By Andy Buckner
With winter behind us and the Mini-Met prepped for another summer, it is time for the Jordan Brewers to kick off the 2025 season. The Brewers will play their first game at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, at the Mini-Met, where they will be hosting the Victoria Vics.
With the vast majority of last year’s roster still in place, it is not a stretch to believe that this Brewers team has championship potential. They finished just shy of realizing that potential last year, when Jonathan Draheim came up to the plate representing the tying run in the bottom of the 9th inning in the state championship game — which was being hosted at the Mini-Met. Draheim was called out on strikes, and so began a long fall and winter of waiting for the Brewers.
“It left a sour taste in most of our mouths,” Brewers manager Scott Hollingsworth said of last season’s heartbreaking finish, “but it just gives us more motivation to come back and try to do it this year.”
Their journey back to the state championship game will not be easy. They will have to go through some familiar foes such as Norwood-Young America — a rival whose previous contests against the Brewers have left no love lost. Another major opponent worth circling on the calendar is Delano, who, according to Hollingsworth, have added two former Major League pitchers to their roster.
Pitching, of course, is the lifeblood of a successful baseball team. The Brewers have a strong supply of their own in that department — led by Tommy Thompson, who has wowed in his first two seasons as a Brewer.
“Tommy wants the ball pretty much every time. He is an absolute gamer that doesn’t want to ever come out of a game,” Hollingsworth said, basing some of his knowledge off of his experience having to pull Thompson out of starts from time to time. “Our mound visits tend to be a little heated, but he’s a great teammate and has been a great addition.”
Elsewhere in the rotation, Nate Beckman and Draheim — a recent University of Mary alum — figure to be key contributors. Hollingsworth, Joe Lucas, and Jacob Allen will also eat innings when the primary starters need a rest. Their pitching staff will also get a major boost from new addition Derek Dahlke, who spends his days coaching the pitchers for Concordia–St. Paul’s baseball team.
Should the Brewers' pitchers ever be off their game, they will be aided by their offense — which was a major strength last year. Brandon Arnold and Steve Beckman will once again be setting the table for a strong middle of the lineup, led by the likes of Lucas and 2024 newcomer Turner Storm.
Regardless of the contributions made on the field, there is no doubt that the boys of summer in Jordan will have plenty of great experiences to soak in this year — they play at arguably the premier baseball park in Minnesota for a town that puts its full support behind them.
“It’s the ‘Jordan’ on the front of their jersey that they're playing for,” Hollingsworth said of his team. “They want to play for this town. Most of them were born and raised here. They love the fans. Their families come and watch, and it keeps them coming back. So many people can’t wait to come to our games — they live and breathe Jordan baseball. It’s a baseball town, and we want to keep that tradition going as best we can.”
Come Sunday afternoon, the Mini-Met will once again be filled with fans. The grills in the concession stands will be fired up. Kids will be playing catch on the hill and chasing after foul balls that avoid Sand Creek. Visitors will mosey on over to the field as they walk off the dinner and ice cream they enjoy in the historic downtown area and watch the Jordan Brewers deliver some of the best small-town entertainment that Minnesota has to offer. The tradition is going as strong as it ever has.
