Bucs.  Taylor has been around the league for a while and he’s seen the changes that have come with Northwoods League expansion.  “It used to be you had to be playing division 1 ball to sign with a Northwoods Team.  Now that they are at [26] teams  they’ll take any D3 talent they can get.” There is a lot of bitterness in Nelson’s words, but it comes from a place of losing pitchers every year to the league.  A lot of those guys will head out, play a few weeks with the Northwoods team and then find their way back to their hometown team.  Joe Sr even pointed out that, for pitchers in particular, how many innings are you even going to get at a team where you are slotted in behind Division 1 talent?  But, this is the world that Townball exists in today and there is no point complaining about it.  

Bryson Mohs blocks behind the plate

Instead, Centennial fields the best team they can on any given day.  There are certainly guys who might be looking towards the greener pastures of Northwoods baseball, but it feels like the core this year has their sights firmly set on the Metro Minny.  There are guys like Caden Klebba and Benny McDonald who are both still playing college ball but were foundational guys last season and are back with hopes for a deep run in the Metro Minny this year.  And Bryson Mohs who plays for Dakota County Technical College and will be sharing time behind the plate this season with Klebba.  All of these guys know what it’s like to be overlooked and they appreciate that they have a home with Centennial and their long-time coaches Joe and Joe Cyzewski.  

Caden Klebba slots in at catcher, pitcher and both infield corners

And that brings us back to Cooper Anderson.  Like I said, it was just a single.  Sure, it was hit hard and it found a gap.  But, ultimately, it was just a single.  For Anderson it was so much more.  You see, Anderson hadn’t played a meaningful game since last townball season.  He was injured for the entirety of his freshman year at Bemidji State.  He was able to make a few appearances in some inter-squad scrimmages but he hadn’t seen real, competitive pitching in almost a year.  During the double-header at Quamba I picked his brain a bit about the experience of stepping back in the batter’s box to face live pitching.  “It definitely feels weird.  Just the rhythm is off.  I think I pounded that first one right into the ground.”  Yeah.  That’s what the first few games felt and looked like for Anderson.  A lot of trying to find his rhythm again.  So, when he did hit that ball on the screws it felt REALLY good, and he made sure all of Circle Pines knew it.  

As a photographer, one of my disappointments in covering townball is the lack of celebration.  Most guys are either older and not nearly as emotional about the game or they have bigger fish to fry and a routine hit isn’t going to raise their blood pressure all that much.  But, every once in a while there is an iconic moment and I feel truly blessed to get to capture that moment and share it with you.

Cooper Anderson celebrates more than "just a single"

Coon Rapids Redbirds

Coon Rapids fields a very interesting townball team.  It is quite a mix of former collegiate players, guys who went straight to work after high school, guys who are coaching the next generation of players, and current college players looking to stay in shape over the summer.  They almost exclusively play games on weekday evenings.  Once their season gets going you can find them at Wintercrest Park just about every Tuesday evening with a few Wednesdays and Thursdays thrown in for good measure.  

Redbirds players discuss technique before the game

The Tuesday game I wanted to attend was rained out, but fortunately they were playing a Wednesday game as well.  It was a perfect night for baseball when I arrived and the townball team was not the only Coon Rapids affiliate that thought so.  Wintercrest is a unique park with two ball fields that are both of high quality and prepared to host Metro Minny games.  For years it has hosted the Metro Minny playoffs because everything can be held in one location with overlapping games.  What’s unfortunate about the evening I was there is that only one of the fields has lights.  So, we got our game going a little earlier than most nights because the lighted field was being used by Coon Rapids High School for a special, senior night, game.  

It was a very windy night that led to some weird plays in the outfield but Coon Rapids was able to secure the victory in a darkness shortened game that only went eight innings against Northwest out of Osseo.  Prior to the game start I had an opportunity to catch up with the Head Coach of the Redbirds, Jeff Lindstrom, and pick his brain a bit about the team this season.  I asked him about the schedule that Coon Rapids runs with mostly weekday games and if it had to do with conflicting schedules as the High School was playing on the main field that night.  Wintercrest is also home to Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s baseball team.  I thought, perhaps the weekends were occupied with other teams vying for field access.  Jeff informed me, however, that it has much more to do with his own player’s schedules.  

A number of the players with the Redbirds coach baseball with youth on the weekends and it becomes prohibitive for them to have townball games that conflict with those schedules.  In fact, only three of their games this season will be played on weekends and two of those are Metro Minny clashes that are away games against teams who play home games exclusively on weekends due to their own restrictions.  This is the opposite of a team like The Forest Lake Brewers who are scheduled to play two weekend-long tournaments this year.  All of this just shows how each team has its own restrictions and challenges when it comes to scheduling and player availability.  Lindstrom probably summed up the Townball mindset best, though, when he told me, “I’m just here for these guys [the players].”  He isn’t thinking about the best schedule to get as many games in as possible.  He’s not trying to schedule the most tournaments or even all that worried about finding the best competition.  He is there to facilitate a good experience for the players and a big part of that is scheduling around their lives off the field.  

I assumed The Coon Rapids Redbirds pulled heavily from Coon Rapids High School to field their team but I was really surprised to learn that the team has a very diverse background.  This is an understandable misconception because the associate coach for the Redbirds, Don Bright, also acts as the associate coach for the Cardinals.  The pipeline from High School to Townball would seem obvious. What I learned, though, is that Don is an incredible recruiter.  Several players shared that he actually approached them about playing for The Redbirds during a high school game versus The Cardinals.  This has led to a pipeline for the Townball team to schools like Park Center.  

Andy Brown catches in borrowed gear

Justin Walters and Andy Brown are two of those Park Center guys.  Andy comes to Coon Rapids from Centennial Cougars last season. When I asked him why he transferred he informed me that a number of the guys with the Redbirds are connections from his work with Pitch 2 Pitch, a baseball training academy in Champlin, MN, where he is a hitting, catching & performance coach.  Primarily Andy pitches and can play a little bit of utility on the infield as needed.  On this night he went on midway through the game as a catcher.  I asked some of the other guys if he catches regularly as I didn’t recall him behind the plate last season for Centennial.  There was laughter around the dugout and I was informed that the last time he caught in a game was probably little league.  This was clear with the ill-fitting gear he had borrowed to jump in the game.  What I witnessed, though, was really special when he got suited up.  

Andy is a quintessential trainer.  He is kind in his assessments but he is always watching with a keen eye for detail.  After each inning he came off the field and broke down what he saw with the pitcher he was receiving.  At one point I saw him in the bullpen during the Redbirds offensive half working with a pitcher who was warming up.  “That curveball is good, but it’s just missing low,” he said.  Then he gave the pitcher some tips to fix his release and grip.  It was clear why Andy wanted to come to Coon Rapids this season.  

As these guys get older the most important part of the experience for them is the friendships they make.  Andy has played with and against most of the guys in the Metro Minny over his years in the league.  He has friends and coworkers who play for several teams, and when he saw an opportunity to play with them this year he took it.  It would be easy for a guy like Andy to just show up on the days he pitches, get his innings in, and head back to his daily life.  But, that is not Townball.  Instead he sets up outside the dugout cheering, coaching, and advising. He doesn’t switch off and it means that he is extremely popular in the clubhouse. All the guys root for him and he delivers with heart and kindness.

Justin Walters runs with a bloody lip from a collision at second base

Justin Walters is another Park Center guy who has been with the Redbirds for two seasons now.  He’s a great ball player who is always a threat on the base paths and isn’t afraid to take one for the team.  I asked him how he came to be with Coon Rapids as he didn’t play for the high school and he told me that Coach Bright asked him to join the team when they were playing The Cardinals in his senior year.  He’s now preparing for his sophomore year at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. As a Division 3 school there are no athletic scholarships available, but for a guy like Justin it’s a great way to continue playing, get an education, and stay close to home.  

As the game went into the later innings another Justin made an appearance.  Justin Reeves is an 8th year Redbird and is in line behind a few other guys behind the plate.  This limits his playing time and puts him in a base coach role much of the time.  But, in this early season game he got a chance to slot in at first base.  As he made his way to that position for warmups in the 7th inning a crowd formed outside the fence off first base.  A group of boys in Coon Rapids High School gear all stood together laughing and joking as they recorded with their phones Justin taking throws from the other infielders.

Justin Reeves makes an appearance for Coon Rapids

Reeves is a freshman coach at the high school and these are his players hoping to catch a glimpse of their coach in action.  This is what makes a team like The Redbirds so fun.  All through the team are connections with future players.  They might be coaches, old teammates, or even rivals, but they all have one thing in common.  They love baseball.  They want to play baseball.  And, most of all, they want to see the next generation love the game as much as they do.  I asked Justin if he teaches at the high school as well, “Nope.  I just love to coach,” he said. He's not alone feeling that way on this squad.

Shoreview Stumpgrinders

Samuel Franzen makes the play at second base

Quamba, Minnesota is a small town about halfway from the Twin Cities to Duluth.  The town has registered right around 100 residents throughout its entire census history and it has the feel of a little whistle stop off the beaten path of the main north-south thoroughfare in northeastern Minnesota. This week I visited Quamba with the Shoreview Stumpgrinders who played a double header against the hosts and Chisago Lakes.  It's a unique system that The Quamba Cubs have devised and several Metro Minny teams will be taking advantage of it this summer.  On Sundays two teams head north where there is a single day, 3 game rotation allowing every team to play two without having the burden of extra travel.  Quite a nice system and a huge thank you to Quamba for hosting us for three of these triangle contests this year.  

Shoreview was one of my favorite teams to cover last season for one reason.  It really feels like a fraternity.  Not in the hazing, partying, toxically masculine way, but in a way that invites everyone in to have a good time while deeply caring about each individual and their lives away from the park.  I really wanted to dig into this so I asked the guys about the atmosphere surrounding this team to get a better sense of how they built this camaraderie.  

Chad Wakabayashi hits a double in Quamba

The founding member of The Shoreview Stumpgrinders who acts as their manager and representative at league meetings is Chad Wakabayashi.  Chad is a sincere, kind guy and when I asked him about the identity of the team and its connections to University of Northwestern he made it clear that he really just wanted a place to stay connected with the guys he played with in college and to build relationships with those who came after him.  Northwestern is a private, non-denominational Christian college on the north side of Roseville that hosts Stumpgrinder games through the summer.  Around half of the current Shoreview team are Northwestern alums or current players and this has led to a real sense of unity.  But, Chad (and others) made a point of telling me, “being Christian or a Northwestern student is not a requirement” to be a Stump.  

This is made abundantly clear with their off-season signings this year.  One of their newest members, Jake Tarara, bucks the trend.  That doesn’t mean he is an outsider.  Instead he was welcomed with open arms and is even bringing a few of his connections to Shoreview as well.  There is a new pipeline building from Woodbury High School with these recent signings.  What ultimately unites this group of men is their love of baseball, but there are deeper connections as well.

New signing Brady Sahr (C/OF) joined with Tarara

When I asked around the group about their Christian identity it felt like there was some trepidation.  They wanted to make it clear that everyone is welcome to ride with the Stumps.  I know that this stems from a feeling these days that faith is individual and that Christianity can be cultish or exclusionary.  This is absolutely true.  There are a myriad of examples of this and I have written, expressed and strongly hold this belief. However, some of the most important relationships I have built are because of the faith communities I’ve been involved in.  It’s the quintessential challenge of faith communities these days, “how do we heal trauma, welcome the marginalized, and provide a loving community when so many have been hurt by folks like us”.  I think these guys have it figured out. 

When I arrived in Quamba I was already running late.  I had spent the last week fighting a sinus infection and had to sneak in a nap around lunch time to fight off a headache.  I was worried that it would be weird when I walked into the dugout without an introduction from Chad.  Some of the guys know me from last year but there are always new faces and you never know how they’ll feel.  Jake Orthaus was sitting in the dugout with a couple other guys but the rest of the team was on the field.  The second I walked in, a huge smile spread across Jake’s face.  It was like a long-lost brother had returned.  He couldn’t believe I drove the hour up to Quamba to cover the game.  

Andrew Simonson celebrates a double

We immediately began briefing each other on the team makeup for the coming year and what to expect from The Stumps in 2024.  As we were catching up the inning ended an the rest of the team made their way into the dugout.  Every single guy said hello to me as they came in.  Phil Wall, both Franzen brothers, Chad, they all gave me a fist bump, a huge smile, and welcomed me back into the fold.  Chad was concerned that I missed his early game home run so I told him he’ll just have to hit another one.  There was one face, in particular, that made me feel like I had never left these guys and that is Andrew Simonson.  Simo (see-mo) is one of those guys that just wants to have fun.  All the time.  He’s quick with a joke and is always looking for the guy who isn’t feeling the best and makes an effort to pick him up.  When he comes in from a defensive inning he will wait for a fist bump if you don’t see him and make sure that every single person in the dugout is seen and valued.  He is, without a doubt, the epitome of a Stump.  It’s this attitude that brought back so many of the guys from the 2023 season despite a rough first year in the league.  

In 2023 The Stumpgrinders were newborns.  Many of the guys had played for Plymouth Hitdawgs in previous seasons, but they were starting a brand new team in a strong league.  The league leaders, Champlin Park Logators, had finished 2nd in the state in 2022 and had a lot of other teams gunning for them.  It would be easy for an upstart like The Stumps to get buried under the weight of expectation from the league.  It wasn’t a great year.  They fell to the bottom of the league and drew Logators in the section tournament.  The scorelines from the tournament games don’t tell the whole story, but they took Champlin Park to extras in an elimination game and they lived up to their favorite saying, “Nobody no-hits the Stumps!”

It would be easy for a team to have a season like they had and fold under the pressure.  Teams do it every year.  But, there is a different feel to this group that I noticed even last year.  It never felt like the team was out of games.  Sure, the scoreboard was ugly sometimes but the guys kept playing.  They picked each other up.  They fought.  It truly was a brotherhood and, as expected, the brothers stuck together.  That is why the core of the team is back.  Turning them into winners, though, is a challenge that Chad and his brothers are taking very seriously.

When I asked Chad if Tim Shows (who was absent Sunday) would be slotting into the regular third baseman role like last season he thought for a moment before saying, “we’ll go with whoever is hot.”  That seems like an obvious statement but it wasn’t so simple before.  Shoreview didn’t always have the luxury of moving guys around to keep the hot bats in the lineup.  Sometimes you just had to play even if you were struggling.  Chad continued, “that’s what the good teams can do.  We’ll be playing enough non-conference games that everyone will get time on the field, but in league play we’ll go with who is hot.  That’s what I’m trying to build here.”  

Jake Orthaus threw a perfect 5-inning game vs Chisago

It really gives us an insight into how to build a team in amateur baseball.  Sure, you can put together a group of guys and get on the field but to find success you have to have some depth.  You have to reload each year to replace retirements or guys that move on.  In a town like Quamba the majority of the team are local guys.  In fact only one member of the Quamba Cubs comes from outside the town.  But in the Metro Minny teams are always looking for new pipelines for talent.  That can come from college connections, a new high school, or former townball team connections.  This year The Stumps found a connection at Woodbury High School and one guy has brought three more with him.  This is how you build a team.  And Shoreview has figured out the secret to building strong relationships, built on faith and inclusivity.  That is truly special and we’ll see if it can translate into a strong showing on the field as well.

If this first weekend is any indication there are good things to come.  The bats were active and Jake Orthaus threw a perfect game in 5 innings that ended early with a 13 run lead.  If this keeps up, look out for the Stumps as they take root in the Metro Minny this year.

Stats and Schedules available at Metrominny.com