Dyersville Beckman blazes way to state baseball final with 8-0 win over Regina

DES MOINES — Dyersville Beckman co-coach Fred Martin received a gameday phone call.

The call was from longtime Beckman skipper, Tom Jenk Jr. It included a command and a promise, informing Martin arrangements have been made for the 64-year-old battling Stage 4 brain cancer to attend the state finals.

'He called me this morning,' Martin said. 'Here's what he said, 'Fred, I haven't been down yet, but I want you to know that I'm coming down Saturday, so you got to win.''

The season the Blazers have dedicated to their beloved leader will culminate with the championship game on Saturday. Top-seeded Beckman scored multiple runs in each of the first three innings and C.J. McDermott tossed a complete-game shutout to beat No. 4-seed Iowa City Regina, 8-0, in the Class 2A state baseball semifinals Thursday at Principal Park.

The Blazers have been at ease on the field, balancing emotion and a bit of swagger to reach the title game.

'We know this season is all for Jenk,' McDermott said. 'We're doing this all for him, but we know we have to be focused at the same time. We're doing whatever it takes to get this win for Coach Jenk.'

Beckman (31-11) wasted little time to take control, retiring the Regals in order and tallying all the runs needed in the first inning.

Riley LeGrand sparked the Blazers with a one-out triple, slicing an opposite-field liner that skipped by the left fielder, who slipped. He wanted to put the ball in play, but really set the tone for Beckman and the game.

'I think the wind held it up a little bit and it was a tough play for the left fielder,' said LeGrand, who had two hits and an RBI. 'He just kind of misjudged it and it got by him. It allowed me to get to third and that was big for us.

'I saw the ball in the corner and just took off to third.'

Jackson Bennett drew a two-out walk and Sam Stelken chased both home with a triple that dropped under the glove of a sliding right fielder. Stelken scored when Brock Marbach reached on an error for a 3-0 lead.

Stelken was hot at the plate, hitting an RBI single in the second that scored Joel Vaske, whose triple drove in Colin Koelker. Stelken added a single in the sixth to finish 3-for-4.

'I try to make anything happen I can for the team,' Stelken said. 'Just move base runners around and do what I can.

'I'm really thinking, 'Don't strike out.' I hate striking out. I get two strikes, I choke up on the bat and that helps me spray it out there.'

McDermott didn't need much run support. He was dialed in for most of the game, striking out 13 batters and allowing just three hits. He retired the Regals in order three times, striking out three in the fifth and seventh.

The lone blip came in the second when he gave up a leadoff single and hit two straight batters to load the bases. McDermott struck out the next batter and the defense turned a grounder to second into a 4-6-3 double play.

'My defense was really helping me,' McDermott said. 'That double play in the second inning when we had bases loaded and no outs and we came out of there with no runs. That's always huge for us.'

The only other time Regina had a chance to rally was in the fourth, getting a leadoff single by Trent Hoogerwerf. LeGrand caught a liner to second and doubled the courtesy runner off first.

'Those are momentum killers,' Martin said. 'It just takes the team down.'

The Blazers padded their lead with two more in the third. Nate Funke doubled and scored on a throwing error. Mark Brown singled and crossed the plate for a 7-0 edge. Beckman finished with 10 hits and fed off each other's emotions.

'Because of T.J., they've gelled really well together,' Martin said. 'I don't care if it's a guy in the dugout and not playing. He's just as pumped as anybody playing out in that field. They all have come together.'

Regina (28-8) battled some nerves early on defense that helped contribute the early deficit it couldn't close.

'We seemed a little tight,' Regina Coach Jeff Pacha said. 'Anytime you're playing in an atmosphere, in a game, you hadn't been at, I'm sure that plays part of it. I think we were definitely prepared.'

Regina doesn't have a single senior on its roster. They will be favorites to get back to Principal Park next season. The work will start immediately.

'I can promise you our players are not going to be satisfied with where we're at,' Pacha said. 'I don't want to take away from the season that we had. We had a really good season overall, but knowing the guys that we have I'm pretty confident that they will be getting back to work pretty soon.'

Beckman will return to work, trying to add to Jenk's list of accomplishments.

Jenk still is listed as co-coach, attending some practices, talking with players regularly and attending some of the home games. He still is adding to his Hall of Fame career that now includes 17 state tournament appearances and 13 trips to the finals, which is second all-time to Lansing Kee's 16. The Blazers have a shot to win a sixth state title for him.

'Absolutely, they know,' Martin said. 'They're pumped.'

Beckman returns to the title game for the first time since a runner-up finish in 2014. The Blazers will try to win the first title since back-to-back crowns in 2012 and 2013. Beckman can tie West Des Moines Valley and Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson for fifth all-time.

'This is what you dream of to be able to do as a kid, especially watching Beckman baseball,' LeGrand said. 'You watch the teams before us be able to do this and being able to carry on the tradition of Beckman baseball is hard to take in.

'We're going to be ready to play Saturday.'

They will be ready to play for Jenk, too.

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