Mon-Clair Baseball League

Congratulations to the Valmeyer Lakers who completed the season by winning the Playoffs in back to back years and also the Trifecta . They won the Monroe Division with a record of 20-3, won the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Classic and then the Playoffs finishing with a final record of 26-3. The Lakers beat the Belleville Rockies 6-1 in game 1 and then 4-1 in game two to sweep the series on August 12. Jacob Thompson went all seven innings in game 1 for the win and Kenny Otero did the same in game 2. Jose Mieses led the Laker offense in game 1 with three hits and two RBI and Evan Davis hit a two run home run for game 2.

The Lakers were led by Kenny Otero who was named MVP of the Playoffs to capture his fourth award this season. Kenny was named MVP of the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Classic, the Mon-Clair All Star Game MVP, won the regular season ERA title and then the Playoff MVP.

Manager Mike McCarthy led Valmeyer to a 26-3 overall record and was voted Manager of the Year for 2023.

TOP TEN (as of August 3)
Hitters (min 46 ABs) ……………………AB…..H…..RBI….AVG
Preston Wright, Waterloo ……………..47……24…..10….. .511
Cal Kossina, Millstadt ………………….65……30…..17….. .462
Landon Tenkhoff, Cape Girardeau…….55……25…..10….. .455
Tony Kossina, Millstadt ………………..83……37…..12….. .446
Trevor Davis, Valmeyer…………………69…..30……19….. .435
Brandon Gutzler, STL Spikes…………..53…..23……23….. .434
Beau Collier, Edwardsville…………….56……23…..13….. .411
Cameron Roll, Cape Girardeau………..56……23……7….. .411
Grant Huebner, STL Spikes…………….69……27…..17….. .391
Tommy Mohan, Millstadt ………………59……23…..15….. .390

Pitchers (min 23 IP)…………………………IP…….ER….W/L…..ERA
Kenny Otero, Valmeyer……………………27.2……4……5-0…..1.01
Jacob Thompson, Valmeyer……………….30……7……4-1……1.63
Adam Bieber, STL Spikes…………………..30…….7……2-1……1.63
Trevor Davis, Valmeyer……………………30.2……8……4-0……1.83
Aiden Lougeay, Waterloo…………………29.2……8……4-0……1.89
Dawson Crawford, Cape Girardeau……..29.2…….8……2-2……1.89
Brayden Knoebel, Belleville………………39……11…….3-2……1.97
Mark Mueller, Belleville…………………..36.1…..11……1-3…….2.12
Ben Bledsoe, Cape Girardeau……………30.1…..10……1-4…….2.31
Joey Kossina, Millstadt……………………26…….11……1-1…….2.96

The Valmeyer Lakers defeated the Waterloo Buds twice on August 13 by the scores of 4-3 and 3-0 (in 8 innings) to sweep the Playoff Championship in Valmeyer. Matt Reinholz of the Lakers was named MVP after driving in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning of game one and driving in the game winning run with a two RBI double in the top of the eight inning of game two of the Championship Series. Matt had 6 hits in 14 ABs for a .429 batting average with five RBIs. Jacob Thompson led Valmeyer’s pitching staff in the playoffs, including all eight innings in the final game against Waterloo. Jacob had a 2-0 record, throwing 15 innings with five strikeouts and did not give up an earned run for a 0.00 ERA.

The Valmeyer Lakers almost completed the coveted Triple Crown in 2022, losing to Belleville 8-7 in the championship game of the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Classic on July 4, winning the Monroe Division regular season with a 16-8 record and then winning the playoff championship. Manager Mike McCarthy led Valmeyer to a 22-9 overall record and was voted Manager of the Year for 2022.

Hitters (min 44 ABs)
Name……………Team…………. AB………H……..RBI………AVG
Will Pratt……..SE MO Tropics………57………28……..10………0.491
Nate Albrecht………Waterloo……..86………41……..11………0.477
Ryne Bundy………Edwardsville……73………31…….19……..0.425
Kenny Otero ………Valmeyer………73……….30…….22……..0.411
Braedon Dobbs…….Waterloo…….55………22……..17………0.400
Tony Kossina………Millstadt………88………35……..10………0.398
Trevor Davis ……….Valmeyer……..71……….28…….16………0.394
Jake Issacs…………Belleville………49……..19………4………0.388
Will Lanxon………Edwardsville……47………18……..7………0.383
Jevon Boyd…………Belleville…….. 71……..27……..16………0.380

Pitchers (min 21 IP)
Name……………….Team……………….IP………ER………..W/L…………ERA
Elijah Dale……….….Waterloo…..………. 25.2….…..3……… 4 – 0…………0.82
Garrett Herring………..Millstadt…………25……….5………… 2 – 0…………1.40
Austin Dill ……………Cape Girardeau………42……..10………….2 – 5………..1.67
Brooks McDowell……….Waterloo……….. 21………..5………… 2 – 0……….1.67
Trevor Davis………..Valmeyer……………31.2………..8………..6 – 1………..1.77
Kenny Otero………….Valmeyer…………..31.2………..8………….4 – 2………..1.77
Adam Bieber………..St. Louis Spikes………23.2……..8………….3 – 3………..2.37
Brayden Knoebel………Belleville……………32………11………… 2 – 2……….2.41
Grant Menz…………Cape Girardeau……….35………13…………..2 – 2……….2.60
Evan Spears………….Millstadt……………….21……….8………….2 – 1………2.67

Millstadt defeated the Cape Girardeau Capahas twice on August 14 by the scores of 5-3 and 13-7 to sweep the Playoff Championship in Valmeyer. Cal Kossina and Austin Francis were named Co-MVPs of the Playoffs. Cal had 8 hits in 14 ABs for a .571 batting average with five runs scored, five singles, two doubles, a home run, a hit by pitch, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Austin had 9 hits in 14 ABs for a .643 batting average with four runs scored, five singles, two doubles, two home runs, two bases on balls, one stolen base and four RBIs. Logan Boente led Millstadt’s pitching staff in the playoffs with wins in Game 1 against Belleville and Game 3 against Cape Girardeau for a 2-0 record, throwing 11.2 innings with eight strikeouts and giving up only one earned run for a 0.60 ERA.

The Millstadt Green Machine completed the coveted Triple Crown in 2021, beating Belleville 13-6 to win the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Classic on July 5, the Monroe Division regular season with a 17-7 record and then the playoff championship. Manager Norm Toenjes led Millstadt to a 24-8 overall record and was voted Manager of the Year for 2021.