Winsted Wildcats Finish
Fourth At State Tourney
Cementing their place as one of the top teams in the Crow River Valley League in 2007, the Winsted Wildcats continued their winning ways this past season.
For the second straight season, the Wildcats advanced to the Class C state tournament.
But unlike the previous year (2006), Winsted made some noise in the tournament.
“We played well at the right time of year, and were able to win a few games at state,” co-manager Aaron Schultz said.
The Wildcats opened the state tournament with an exciting 7-6, 11 inning victory over East Grand Forks, and followed that up with a 5-4 win over Spring Hill.
Not done winning games at state just yet, the Wildcats defeated St. Stephen 8-3 to advance to the final four of the Class C tournament.
However, the season came to an end with a pair of losses in the final four to Sauk Rapids and St. Francis.
Still, it was the most successful season for the Wildcats since the 1948 season, when they won the state tournament.
The Wildcats, right now, have a good mix of older and younger players.
The New Germany Dutchmen are the Wildcats’ main rival in the Crow River Valley League North Division, along with the Glencoe Brewers and Watertown Red Devils.
Longtime Winsted player, manager, and current northern division president Denis “Soup” Campbell affirmed the Winsted-New Germany rivalry.
“I remember when Winsted joined the Crow River Valley League in 1972. New Germany had just finished third in the state tournament in 1971, and they played us in the first game of the 1972 season. We ended up beating them 1-0,” Campbell recalled. “That has set the tone for a good rivalry ever since.”
Amateur baseball in Winsted traces its beginnings back to 1935. Then, Winsted was a member of the Dairy Belt League, whose members included Lester Prairie, Lake Marion, Hamburg, and Plato.
According to past player and longtime Winsted manager Francis Kappel, a long time ago, in 1947, a contest took place to select a name for the Winsted baseball club. The winning name was “Warriors.”
In those days, Winsted also had a second “class B” team, known as Specs’ Wildcats. That team was organized and run by Jerome “Specs” Campbell.
For a few years, in the early 1950s, Winsted did not have an organized ball club, due to the fact so many men were in the military. At about that same time, Specs’ team folded. When organized ball came back to Winsted in the mid 1950s, the Warriors’ name was changed to the Wildcats.
At that time, Winsted was in the Wright Star league. In 1972, Winsted joined the Crow River Valley League.
The last year that Lester Prairie had town team baseball was 1974, and some of those players joined the Wildcats. Seven players on the current Winsted roster are from Lester Prairie.
Over the years, Winsted has had three players, Francis Kappel, Ken Norman, and Denis M. Campbell (the Winsted baseball field’s namesake), inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.
In addition to 2003, 2006, and 2007 the Wildcats also played in the state tournament in 1950 and 1948, when they were the state champions.
The Crow River Valley League has been a good fit for the Wildcats.
Winsted plays their home games at Denis M. Campbell Field in Winsted, with the 2008 season opening up at the end of April.
The Wildcats are co-managed by Aaron Schultz and Neil Schlagel.
For additional information on the Wildcats, go to www.herald-journal.com/crvl and click on the Winsted Wildcats link.
Baseball has been an American tradition, and that is no exception for Winsted, where it will continue to be a favorite as each summer rolls around.
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