Aitkin Steam Amateur Baseball

       The Aitkin Steam found their first visit to the State Tournament in 48 years a tough one Saturday as they dropped a close 2-1 decision to the Cold Spring Rockies. The Steam left seven runners on base in the game and were unable to get a key hit as they finished the season with a record of 11-10. Nathan Ehnstrom pitched another beauty for the Steam giving up just one run and 11 hits while striking out 6. He threw 123 pitches, 83 for strikes and gave way in the 8th to Thor Dunham who got the final out. Drew Paulbeck had half the Steam hits going 3-4 in the game while Ehnstrom, Jake Ince and Keyon Wesner each had one hit. The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the 1st on an error and a triple by David Jonas. They made it 2-0 in the 5th with a single, sacrifice bunt and another base-hit. The Steam made it 2-1 in the 6th. Ince singled, was forced at second by Landon Janzen who went to second on a hit by Paulbeck and later scored on a wild pitch. That was it for the scoring and the Steam went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to end their season. 

Aitkin       1 6 1

Rockies  2 11 1

WP Cole Fuchs

LP Nathan Ehnstrom

      This was a season to be proud of as the Steam first advanced to the region tourney before beating Opole last week to gain the State for the first time since 1978. Nathan Ehnstroms pitching was a big part of that, but this was a true team effort all the way down the line. Every player contributed at some point, at the plate or in the field. Congratulations Steam, Aitkin proud!

      The Aitkin Steam have had quite a season, starting slow and then catching fire and making it all the way to the State Tournament. We've talked a lot about them in the past three months but now it's time to hear from the players. They talk about their season, the game that got them to the State and how they did it. Here we go.

Landon Janzen-It's been a blast all summer. This is such a tight group of guys. Nathan has been an animal on the hill, we've played great defense and have produced timely hits when we needed. Those are the three keys to winning baseball. There's nothing better than going to battle every weekend with your old high school teammates. We're going to keep our foot on the gas and go battle for a State Championship. And again, I say, don't let the Steamers get hot"!

Drew Paulbeck-"I think it's huge for the program, it's such a blast playing and to have fun, it's unbeatable."

Keyon Wesner-"This has been some of the greatest moments in my athletic career, I'm so happy for the Steam, it means the world to me."

Nathan Ehnstrom-"It's been a good stretch. It helped a bunch having Thor and Zach throw a lot of innings so I could be fresh and it turned out to be an advantage. We played just one game a week recently until this one and that gave them the rest they needed to recover and be able to throw well against Opole. Things fell into place for us and we got hot at the right time. Got to keep it going".

Jake McGuire-"It was a full team effort to win and make it to the State Tournament. It's a dream come true, I'm excited to see what we can do at State."

Zach Ehnstrom-"Growing up I always wanted to play with my brother, but it wasn't really possible until I got old enough. It's been so fun to get out on the diamond and just have a good time and play ball like we were kids. Watching my brother dominate recently has been so cool. Not only does he manage the team and organize everything for us, he also goes out there and is consistently our best player. It meant a lot to me to go out there at midnight and finish off the regional for him and the rest of the squad. The Steamers are hot"!

Jack Jacobson-"It's been super exciting and feels so great to do it with the alumni. Can't wait to bring it to Cold Spring with the guys."

Nolan Dotzler-"It was awesome to beat the Bears and make it to State. I mean all the guys showed up ready to go even though it was a long wait. We were ready and it was just an awesome experience with those guys knowing so much about baseball and learning from them and just having an awesome team. It's just amazing. It's town baseball that not a lot of people know about but the people that support us are awesome and it's just a great experience for our town and our community."

Thor Dunham-"I didn't have my best stuff against Opole but either way I was ready to get after it even though it was delayed a few hours. I knew I had to give our team the best chance to win. I just focused on competing, trusting my teammates, and making pitches when I needed to. They had my back the entire game and we were able to get the win and punch our ticket. I'm really proud of how we battled together."

Jake Ince-"Being more of a veteran on this team it's pretty special to me because it sets the standard for what we've been trying to build the last 10+ years. We've always had the talent in Aitkin baseball to accomplish something like this, but it seems like we couldn't get a solid core to keep coming back. Finally got a solid core brought in and it's no surprise. We are where we are. I'm just happy for guys like Nathan. I've been here a long time, and they deserve this type of success."

Owen Foday-"This summer has been a blast to play with the Steamers. We started off a little rocky, but we have dialed in when it matters most. Our team chemistry is building every week and it's been an honor to be a part of this historic run. We've had a lot of players step up in huge spots, especially Nathan with his pitching as of late which has been huge for us. Can't wait to keep staying hot throughout the State."

     By the way, about those guys on the 1978 team. A couple have some advice for this year's team heading to Jordan.

Jim Janzen-"My advice is to play hard, support each other and have fun, the same way you got to State. Enjoy every minute with your teammates because down the road you will remember that most. What I remember about the 1978 State Tournament was first of all, playing our best baseball late in the season. That was fun. Playing with such a great group of guys was the best. Even though we didn't play our best it wss still fun and an honor to represent Aitkin there."

Mike Nentl-"Throw strikes, as a catcher that's all I have for you, just throw strikes and have fun, there's nothing like playing with your friends and teammates at that level. Good luck Steam!"

    Game time Saturday at the mini-met in Jordan is 1:30. Best of luck Steamers, you've done Aitkin proud!

      The Aitkin Steam scored three runs in the 2nd inning and made it stand up for a 3-1 win over the Opole Bears to capture a spot in the 2026 State Baseball Tournament. The game didn't start until 9:30 Saturday night but the late night matchup didn't seem to faze the Steam. On the mound, Thor Dunham and Zach Ehnstrom gave up a total of just six hits in the game with Dunham going the first six and Ehnstrom the final three innings. Dunham threw 95 pitches, 53 for strikes while Ehnstrom threw 38 pitches, 22 for strikes. The Bears loaded the bases in the 9th, but the Steam finished it off when Brodi Huls hit a grounder to Nathan Ehnstrom at second and he made the toss for the final out. Nathan manages this great crew, and he was excited after the win, "It was a full team effort. We played our style of ball, very good pitching and great defense. One big inning we scored all of our runs. We had a lot of loud swings for outs as well. A great battle and we came out on top tonight. First time back to State for an Aitkin amateur team since 1978." The Steam got all the runs they would need in the 2nd frame. Nolan Dotzler was hit by a pitch, John McGuire walked, Noelan Jones hit a single to load the bases before Nathan hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run. Jake Ince reached on an error to score another and Landon Janzen ripped a single to score the final run. The Bears scored a run in the 6th but that was all they would get as they finished the season with a record of 11-7. Jake Ince spoke for everyone after the win, "It was a team win, I got on base all four times and never scored. The bottom of the order came through with some clutch hits to get us ahead and lights out defense and pitching once again was the difference. We started with nine guys on the lineup card. Once the game was delayed four guys drove from all parts of the state to make it here and play. Some didn't even have their gear. Carson Kullhem came from the Twins game, Jack Jacobson and Keyon Wesner came from work. They all played and contributed as well. Keyon wore my extra cleats. It was a total team win." The Steam go into the State Tourney at 11-9 but are playing their best baseball at just the right time. Noelan Jones was 2-3 on the night with a run batted in, Drew Paulbeck was 2-4 and Nathan Ehnstrom had the other run batted in.

Aitkin   3 7 0

Opole  1 6 2

WP Thor Dunham

LP Isaiah Folsom  

(all photos by Jen Ehnstrom)

      The Aitkin Steam will have to wait one more night before earning a spot in the State Tournament after a 2-0 loss to the Pierz Brewers Friday night. Two of the best hurlers around locked horns in this game before Gunnar Wicklund hit a homerun in the bottom of the 6th to break the scoreless tie. The Brewers put up another run in the 8th to give them their second run. Pete Schommer went the distance for Pierz giving up just six hits while striking out seven. Nathan Ehnstrom also pitched a complete game for the third straight game allowing eight hits and striking out six. Ehnstrom threw 113 pitches, 78 for strikes while Schommer threw 114 pitches, 77 for strikes. Both pitchers walked one batter. Jake Ince had three of the Steam six hits while Nathan had a pair of knocks and Landon Janzen had the other. The loss puts the Steam at 10-9 with at least one more game.
Aitkin      0 6 0
Brewers  2 8 0
WP Pete Schommer
LP Nathan Ehnstrom
 

      Nathan Ehnstrom pitched a gem for the second game in a row and Keyon Wesner banged a two-run single in the 8th inning to give the Aitkin Steam a 3-0 victory over Opole and move themselves into the Section 9C unbeaten game. Wesner's big hit came after a single by Jake Ince and a double by Drew Paulbeck. He was ready for the moment, "I was seeing the ball well all day and knew my time would come. I finally put a good swing on one, and it felt great to deliver truly a moment I will never forget." The Steam made it 3-0 in the 9th when Ehnstrom doubled and Landon Janzen singled. Ehnstrom gave up just seven hits, walked none and struck out seven, "The defense has been stellar and we are putting together good at bats. It's fun to pitch in front of our defense right now. I can pitch to contact and have all the confidence that everyone will come up with the play. We aren't trying to do too much at the plate as a team. We are putting the ball in play and coming up clutch." On the offensive side Paulbeck was 3-4, "My swing feels great, energy feels better, Jake and I are staying hot. Steamers are rolling." Ince also had a pair of hits, "Drew and I kept the momentum rolling hitting back-to-back, Nathan went nine innings again, Keyon came up with the clutch hit of the game. We outlasted them."

Aitkin   3 10 0

Opole  0  7 0

WP Nathan Ehnstrom

LP Isaiah Folsom

      The Steam will meet the Pierz Brewers in Pierz Friday night at 6:00.       

     Nathan Ehnstrom pitched a gem and the #8 seed Aitkin Steam lashed out 12 hits opening up the Region Baseball tournament with a 6-0 win over the top-seeded Randal Cubs at Upsala. Ehnstrom went the distance giving up just six hits while walking two and striking out six hitters. The right-hander threw 120 pitches, 82 for strikes.

    The Steam opened the scoring with a run in the 4th. Jake Ince doubled and after Jake McGuire singled, Drew Paulbeck singled to center to score the run. Aitkin broke the game open with five runs in the 5th inning. With two out the rally got started with a double by Nathan Ehnstrom. Ince followed with his second double of the game that scored one run and Landon Janzen blasted his 4th home run of the season to make it 4-0. Jake McGuire walked, Zach Ehnstrom singled and Paulbeck doubled to right for two more runs. The Steam offense was led by Drew Paulbeck as he went 2-4 and knocked in three runs. Janzen was 1-5 but knocked in two big runs while Nathan Ehnstrom, Ince, and Aiden Flanagan each added a pair of hits to the attack. Ince had the other run batted in with his 2-5 day. Five of the 12 Steam hits were for extra bases. The Steam are back in action next week.

Aitkin   6  12 1

Cubs    0  6 0

WP Nathan Ehnstrom

LP Nate Benning   

      The Aitkin Steam will take on the Randall Cubs Saturday at 10:30 in Upsala in the next round of the Region Tournament. It has been an interesting season for the Steam who sit at 8-8 on the season and are appearing in the Region Tourney for the second straight season. They are blessed with a roster filled with young players and some wily veterans who love to play baseball. Youngsters Aiden Flanagan at .500 and Nolan Dotzler at .417 lead the hitters and have played 12 games between them. Noah Janzen is at .333 in 4 games. Next up is Nathan Ehnstrom who is hitting .314 with one homer and six runs batted and Landon Janzen is at .312 with 3 round-trippers and a team leading 15 runs batted in. John McGuire has knocked in 10, and Zach Ehnstrom has brought 9 runs home on the season. The Steam has hit 8 homeruns led by Janzen with 3, and Jake McGuire with 2. Nathan Ehnstrom, Zach Ehnstrom and John McGuire have each hit 1.

      Nathan Ehnstrom and Thor Dunham have continued to lead the pitching. Ehnstrom is 2-0 with an ERA of 1.76 while fanning 23 in 30 innings. Dunham is 1-0 with an ERA of 2.63 while striking out 37 in 41 innings. Ehnstrom talked about this years team, "We had a goal of making it back to the Region tournament from the start of the season. We didn't start out the way we wanted but we battled back to host another playoff series last weekend. One of the best things about this years team is that each player is willing to play different spots, hit in different spots and do what is asked. We have confidence in each other to get the job done. We have a bit more experience this year and it shows in some close games. We have relied on good pitching and defense and timely hitting to get where we are and we continue to bring that into the Region Tournament."

      Drew Paulbeck has played solid again on defense this season and is hitting .271. He talked about his season, "It's been a super fun year for me. I am able to play with the guys I used to watch growing up. I think this year we had a better turnout every game than last year. Just a good group showed up every Sunday and created more of a team than last year with guys cycling in and out and trying to get enough guys. When we play our best we are a really good baseball team."

     Jake McGuire has done a nice job all season whether on the mound, at the plate or in the field. He thinks his team is in a good spot, "The season has gone well and has been a  lot of fun. The team has come together great and it's been fun playing with guys of all ages. Winning the play-in was huge for us for momentum and we are ready to see what we accomplish as the playoffs continue."

      Landon Janzen loves baseball, not only playing but coaching it and why not. In his 12 games this season he has 15 hits, one of the leaders for the Steam. He has had fun as usual, "It's been a very fun season. Every time I get to step back on the field one last time with the boys I grew up with is nothing short of amazing. You never know when it might be the last time and I never take it for granted. I've got a really good feeling about the Region this season. We've played good baseball the past couple of weeks and are hot at the right time."

     Nolan Dotzler is one of the young players on this year's team but he has had some big plays and big hits this season. He's excited to be playing on this team, "It's been fun, love all the guys on the team, just a fun and talented group and we definitely are going to make some noise heading into regions."

     Jake Ince is a veteran on this year's team and he knows this season has been special, "This season has felt a little different for our team. We're one of the youngest teams we've had in years, but we've built one of the strongest cores. Even though our roster isn't the biggest we've reached a point where if a few guys can't make a game someone else is ready to step in and get the job done. That hasn't always been the case. This team has embraced a true "pass the torch" mentality. We don't rely on one guy to carry us. Every guy is capable of making a difference and that's been one of the biggest strengths all season. After keeping much of the same core together for the last few years, it feels like we are finally finding our footing. The confidence in this group is real and it's showing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that we got new jerseys this season, the second time in team history I believe. It gives the team a fresh look and a little extra swagger going into the playoffs. We're excited to see what this group can accomplish."

    John McGuire is as competitive a player as you would want on your team. He's short on words but an important cog in the Steam machine, "The season has gone well and in the playoffs anything can happen."

    Carson Kullhem has had a solid year hitting .263 and has one of only two triples this season by the Steam with Thor Dunhan having the other. He has enjoyed this season, "It's been a fun year, we have good ballplayers who play hard and know how to have fun which is why we are proud to have made it to Regions. However, it is something we expect to do at this point in our careers. I think the next step is to push for a State Tournament run."

     Thor Dunham has been with the team for a couple years and has turned out to be a top-notch pitcher. He likes his team's chances, "It's been a strong season and we're continuing to get better every time we hit the field. We've put in the work and competed hard every week. We're looking forward to continuing our work and making the most of every opportunity we have left."

     Zach Ehnstrom has played a lot of baseball in his young life, and nobody loves the game more, "It's been an absolute blast this season as usual. It's always fun to get out on the field with old friends and my brother. As far as my performance this year it hasn't been great. I have felt comfortable and confident at the plate all season but haven't gotten the results I was hoping for. I'm starting to hit my stride though which has felt really good."

    This is a Steam team that has come a long way and maybe as they enter Region play this Saturday Landon Janzen may have summed it up perfectly, "Don't let the Steamers get hot".






 

       The Aitkin Steam are moving on to the Region Tourney after a heart-stopping 8-7 win Sunday over the Upsala Blue Jays. A wild pitch scored Nolan Dotzler with the winning run in the final inning after Aitkin tied the game in the 8th on a sacrifice fly by Landon Janzen. The Steam scored three times in the 2nd inning to take a 3-1 lead. Jake Ince reached on an error, Carson Kullhem singled, Jake McGuire walked and Zach Ehnstrom singled to score two runs. Janzen then reached on an error scoring the other. After Upsala scored three in the third the Steam rallied back to take a 6-4 lead. Dotzler singled, Drew Paulbeck singled and later in the inning Jake McGuire doubled to center to score three runs. That brought things to the 8th when Janzen provided the run that tied it at 8-8 and set the Steam up for their heroics in the 9th. Dotzler again provided the impetus for the inning with a bunt single. He stole second and reached third on a groundout. With Owen Foday at the plate Jack Primus uncorked a wild pitch and Dotzler scampered home with the winner. Ehnstrom was 3-5 with two runs batted in while Dotzer and Paulbeck each banged out a pair of hits in the game. Ehnstrom went the first three innings while Paulbeck went the final six innings.

Upsala    7 11 2

Steam     8 11 3

WP Drew Paulbeck

LP Jack Primus

Saturday

Game Two

     The Steam had a chance to end the series Saturday but dropped a 5-4 decision. The Blue Jays scored single runs in the 7th and 8th innings to erase a 4-3 deficit and pick up the win. Aitkin took a 2-0 lead in the first. John McGuire singled, Nathan Ehnstrom was hit by a pitch, Zach Ehnstrom singled to left for one run and Nolan Dotzler singled to right for the second run. The Blue Jays made it 2-1 in their half, but Aitkin took a 3-1 lead in the second. Keyon Wesner walked and later in the inning Nathan Ehnstrom singled to score the run. It was tied at 3-3 after six, but Aitkin retook the lead in the 7th. Nathan singled, Jake McGuire singled and Zach reached on an error. Drew Paulbeck hit a ground ball and reached on an error to score the run. Upsala tied it in the 7th on a hit by Brady Yourczek and got the winning run on a homer in the 8th by Barthel. Thor Dunham started and went six innings striking out four. Carson Kullhem came on and pitched two innings and took the loss. Nathan Ehnstrom and Nolan Dotzler each had two hits to lead the Steam.

Aitkin     4 8 2

Upsala  5 9 2

WP Brady Yourczek

LP Carson Kullhem

Game One

     The Steam got out to a 5-0 lead in the opener on their way to an 8-2 win. They scored once in the first as they worked the double steal for a run and then put four across in the second. Drew Paulbeck singled, Keyon Wesner singled, Carson Kullhem and John McGuire singled for a run leaving the bases loaded. Landon Janzen unloaded them with a double to right for three runs. Upsala scored a run to make it 5-1 but Aitkin got that one back in the 3rd on a run scoring hit by Nathan Ehnstrom. Nolan Dotzler ripped a single to score another run for the Steam in the 4th and Zach Ehnstrom blasted a homerun in the 8th for the final run. Nathan Ehnstrom started and went the distance for the Steam striking out seven in the game. Janzen was 3-5 with three runs batted in and Dotzler and Wesner both had two hits for the winners.

Upsala  2  7 1

Steam  3 12 1

WP Nathan Ehnstrom

LP C. J. Clear