*This article was originally published on the Discover Humboldt website on October 22. You can read the original article here.

By Maury Wrubleski

Discover Humboldt

The boys of summer may have packed up the gear and emptied the dugouts, but for the Muenster Red Sox and their supporters, it was time to gather once more to celebrate what’s been an extraordinary year. On Sunday evening, October 21, the Red Sox teams, coaches, parents, and umpires congregated in the Muenster Community Hall for the Muenster Ball Recognition Night.

One of the things that made this season’s ball campaign so special in Muenster was the fact that the 11U, 13U, and 15U AA squads won their respective provincial titles. The odds of this happening in any community the size of Muenster are astronomical and the coaches paused to recognize the contributions of the players. The evening opened with Shaun Strueby and Derek Rude remarking on the successful year with the 11U teams. This year, the 11U age group was rife with players from Muenster and area, so much so that there were three complete teams entered into league play.

Coach Derek Rude outlined what the year looked like, “We had 29 11U players register this year which was enough for three teams to play in the local league. When it came to tournament and provincial baseball, we had enough interest for two teams. Traditionally, we pare it down to one, mainly the older kids.”

Rude noted the two teams, both the older squad and the second younger group were competitive throughout the year, with the older group dominating in both league and some larger city tournaments. His introduction of each of the provincial winning players included a comparison each to a modern-day “kindred spirit” when it came to playing style.

Marty Yager brought the provincial champ 13U team to the stage and regaled the audience with tales of some comical moments while crisscrossing the province to tournaments and ultimately to the Western Canadian Championship held in August in Strathmore, Alta. The 13U group proved equally successful both at bat and in the outfield.

Muenster held the 15U provincial championships this summer to crowds of over 500 spectators. Coach Garret Korte recounted the highs and lows of the season. As the team began to gel over the season and show its potential, Korte and his co-coaches knew the team was on to a hot year. Their season culminated in a provincial run that included both strong defence and crucial at-bats, but also nerve-wracking moments for fans as the squad had to pull back from a six-run deficit in the finals.

The final group to take the stage was the 18U team with the evening’s MC and head coach, Chad Hofmann, switching hats to talk about the year that was. Hofmann gave a tip of the hat to co-coaches Murray Bauml and Cole Bauml. Cole Bauml was drafted in 2016 by the Detroit Tigers and along with Logan Hofmann, who was drafted this year by St. Louis, the pair led Muenster to become the Saskatchewan community with the second-highest number of draftees to the majors.

In spite of strong play throughout the year and weathering a tie-breaker to head into a semi-final, the team lost out before the final round of provincials.

The year also saw the aforementioned draft pick of Logan Hofmann and the dedication of the field at Muenster Diamond Jubilee Park as James Korte Field. Hofmann relayed to the audience the oft posed question, which he heard once more at Saturday’s Sask Baseball Association Annual General Meeting, “How are you guys so successful in Muenster?” Hofmann gave them his standard answer.

“We have by far the best parents who support their kids and trust their coaches to allow them to coach to the best of their abilities. We also have dedicated coaches who spend countless hours for the betterment of their players. When you have that, you are definitely going to have success.”

In a tribute to the umpires that contribute so much to the sport, Hofmann singled out long-time official Gord Kiefer for his years of dedication. Kiefer has spent countless hours umping at the highest levels, but has also conducted clinics, organized schedules, and ensured that equipment was available for all umpires in the community.

The evening wrapped up with Sask Baseball’s high-performance director Greg Brons bringing greetings to the crowd.

“It’s remarkable what this small community has been able to accomplish in baseball over the years. Muenster definitely punches above its weight.”

The stellar 2019 campaign added to Muenster’s accolades. Community teams since 1986 have won 32 provincial titles, two western Canadian Championships, and one national bronze medal. As 11U coach Derek Rude pointed out, with three teams worth of competitive ballplayers at that level, the talent pool for the Red Sox looks strong for years to come.