‘Rely on our experience’
Fairmont back in Class C State Tournament
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FAIRMONT - The Fairmont Martins have reclaimed their spot in Class C of the Minnesota Baseball Association (MBA).
The year-long hiatus in Class B resulted in a premature postseason exit. Now, back in familiar territory, Fairmont is once again one of the top teams in their pool, making its 25th all-time state tournament appearance and first showing since 2024.
"We've had success in [Class] C, so we're hoping we still have that in our back pocket," Martins’ manager, Levi Becker, said. "You have to play your best baseball at the state tournament. We're going to be seeing everyone's ace. ...Looking to get our big guys there in the lineup and see how many games we can win."
Fairmont opens tournament play against the Quamba Cubs. First pitch at Shakopee's Joe Schleper Stadium is at 4:00 p.m. this Saturday. The winner takes on the Cold Springs Rockies or the Aitkin Steam on Aug 29 in New Prague.
"Something unique about the state tournament is that, you know, Quamba, I haven't heard of these guys," Levi Becker said. "They know nothing about us. We know nothing about them. But you are expecting a good game. A good state game."
But one thing is for certain about the Martins: their experience. Many players on this team have experienced past state tournaments. Some were even a part of Fairmont's title run back in 2020.
Levi Becker knows this is one of the keys to success for another deep tournament run. The Martins have been here before. Now, it's time to play their best baseball in the biggest moment.
"We are going to rely on our experience," Levi Becker said. "We have four, five, six guys who have been in these big games before."
Using their strengths
It's no question that pitching has been the driving force to Fairmont's 15-8 record this summer. The Martins pitching staff has a combined 2.06 earned run average over their 179 innings, striking out 171 and holding opponents to a .245 batting average.
Spencer Chirpich is expected to get the start on Saturday, but the Martins have plenty of pitching depth besides him to come out of the bullpen and help the team.
Jack Hested and Josh Smith are two other starting arms for Fairmont, while Derek Shoen and Zach Jorgenson have provided multiple appearances in relief. Lincoln Swanjord, who has made two postseason appearances on the rubber, is joined by Dylan Kluis as two of the Martin's playoff draftees from the Hadley Buttermakers.
The pitching staff is filled with different talents to use in different situations. It also has depth, something Levi Becker knows is important throughout the state tournament, especially in the later rounds.
"When we made our run in 2020, it was kind of unique. We had three different guys pitch complete games," Levi Becker said. "We didn't need as much pitching, but that doesn't happen very often. The more arms, the better. And we will have a bunch of them."
Getting the offense started
Fairmont's offense has experienced ups and downs throughout the Region 10C playoff bracket. Their highs? Scoring nine and 17 runs against the Worthington Cubs in the quarterfinals. Even the nine runs against Jackson to clinch the semifinal series were impressive. But the lows have brought some problems.
The Martins have been held to four or fewer runs in three of their past six contests, going 1-2 when it happens. They are 10-1 on the season when scoring five or more times. Getting that total is a major difference.
Levi Becker says it boils down to the top of the batting order setting the offensive tone early and often. Eli Anderson, Joey Crissinger and Luke Becker have been staples of the opening three lineup spots. Them beginning the contest with a run, or even a reached base, will give the rest of the team confidence at the plate.
"We'll rely on the top of our order to set the pace. It seems like when those guys get out there and start hitting the ball, then everybody says, 'Ok, we got this too.' Talking from experience, getting that first run across is huge. It just sets the tone."