The honor was bestowed during the pre-state tournament banquet at Martin Luther College in New Ulm. Though Post 334 finished with its first losing season in more than 35 years this summer, the Coach of the Year honor took into account Yelle’s contributions to the game and his service to the players of Coon Rapids Post 334. The coach, in fact,  has had a hand in one of the state’s most successful American Legion baseball programs — a program that has produced more than 1100 wins over the past 30 years.

Yelle, who is about to begin his 23rd season as head coach at Anoka Ramsey College, said the Coach of the Year honor was more of a testament about the high credibility earned by Coon Rapids baseball than just one person.

“From the incredible Little Leagues we have in our community through our Babe Ruth and traveling programs, there are many, many dedicated baseball people and coaches who afford our kids some of the country’s  best opportunities to learn and play ball. To them I say ‘thank you.’ It makes coaching at the upper level in Coon Rapids easy…”

Shortstop Tony Remund hit a two-run homer earlier in the contest to keep Post 334 within a half dozen runs — 9-3 — but aside from that blast the bats were cold and Osseo was rolling at a high offensive clip. Solid relief pitching by Benny Roseth, then Will “Crazy Legs” Heiser and Joe “Bruno” Brinda, however, stymied the Osseo attack and the Post 334 bats went to work in the later innings to quickly close the gap to 10-8. Heiser contributed two key hits during the comeback — his first two hits on his fourth and fifth swings of the season!

Still, it was a 3-run deficit when Post 334 came to bat in the top of the ninth inning, but a walk issued to Jeremy Oakley and a single by Ian Andrews put runners on first and second. Doug Pouliot pinch-hitting for Brinda, who could not bat because of a broken left [glove] hand, subsequently picked up his first hit of the season to load the bases.

This was followed by a one-out single by Luke Hite to score Oakley and Andrews and leave the potential game-tying and go-ahead runs on first and second. At that point, though, Osseo brought in its relief ace, who got his team out of the jam with a strike out and ground out.

The loss was Post 334’s second straight in 10th District play and left it with a 14-19 regular-season finish — its first losing season in more than 35 years of American Legion baseball play. It was also the second straight year Post 334 had bowed out of the 10th District tournament in two straight games.

Maple Grove 6, Bloomington Blue 5

Eden Prairie 7, Champlin Post 600 2

Hopkins 7, Andover 2

Wayzata 10, Fridley 1

Edina 3, Ham Lake 2

Bloomington Gold 9, Centennial 4

Chester Bird (Benilde St. Margarent’s) defeated Osseo

Thursday on Wintercrest East
9 a.m.              game 5    Osseo vs Chester Bird
12 p.m.            game 6    Excelsior vs Coon Rapids
2:45 p.m.        game 7    Hopkins or Edina  vs Andover
5:30 p.m.        game 8    Maple Grove vs Bloomington Blue

Devin Croal, who earlier during the day had won the home run derby title with two bombs over the right field fence, hit a two-run homer, while Ian Andrews added a solo homer and finished with two for the tournament. Mike Latta, who won the baserunning title during the skills competition earlier in the day, added two hits, while first-year pitcher Benny Roseth threw five solid innings to get his first American Legion victory.

Roseth, who gave up just two earned runs of the four Jamestown scored, scattered four hits and struck out four.  Will Crazy Legs Heiser closed out the game to get the save with two scoreless innings of relief.

In the pre-game festivities, Heiser earned the gold spike award for slowest runner in the annual “Slow-Man’s” race.  Bo Daniels, meantime, was the winner of  the first heat of the race to earn next year’s exemption…

Now, it is on to the tournament’s home run derby and skills competitions, the team’ annual slow-man’s race, then a game with the Jamestown Post 14 Eagles Saturday afternoon and evening.  Devin Croal and Billy Hirschi will represent Post 334 in the derby, while Bo Daniels and Mike Latta will do the same for the team in the baserunning competition while Bruno Brinda and Jeremy Oakley have been chosen to compete in the throwing challenge.

Andrew Kinney was the last Post 334 player to win the home run derby — 2007. Last year’s derby was called off.

In the win over Saskatoon, a 6-run third inning gave Hirschi an early edge, which was extended to 9-1 before he left with a sore elbow in the fourth. Five Post 334 errors helped Saskatoon get close before Doug Pouliot and Pat Freese closed out the game in relief. Latta, meantime, finished with three hits in the contest…

Mandan 9, Post 334 8.

For the record, it was the fifth loss in 8 innings this season for Post 334.

An error opened the door and a two-out run-scoring double off the right field wall ultimately proved to be Post 334’s undoing. Post 334 had a 7-5 lead in the sixth when Alex William gave up a 3-run homer. Ian Andrews tied the game with a solo homer in the last of the sixth and Mike Latta, who was on second, was thrown out at the plate attempting to score the game-winning run in the last of the seventh on a Billy Hirschi single to right.

All this led to the top of the eighth in which relief pitcher Will Heiser got the first out, then appeared to have the second with an easy grounder to short. A bobbled ball, however, allowed the runner to reach. Then after getting the No. 4 Mandan hitter to pop out, Heiser was tagged for a shot that deflected off the wall 300 feet in right. The ball rebounded back toward the infield where two outfielders misread the angle.

In all, the time utilized trying to get a handle on the loose baseball allowed the runner from first to round the bases with the go-ahead and game-winning run…

Post 334 bashed out 21 hits that produced the 18 runs. Four of the hits were by catcher Mike Latta, who had two homers and collected six RBI. Bill Hirschi, meantime, had two hits, including a grand slam homer and Jeremy Oakley had three hits, including a double and a homer.

Six runs were plated in the first and eight in the sixth. In between, Post 334 collected two in both the second and third innings — more than enough for pitchers Pat Freese and Alex Williams, who shared the mound duties…

Latta scattered nine hits, walked three and struck out nine in what was one of the most improbable pitching performances for a Post 334 team in several years. The team’s lead catcher, Latta was not in the team’s pitching plans when the summer season began, but with the loss of Cody Beam’s services, then other arm injuries suffered by members of the staff, Latta and second baseman Devin Croal were both pressed into mound service.

It should be noted that Croal has been exceptional in his sudden call to service, too.

Post 334 led 6-1 going into the ninth, but with Latta having thrown more than 110 pitches for the first time in his career, signs of weariness were evident early in the inning. A walk, a couple of hits, a fielder’s choice and an error ended his stint on the mound with the score 6-3 and bases loaded. Will Heiser came on in relief, and though he gave up one more run via a sacrifice fly, the big guy with the crazy legs closed out the game.

Ian Andrews collected three hits to lead Post 334 at the plate.

Post 334 faces Tri City Blue in game two of the series Wednesday, 5 p.m., at St. Anthony High School…