Hedtke gem helps Marion to 3-0 win over Storm Lake (w/video)

DES MOINES - Tyler Hedtke either is a fibber, or he can't count.

The Marion pitcher was asked the percentage of breaking balls he threw in a 3-0 shutout of Storm Lake at the state baseball tournament Tuesday afternoon. His reply was 40 percent.

Really? Dude was essentially "Curveball Paul" in this two-hit beauty.

"It looked higher than that," admitted Marion Coach Steve Fish. "(Assistant) Coach (Tom) Hauck calls the pitches, does a wonderful job. The funny part is Tyler wants to throw some changeups. He's been on Coach Hauck about ‘Hey, I want to throw my changeup' ... He does such a wonderful job with his two pitches (fastball and curve) that we can introduce that maybe in the offseason."

Or not. No reason to mess with what works, and, man, that bender works for the stringbean junior lefty.

Hedkte (11-3) picked up his third shutout of the season to move Marion (27-16) to Friday's noon Class 3A semifinals against fellow Wamac Conference member Solon (37-4). The top-seeded Spartans swept two regular-season games.

"It was pretty good, but there were a few kinks here and there," said Hedtke, one of several Indians with newly shaved heads in support of Hauck's cancer-stricken mother. "Keep it away because most of them were pull hitters. Hard away, curveball inside."

"He kept everything low, which is great for a pitcher, obviously," said Storm Lake's Carsen Anderson. "His curveball never got over the knees, so it was extremely hard to hit. It just broke right into you every time."

Anderson (9-1) lost for the first time, with Marion doing all its damage against him in the third inning. The first run scored on a catcher's throwing error after Kasey Semler stole second.

Zach Nielsen followed with a huge two-out RBI single and Dusty Albaugh an RBI double.

"Overall as a team, we like to get on guys right away," said Albaugh, who had two doubles. "First-pitch fastball, I'm going to jump all over it."

Fish notched his 500th career win late in the regular season. Win No. 508 had to be his best, considering it was the first time Marion has won at the state tourney.

"I couldn't be more proud of this group," Fish said. "They compete and they do the little things. They make me a proud coach. I'm just along for the ride."

Here is a short video interview with Hedtke:

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