Jaguars Softball One Win Away from State Tournament
By Andy Buckner
With four straight wins in the MSHSL Section 2AA Softball Tournament, a young Jordan Jaguars team is playing their best softball of the season when it has counted the most – and it has brought them all the way to the section championship game this coming Thursday.
After a 7–10 regular season that included a difficult five-game losing streak in early May, the Jaguars have come together to find their stride, defeating Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in their first section playoff matchup and going on to pull off a huge upset against second-seeded Fairmont, whom the Star Tribune listed as a strong contender to win the whole section tournament.
“They’ve made key adjustments—not just with their skills, but also with how they approach the game itself. They’re learning to trust in each other more, and the team culture is coming together just as much as their skills have,” second-year head coach Kelsey Munson said of her team.
It can certainly be classified as an underdog run for the Jaguars. They have zero seniors on their team—an extreme rarity for a softball team contending for a section championship. However, the potential of this young roster becomes very clear when seeing them in action. Sophomores Kacie Schroeder and Lilli Lynch have provided pop to the lineup, each hitting multiple home runs this year. Meanwhile, infielder Ava Haugen—only in seventh grade—has impressively shown an ability to hold her own and then some against varsity competition, providing stability on the field and the basepaths.
Elsewhere in the offense, fourth-year varsity starter London Kraml has been an excellent catalyst from the leadoff spot, hitting above .400 with an on-base percentage above .500. In a nutshell, what that means is that more than half the time Kraml steps up to the plate, her team can be assured she will give them a run-producing opportunity on the bases. Her leadoff prowess was on full display in the section quarterfinal game against Le Sueur-Henderson on Saturday, May 24—she homered on the first pitch of the ballgame.
“That’s exactly how I imagined her starting the game,” Munson said of the junior. The Jaguars head coach also made sure to laud Kraml’s veteran teamwork.
“She has just been an absolute team player throughout the entirety of her high school career. She’s the one who makes sure everyone is off the bench when it’s game time.”
With quality pitching a necessity for success in softball, the Jaguars are set up well with a strong battery of Brooke Wacker on the mound and Carley Johnson behind the plate. Wacker pitched excellently in the section quarterfinal and semifinal games against Le Sueur-Henderson and Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial, respectively.
“She’s just a beast on the field. She’s one of those kids that just knows what the game is about and knows how to compete,” Munson said of Wacker, her sophomore ace. “She’s just putting 100% into everything she does right now.”
Regarding Johnson, Wacker’s battery-mate, Munson spoke highly of her ability to make a difference on the field with her leadership and collaboration with Wacker.
“She’s a captain and a leader. She and Brooke work together so well. When Brooke pitches and Carley is calling pitches, they are just attuned to each other and really lead this team to where they need to go.”
Along with the players highlighted above, it must also be noted that it has been a true effort across the entire roster to win each game throughout these playoffs—whether it has been the solid outfield defense of sophomore Izzy Haugen, the clutch hitting of junior Naomi Salzwedel and sophomore Paige Clark, or freshmen Lacey Breeggemann, Elaina Stilen, and Sydney Kraml all contributing at the plate and on the bases when the opportunities have presented themselves. Junior Grace Lenzen and sophomore Samantha Shaughnessy have also provided meaningful utility support off the bench.
The Jaguars will have the advantage of rest and margin for error against the Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (LCWM) Knights in Thursday’s championship game, which will be held at Caswell Park in Mankato at 5 PM. The Star Tribune tabbed LCWM as the section tournament favorites. However, having already beaten LCWM in a gritty 5–1 victory on Saturday, the Jaguars forced the Knights to play an extra game on Tuesday against Le Sueur-Henderson to stave off double elimination. That being said, the Jaguars have yet to lose in this double-elimination tournament, meaning that they would immediately get a second chance to take down the Knights and punch their ticket to the state tournament should they lose the 5 PM matchup.
Of course, they hope that a second game will not be necessary. Coming off a long weekend from the school calendar, the Jaguars returned to practice on Tuesday well-rested.
“The kids needed a little bit of a break, especially pitchers and catchers that have been consistently playing back-to-back games,” Munson said about the extensive break between games. The Jaguars will use the opportunity before them to prepare diligently for their opponent.
“We’re going to keep the energy up at our practices,” Munson said. “Keeping mentally fresh, physically fresh, and keeping the energy up until Thursday—we’re going to practice how we play.”
A victory Thursday would mean the first state tournament appearance for Jordan since 1981, a distant memory from a time when the city’s population was less than half of what it is now.
“Going this far, they understand exactly what the stakes are,” Munson said of her team, clearly proud of all they have been able to accomplish to get to this point, and displaying a level of determination that her student-athletes are exemplifying.
The game of softball is increasing in popularity across the country, and passion for the game has trickled all the way down to the youngest levels of play in Jordan. With the grit they have displayed going into this high-stakes game and a demonstrated chemistry that has blossomed with their deep playoff run, the Jaguars will have the opportunity to carry their program farther than it has gone in 44 years and spark more life into the growing softball scene in Jordan—even more than they already have with this very impressive run.
The Jaguars face the Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Knights at 5 PM on Thursday, May 29, at Caswell Park in Mankato.