Regularly-scheduled Hermantown baseball and softball games on Tuesday, postponed due to rain, have been rescheduled.
The Hawks baseball game at Hibbing will be played on May 10, and Hermantown’s Lake Superior Conference home softball game against Superior at Rose Field will be made up April 29.
Meantime, both teams hope to return to action Thursday, when the hardballers are scheduled to face Duluth Denfeld at 4:30 p.m. at Wade Stadium in West Duluth and the softballers, who blitzed Esko 11-0 last Friday in their only game this spring, will face Cloquet at 4:30 p.m. at Rose Field.
The baseball team is 2-0 with impressive wins against Duluth Denfeld 18-3 and Cloquet 2-1.
“There were nerves but once we settled in, got our feet under us, everything started flowing,” first-year Hawks head coach Troy Warren said of the monstrous Denfeld win.
Hawks junior catcher-pitcher River Freeman, a returning starter, scattered one hit in three innings of relief to earn the pitching win.
“River’s been a varsity starter since his freshman year, an elite leader, and his teammates aspire to play like him,” said Warren, a former Hawks assistant and Proctor grad.
Warren on his club, which returns only two varsity starters from a year ago: “We have a lot of talent and good team chemistry. We’re staying positive, working hard, and understand that when we make mistakes – which we will – we’ll learn from them.”
Despite its inexperience and youth, Hermantown is currently ranked third in the latest HowieHanson.com Baseball Rankings. Defending Minnesota Class AA state champion Esko is ranked first, followed by Duluth Marshall. Proctor is fourth, Grand Rapids fifth and Cloquet sixth.
“Proctor and Duluth Marshall have young, talented pitching staffs,” said Warren. “It will be very competitive between the top teams. I expect us to keep our heads up and stay in every game.”
Hermantown’s program will eventually benefit when its home park, Fichtner Field, is rebuilt with synthetic turf in the infield and outfield for play likely beginning in 2025.
“Artificial turf at Fichtner will be a game-changer, long overdue,” said Warren. “It’s not fair that we only get to play about two home games every season, in a 20-plus game schedule. Our kids deserve to play on a beautiful new field.”