2024 Baseball State Tournament: Class A Championship

Fourth-seeded Springfield used a solid outing on the mound and production at the plate from senior pitcher Jakob Nachreiner to upset No. 2 seed Parkers Prairie, 5-1, and secure the Class A baseball state championship Friday afternoon at Target Field. 

Nachreiner was 3 for 4 at the plate with a double, two singles, a stolen base and two runs scored. On the mound, he tossed a complete game, recording 11 strikeouts while allowing just two walks, four hits and one run. 

Springfield coach Brandon Wilhelmi described Nachreiner as a “big-time player.” 

“He wants the ball on the mound. He wants to be up,” Wilhelmi said. “We want him up in situations like we had today.  .  . Great leadoff hitter. (A) one-of-a-kind type ball player."

Nachreiner settled in after Parkers Prairie took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after a leadoff single from senior Dylan Debilzen and an RBI double from junior Nolan Steidl. But the Panthers (25-2) couldn’t add to their lead with the bases loaded and one out in the inning. 

Springfield tied the score in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of doubles from Nachreiner and junior Kade Nachreiner. 

Springfield (25-2) took the lead for good in the third inning. The Tigers built their lead to 4-1 with a trio of singles, a sacrifice fly and a pair of unearned runs. Four different Springfield players drove in runs, including a pair of RBIs for junior Russell Beers who was 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and a run scored.

Jakob Nachreiner held Parkers Prairie to four hits in the game, two coming off the bat of leadoff hitter Debilzen, who was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an intentional walk. On the mound, Debilzen scattered nine hits, a walk and seven strikeouts over six innings. Only two of the five Springfield runs were earned.

The Panthers also left the bases loaded in the fourth inning, and Nachreiner held them to only two baserunners in the final three innings, both reaching on errors. The Panthers were held to just one run for the first and only time this season. The loss snaps a 15-game winning streak for Parkers Prairie, recording only its second loss of the season Friday. The other was to New York Mills on May 8.

Springfield ends its championship season on a 16-game winning streak. It last won the Class A state title in 2016. 

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Jakob Nachreiner said. “I love it.”