Sports

Baseball: Baxter, Brainerd players on runner-up Minnesota team

Three Brainerd players were members of the Minnesota SWAT Black 16U baseball team that was runner-up in the USSSA Veterans Salute NIT Baseball Tournament Nov. 7-8 at Peoria, Ariz.

Members of the Minnesota SWAT Black 16U Team include, front: Matt Sporre, Brooklyn Center; Tom Friesen, St Cloud; Colin Kleffman, Baxter; Reggie Deyak, St. Cloud; Ben Wright, St Cloud; Alex Haapajoki, Baxter. Back: Michael Miller, batboy, Eden Prairie; coach Mike Miller, Eden Prairie; Paul Girard, Wayzata; Elias Uecker, Buffalo; Ian Vonwald, Foley; Jacob Strong, Buffalo; McCale Peterson, Brainerd; DJ Shefland, Buffalo; coach Perry Thinesen, Cokato.

By Brainerd Dispatch

November 20, 2015 at 10:51 PM

Three Brainerd players were members of the Minnesota SWAT Black 16U baseball team that was runner-up in the USSSA Veterans Salute NIT Baseball Tournament Nov. 7-8 at Peoria, Ariz.

Colin Kleffman and Alex Haapajoki, both of Baxter, and McCale Peterson of Brainerd

played for Minnesota Swat which beat Sidewinder BBC 4-3 and Players Choice Academy 11-3 in pool play Nov. 7 to advance as the second seed in the gold bracket.

On Nov. 8, a 6-5 win against the AZ Desert Dawgs moved Minnesota SWAT to the championship game where it was edged by the Monsoon's 2-1.

Games were played at the Peoria Sports Complex, spring training home of the San Diego Padres.