For the first time in three years, there will be a new North Dakota Class “A” American Legion Baseball State Champion.
Eighth-seeded Wahpeton Post 20 ended the month playing its best baseball, but that wasn’t enough to overcome a pair of one-run losses against top-seeded Devils Lake and fourth-seeded Casselton in the East Region Tournament.
Wahpeton, two-team defending state champions, and three-time champions since 2021, was eliminated from state tournament contention by Casselton on Friday in a 4-3 marathon game that lasted 11 innings.
Rylan Flack delivered Nolan Ryan-like distance on the mound. The righty tossed 105 pitches across 9 ⅓ innings, holding Casselton to four hits and one walk. Flack kept the Haymakers in check with three earned runs while striking out seven.
The righty’s Ironman effort helped him reach a team-high 44 ⅔ innings and 36 strikeouts for the season, lowering his ERA to a serviceable 4.07.
Aiden Hajek was the only Wahpeton batter to record two hits, as Post 20 strung together seven of them in the contest. Hajek doubled for the only extra-base hit by either squad. The slugger finishes his summer slate with a .342 average, 18 runs and 12 RBIs.
Brayden Steffens, Riley Jones, Trey King, Cayson Pinsonneault and Flack each hit a single in the loss. Carter Hockert and Pinsonneault both swiped a steal.
Casselton also tallied seven hits. Both teams committed just one error.
Wahpeton closes the 2025 legion campaign with an 11-20 record.
