Editor's Note: Sports writer Roger Merriam is compiling a "20 Favorites" series highlighting some of his favorite athletes in a variety of high school/other sports since he started working at the Watertown Public Opinion in December 1984. The series is about northeastern South Dakota athletes, but some played at colleges all over the state and others have moved to other areas.
This story is in honor of the 92nd state amateur baseball tournament that started on Wednesday.
It's time to set the record straight on this. A "20 Favorites" story on amateur baseball just seems like one of my most favorite things to do. But this was tough, there are so many players through these years that I couldn't list everybody and probably forgot a few that should have definitely made the list. My apologies.
Since I arrived in Watertown in December of 1984, working at the Public Opinion and being a part of amateur baseball have went hand in hand. I played 21 seasons of amateur baseball (1983-2003), including 14 years with Watertown teams and the final five or six with the Castlewood Ravens. Since then, I've umpired amateur baseball every summer.
My original plan was to write two "20 Favorites" stories for amateur baseball, one on those I played against and another on those who were my teammates. I've decided to combine it into one and make it a "30 Favorites" story. Again don't worry about the order until you get down to the final 2-3 spots.
There's a few caveats: Many of the players I played with in Watertown came up through the Post 17 program and since there were listed in the stories I did on Watertown baseball, I made them ineligible here: Ryan, Rich and Rusty Remmers; Wade and Ryan Van Gilder; Billy McElhany, the Turbak brothers (Andy, Blake and Alex) and others. Andy Turbak hit homers in eight-straight amateur games for the Castlewood Ravens in 2019.
Also, this list includes only players from the Eastern Dakota League and obviously some players played more years than others which was a factor.
Next up in the series will be Watertown High School girls soccer.
30. Others
I wanted to mention brothers Randy and Paul Santema of Volga. Volga didn't have an amateur team when I played, not sure what exactly they had for baseball, but the Santema brothers have had a lot of do with the team. They still played last week in the District 1B tournament in Milbank. Bob Wiley managed Webster amateur teams for years and is in the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and I know fellow Hall of Famers Lonni Stover and Scott Bartholomew played for Webster. Doyle Price and Curtis Anderson were two of the better players for the Aurora A's who I played against.
In recent years, Castlewood has featured the Bencks (Kellan and Ethan) and the Tvedts (Jacob, Kegan and Kyler). Current Ravens player Gus Steiger played at South Dakota State and spent a couple of seasons in the minors.
Let's not forget Dan Haug, who started the Castlewood Ravens in the late 1990s and has coached the team every year since. He recently earned his 500th victory. The 5-6 years I played with the Ravens were the most fun I had playing amateur baseball and a lot of that was because Dan took care of all the things I took care for 14 years playing with the Watertown teams. It was fun to just focus on playing the game.
20 Favorites:Links to the stories highlighting the best northeastern South Dakota athletes since 1984
29. Other Watertown Players
Pitchers Scott Barstad, Garth Buresh and R.A. Meyer deserve mention. Barstad pitched at Augustana, threw hard and would often throw games with 18 walks and 20 strikeouts. Buresh was a talented leftyfrom Sioux Falls who pitched for Watertown amateurs when he spent time as a physical therapist in town. Meyer was a Watertown native who was stationed in Guam and came back a few summers to pitch for the Watertown Amateurs.
A shout out to Kraig Kappenman, who took more bad hops off the body at Watertown Stadium while playing third base but often made the plays. Phil Scales was a Division I defensive back at Wichita State who moved to Watertown to become a junior high orchestra teacher and played with Watertown's amateur team. Guys, I could go on and on. Thanks to everybody who was a teammate.
Former Watertown coaches Doug Schooley and Frank Cutler played for Scotland and Claremont, primarily, before playing one (maybe two) seasons in Watertown. I remember Frank was batting like .190 through June and ended up batting well over .400 the year he played here.
28. Other Milbank Players
Brothers Matt and Mike Paulson, Ryan Conrad, Travis and Dustin Lester, Lance Frogner, Jeff Fish and Zach Lambrechts. There's more I know, but Milbank's Legion and amateur baseball teams have done very well epecially the last 25 years or more.
Matt Paulson accomplished one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen on a baseball field in 1999 when the Watertown Red Sox (41-10) hosted the region tournament at Watertown Stadium. The Red Sox were the heavy favorite and had designs on winning a state title. Paulson beat them the opening game of the three-day tourney and then because rain pushed the tourney into Monday, he got to pitch again and beat the Red Sox again.
27. Other Lake Norden Players
It's probably safe the say, although the Clark Traders might argue, that the Lakers have been the most successful amateur baseball program in the area since the summer of 1985.
I couldn't begin to remember all the names of the good-to-great players they had but I do want to mention Doug Strande (a dangerous hitter), Mike Larson, Paul Konrad, Brad Pfeifle, Jordon Johnson and Ryan Tuttle. I know there's more, some to come below, but even others I've missed. (Update: I did forgot to type in a name I had written down, Doug Riter).
26. The Obermeier, Furness & Bjerke Families
Those are three family names synonymous with baseball in Clark. Fred Obermeier has been involved with the Clark Traders for years and also umpired. I don't think I ever played against him, but his brother Ted was a good player for the Traders.
Gene Furness umpired Legion baseball games when I was playing for Huron and we'd play in Clark. He still umpired amateur games for years after I moved to Watertown. I played many years of baseball against his son Geof. There were some reasons I always enjoyed playing in Clark and it wasn't how many times we won.
Jim Bjerke coached a lot of those American Legion teams in Clark when my Huron team would play Clark and he also umpired a lot of amateur games. His son Jeff was a great pitcher who pitched in college at a school in Washington. He threw hard. I also played college ball and probably amateur ball against another son Joe, a talented infielder.
All great guys and great baseball people.
25. Mel Huff, Dan Karst, TJ Just & Matt Amdahl
Sisseton no longer has an amateur team but did for years and these are four of the guys I most remember playing against.
Mel is a super nice guy and one of the most talented baseball players I've ever played against. I'm serious about that. Karst was a Groton guy, who eventually ended up in Sisseton, and featured a potent left-handed bat with plenty of power. He could hit. Just and Amdahl also could hit.
24. Jay Huber & Jake Esser
How about two more Clark Traders. Jay served as the player-manager for the Traders this year and I'm sure he's past my amateur baseball retirement age of 41. He could hit, pitch, field.
I umped a lot of Clark Traders' games the first few years after I retired and they featured a left-handed power bat in Jake Esser, who's dad Fran was the longtime wrestling coach at Redfield High School. Jake was a good hitter.
23. Dale Solberg, Gene Lorenz, Jerry Hartley & Others
Let's keep going with Clark Traders. Solberg came from Lily was the young ace for the Clark Traders when I first moved to Watertown. The left-handed hurler later made his mark for Dell Rapids PBR and is a member of the SDABA Hall of Fame.
Lorenz, also a SDABA Hall of Famer, and Hartley were my age and we squared off a lot of Legion games and even in amateur games shortly after I arrived in Watertown. Lorenz could hit bombs and Hartley just kept running (stealing bases or running down balls in center field).
Let's also mention Todd Jenkins, a first baseman; and the Floreys (Dave and Paul and Paul's sons). Believe I may have played only a handful of games against Dave, who coached Watertown High School to a girls basketball state title. Played more games against his brother Paul, who now has sons Grayson and Rhett playing for the Traders. Believe me, all the Floreys could or can play.
22. Todd Fiedler
Yes, here's another Clark Trader who gets his own spot on the list. Let me tell you why.
I played against Todd when he was at Northern State and I was at Huron College. There were additional matchups in amateur baseball.
Clark has one of the shortest right-field fences around and it's enticing for left-handed hitters, Fiedler, a right-handed hitter, was deadly hitting the ball to right-center. That played great in that ballpark. He was the best opposite-field hitter I ever played against.
21. The DesLauriers family
Don DesLauriers was a Legion teammate of mine in Huron and he played amateur ball for the Traders when I first moved to Watertown. I'm fairly certain his older brother Darwin was also playing. I never met a DesLauriers that couldn't play.
Don's son Bryce graduated from Clark and has played many years for the Traders. I think he retired a couple of years back, but has returned. I also want to thank his mom Lonna for watching my daughter Quinn in the concession stand when I umpired some of Bryce's amateur games in Clark.
20. Galen Swenson, Mike Kjenstad & Darrel Woolery
Most of you may remember Galen Swenson as a head coach of some state championship boys basketball teams in Castlewood but he was a pretty fair pitcher in his day. He pitched at Northern State and was inducted into SDABA Hall of Fame in 2016. I never faced Galen in his prime and from what I'm told, that was a good thing.
I'm sure I played lot of amateur games against Kjenstad and Woolery. We won a "protested" game over Clear Lake one year that probably meant more to them as far as playoff seeding than it did for us in Watertown. Mike and I talked about the incident for years. I see Darrel at a number of athletic events every year.
19. The Cassels Family
I played many amateur games against Don Cassels, a talented left-handed hitter, who eventually landed in Clear Lake. His sons Trevor and Justin came up through youth programs Don helped run as did a stepson, Tate Pope.
Trevor, Justin and Tate all were good players for the Clear Lake Slough Sharks. Clear Lake no longer has an amateur team.
18. The Krause Family
Ron Krause has managed Milbank's American Legion baseball team for years and has helped develop numerous good players. His sons Jesse, Ronnie and Patrick all were talented players.
I believe I played some against Jesse and Ronnie and I know I've umped games they played along with their sons Kaden and Brady, who now play with the Milbank Firechiefs' amateur team.
The Krauses know how to play and they definitely know to compete.
17. Kalen DeBoer
This seems like a good spot to throw in the University of Alabama's new head football coach. DeBoer could really play baseball, but also was pretty good in football and basketball and any sport he played.
I know one summer during his days at a wide receiver at the University of Sioux Falls, he played amateur baseball in Milbank and brought along USF's quarterback Kurtis Riggs.
Obviously, his football journey took over.
16. Doug Dohrer
The Milbank native spent 35 years involved in amateur baseball and was inducted into the SDABA Hall of Fame in 2003.
I'm sure I was much younger than Doug than when we squared off on the baseball field, but you could see the talent. One of the nicest guys I've every played against.
14. The Ruesinks
I played amateur baseball against Castlewood brothers Fran, Doug and Moe Ruesink and also had Doug as a teammate with the Castlewood Ravens. Not sure I gave up a homer to Doug, but I know I did to Fran and Moe.
Moe hit two homers off me to dead centerfield in Watertown Stadium and I'm not sure he played another season afer that. He owned me. I tease him every time I see him that those homers are still orbiting the earth.
Fran hit a walk-off home off me in one of the wildest games I ever played in around the Fourth in July at Lake Norden. Watertown was leading like 9-1 and appeared on the way to winning by the 10-run rule when fireworks blew up in a vehicle down the right-field line. After a delay and a arrival of volunteer fire departments from various towns, Lake Norden rallied. Eventually, I came in to pitch in the 10th and Fran hit flyball to left that cleared the fence by a foot. Our leftfielder could have taken 10 steps back and camped under it all the way. Weird game, weird finish.
13. The Noems
Brad Noem has jokingly teased me about being left off my "20 Favorites" coaches story but he was a pretty fair pitcher for the Lake Norden Lakers. I'm not sure I played against his brother Bryon, husband of Governor Kristi Noem, but I probably did.
Brad has coached his sons Mitchell, Jackson and Dawson in Legion ball and they're all playing together for the Lake Norden Lakers.
If I remember correctly, Brad wasn't a fireballer but had about 19 different pitches he could get you out with. His sons are all good players.
12. Mike Thyen, Brian Pommer & Todd Jorgenson
Sticking with the Lake Norden Lakers here and three more very good players. Jorgenson was a Clear Lake guy who played at South Dakota State and eventually played second base for Lake Norden. He could really hit.
Pommer was a talented shortstop and hitter and Thyen was an all-around pest on offense and defense for the Lakers. I remember one year with the Ravens we were beating Lake Norden in the unbeaten game of the district tournament and Thyen stole home for the tying run on a catcher's throw back to the pitcher.
11. Arlo Remmers & Dave Allen
These were two pitchers I played amateur baseball with in Watertown. Arlo was in his late 30s or early 40s when he played in Watertown and Allen was in his late 40s.
I'm sure they both threw much harder when they were younger, but they could still get people out.
I remember one year we played the top three teams in the state (Aberdeen, Brookings and Renner) in a two-week span and Arlo beat Aberdeen, then Brookings and would have beaten Renner too if we hadn't dropped a flyball in the outfield.
10. Curt Trego & Mark Nelson
These were two of the better hitters I played with in Watertown. I grew up playing Teener and Legion ball against Trego, an Aberdeen native, and also played against him in college. Both with left-handed hitters with power.
I finally convinced Trego to play amateur baseball here and though he maybe only played 2-3 years, he was definitely our best hitter.
Nelson was the prototypical first baseman, big lefty hitter with pop. One year we got eliminated in the playoffs and Aberdeen Dahme's picked up Trego, Nelson and pitcher Gene Bierscheid (see below) and they teamed to lead Dahme's to a state Class A tourney win over Mitchell.
9. Troy Milton, Todd Jutting & Mike Berry
When I first moved to Watertown, I served as the player-manager for the Watertown amateurs for seven years and as a player-assistant manager for the next seven years. I wouldn't recommend it to any 22-year-old player to do that.
We often struggled to field nine players, especially for road games but these three guys and myself made up nearly half the lineup most nights.
Milton played infield, but could play anywhere. Jutting mostly played outfield. Berry was a centerfielder and brother of longtime Mayville State head coach Scott Berry and current Northern State head coach Dean Berry (I reversed Scott and Dean's schools in the print edition, but have it corrected here).
8. Barry & Bernie Kjetland
I should also probably list younger brother Bruce, who I know filled in a few games.
Barry was definitely one of the better players I played with in Watertown, a good hitter and a pitcher who threw hard. I believe he was even better when he was younger. I remember one year he batted like .600 and even used a wood bat most of time instead of aluminum bats that most players used.
Bernie didn't make things look as easy as Barry, but he played hard as a catcher. Both brothers recorded five-hit games in the state amateur tournament, something very few players have done. Bernie also took over for me as manager of the Watertown team my last few years.
7. Jerrod & Brent Bass
Brent Bass got a lot of ink on my "20 Favorites' area high school football story as a talented running back for Castlewood. He was a solid hitter and catcher for the Ravens' teams I played on and there's no doubt he was a good athlete.
But this post is really about Jerrod, who had a couple of the best seasons I've ever seen for an amateur baseball teammate. Now Castlewood is a short park favorable for hitters, but I believe Jerrod drove in like 75 runs one year.
Ok, I wasn't a cleanup hitter but that was like 40-to-60 percent of my RBI total for my entire 21-year career. He hit it hard and far often.
6. Mick Hoglund
This is probably the lowest rating Mick has ever received when dealing with either basketball or baseball player lists but let me explain.
My former teammate at the University of Sioux Falls, Mick played a few summers with the Lake Norden Lakers afer I first arrived and then went on to star for Dell Rapids PBR teams that won numerous state titles. He was inducted into the SDABA Hall of Fame in 2012, He is second all-time in South Dakota amateur baseball history with 336 homers.
A left-handed hitter and pitcher, he mainly played outfield but also spent time at shortstop for Lake Norden.
5. Matt & Mark Stevenson
Nothing against Mark, 2024 SDABA Hall of Famer Matt is the main reason why I rated these guys this high. They both played Legion ball in Bryant and amateur ball in Bryant, Lake Norden and Castlewood. Matt is still playing, back with Lake Norden and his son Kale.
Matt is one maybe two players on this list who was a stud hitter and pitcher. In college, he was a hard-thrower who earned All-North Central Conference honors at SDSU. He threw hard early, but could be wild. Later in his career, he didn't throw as hard but had more control. If South Dakota hadn't switched to wood bats in 2011, he'd probably be over 300 career homers.
I don't remember Mark pitching and he wasn't a homer hitter, but it seemed like every game I played against him he had two hits or more. He could play and so could their brother-in-law Ron Heiser, who was a similar player to Mark.
4. Dom Boerger
Here's another questionable listing (he could be higher). For the past few years, Boerger has been the most dominant pitcher in the Eastern Dakota League. The Milbank Firechiefs' left-hander has been dominating at the mound ever since he started playing baseball in Milbank and enjoyed a very successful college career at Dakota Wesleyan University.
He had 24 strikeouts in a game in 2018 and 25 in another game in 2020. This season, he has an 0.34 earned-run average with 104 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched.
3. Wade Adamson & Gene Bierscheid
Boerger can pitch, but so could these guys and they get the higher rating because I played with both of them and they both had minor league experience.
Adamson, a right-handed fireballer from Willmar (Minn.), pitched three minor league seasons with the Twins and reached AA in 1980. He later became a teacher and coach in Watertown and played amateur baseball here. I know he fanned 20-plus batters in one game and had another season when he was 10-0 for us with an ERA under 1.00.
Bierscheid is a Watertown native who spent a couple of minor league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies as a relief pitcher. He also threw hard and was tough to hit coming from down under. I played against him in Legion ball and with him in amateur baseball.
I'd take the field anytime with these two guys pitching and feel like we would have a chance to win.
2. Tulsons and Greenfields
These two families have done more for amateur baseball these past 40 years (even longer) than anybody else in the area.
That would be longtime Lake Norden Lakers manager Burt Tulson, who took over the team in 1976 and is still leading the squad. He got his 700th win in 2012. He was inducted into the SDABA Hall of Fame in 2006. Burt also could play the game and at one point, had a streak of reaching base at least once every year for like 50 years.
His sons Ryan and Mick Tulson, like their dad, were sweet-swinging left-handed hitters for the Lakers. Mick is still with the Lakers, who opened play in the state B tourney on Thursday.
Don Greenfield has been involved with the Clark Traders for many years and spent more than 30 years as the Eastern Dakota League president. Sons Blake and Brock also played for the Traders. Brock is the currently a state commissioner for amateur baseball and the EDL president. Don was inducted into the SDABA Hall of Fame with Burt Tulson in 2006.
The Greenfields, like the Tulsons, all could play.
1. Paul Raasch
If you're going to talk about amateur baseball in this area the past 40 years, you can't have a conversation that doesn't include Raasch. The Castlewood native played 25 years (1983-2007), including 23 with the Lake Norden Lakers.
During his career, he batted .375 with 201 home runs and added a 154-50 record as a left-handed pitcher. Like Matt Stevenson, he could beat you with his arm or bat.
On top of that, he's well known as South Dakota's amateur baseball Iron Man. He played in 765 straight games from 1983-2006. He just never missed a game and he didn't like to lose.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sportsor email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
