Osseo-Fairchild emerges as top Tri-County prep basebal team
Osseo-Fairchild has the best record of all the prep baseball teams in the Tri-County Area in the 2025 season so far.
The Thunder are 8-2 overall and just a game back of Melrose-Mindoro for first place in the Large Dairyland Conference.
Large Dairyland Conference (Conf. -Overall)
Melrose-Mindoro 7-1 - 10-3
Osseo- Fairchild 6-2 - 8-2
Whitehall 4-4 - 5-5
Independence/Gilmanton 3-4 - 4-4
Eleva-Strum 3-4 - 4-6
Augusta 2-6 - 2-6
The Thunder have been successful the past two weeks, compiling a 3-1 record with their lone loss to No. 3 ranked Blair-Taylor (9-3 overall) 5-1 back on April 25 at B-T. The Thunder topped Cadott 5-3 at home in a non-conference game back on April 21. Drew Paulus was the winning pitcher with a five-hit, two walk performance and Tyrggve Korger got the save. Brooks Koxlien's two-RBI double in the fifth put the Thunder ahead in a four-run inning. This was followed by a 7-4 win the following day, also at Jon Soiney Field, over Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran. The Thunder trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the fourth when Drew Hanson stole home to tie the ballgame and Drake Swett and Brooks Koxlien hit back-to-back RBIs, a double and triple respectively, to add more runs. Swett got the win and Korger the save from the mound. Koxlien had three hits and three RBIs and Mason Schmdt had two hits. O-F then rushed Cochrane-Fountain City at home 13-3 on April 29. The Thunder had 12 hits and the Pirates had three errors for the big win. Koxlien, Hanson and Blaine McCune all had two hits with Koxlien and McCine both hitting doubles. Swett again, was the winning pitcher. O-F is at Lincoln Friday before games next week against Stanley-Boyd on Monday, May 5, Alma/Pepin on Tuesday; at Fall Creek Thursday and at No. 8 ranked Mondovi on Friday.
Fall Creek is above .500 in the Western Cloverbelt at 4-2 and overall at 6-5. The Crickets snapped a two-game losing streak with back-to-back wins, 4-2 Tuesday, April 29 at home vs. Stanley-Boyd and Thursday, May 1 at Stanley-Boyd 7-2. Before this week the Crickets had lost 10-0 to Chippewa Falls McDonell back on April 22 and 7-4 at home to Cadott on April 26. FC hosts Durand-Arkansaw Friday, May 2, hosts Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran next Tuesday, May 6, another non-conference match-up at home vs. Osseo-Fairchild on May 8 and then is at Baldwin-Woodville on Saturday, May 10.
Western Cloverbelt Conference (Conf. - Overall)
Bloomer 4-1 - 8-3
Eau Claire Regis 3-1 - 8-5
fall Creek 4-2 - 6-5
Chipppewa Falls McDonell 2-4 - 4-4
Cadott 1-2 - 4-5
Stanley-Boyd 1-5- 1-8
A tough schedule last week put Eleva-Strum below .500. The Cardinals lost at Arcadia back on April 22 by a 10-3 score. The Cardinal fell behind 9-0 in the first three innings and had three errors. E-S had just three hits and Ty Fjelstad drove in two runs. E-S lost to Immanuel Lutheran in Eau Claire on Friday, April 25 by a 6-3 score. Central again got off to a bad start 5-1 by the thirsd inning and were unabel to rally all the wayb back. They were again held to just three hits and committed four errors. Alex King drove in a run for E-S. And the Cards were blanked at home vs. Blair-Taylor 5-0 on Tuesday, April 29. They were uthit by the Wildcats 10-4. Connor Schiefelbein had two hits to lead E-S and Fjelstad had a stolen base. Eeva-Strum will look to break their losing streak at Cochrane-Fountain City on Friday, May 2 and play in a triangular competition on Saturday, May 3 at Baldwin-Woodville. The Redbirds host Lincoln on May 6 and Alma/Pepin on May 9.
Augusta got a much-needed win on April 25 by a 11-5 score at C-FC. AHS held the Pirates to just four hits. They were blanked early last week at Blair-Taylor 10-0 and fell to Lincoln 8-5 at home on April 29. Their ballgame at Melrose-Mindoro was postponed due to rain on May 1 but the Beavers will be back in action May 2 hosting Alma/Pepin. AHS is at Chippewa Falls McDonell next Tuesday, May 6 and host Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on May 9.
