The Remsen St. Mary’s baseball team ended their season as Class 1A state runner-up dropping Friday’s championship game with Lynnville-Sully by a score of 7-1.
For a team that was not expected to make it this far, the achievement is very impressive and speaks to the toughness of the team. Head coach Dean Harpenau says that toughness showed all throughout the game.
Hunter Pick is one of two seniors on the Hawk roster this season. He says the doubt made the Hawks hungry to get back to the title game.
After playing 14 grueling innings against Newman Catholic on Wednesday, the Hawk pitching staff was down to just one arm. Collin Homan was tasked with pitching the entire game and was roughed up in the first inning for two runs. Coach Harpenau says they asked a lot of Homan, and he did his best to come through.
After getting down 2-0 after a half an inning, the Hawks continued to battle. Remsen St. Mary’s battled in the third inning when Collin Homan tagged the gap with two outs to reach on a double, and Hunter Pick drove him in with his own double. Coach Harpenau says that showed the Hawks were going to battle all the way through.
Pick hit the double into the gap in right-center field going the opposite way. He says that was an adjustment the guys were encouraged to make as the game went along.
After that run in the third, the Hawks were held in check and off the scoreboard. Remsen St. Mary’s did threaten in other innings later in the game, but Coach Harpenau says when Lynnville-Sully starter Lucas Sieck needed a good pitch, he got it.
Remsen St. Mary’s graduates just two seniors off this year’s roster in baseball lifer Hunter Pick and Ty Tritz who joined the Hawk roster this season. Coach Harpenau says both guys accepted their roles throughout the season and their career making them the embodiment of what it means to play at Remsen St. Mary’s.
Pick says he will remember the culture around the baseball team. He says that culture is second to none.
The bright side is that the cupboard is not bare for the Hawks. Only two seniors leaving means this experience will continue to build some momentum for next season. Coach Harpenau says next season starts in a couple of weeks when the guys start practicing for football and staying in shape for other sports.
Remsen St. Mary’s ends the year with a record of 25-5. Lynnville-Sully’s win gave them their second-ever state title and first since 1988.
