Brookston Wildcats are Little League Champs

Contributed Photo by Paula Janke

July 28, 2010

Andrew Chalberg-NSO

BURNETT – It may have taken thirty-one years, but the Brookston Wildcats are once again St. Louis County Little League Champions with a 7-5 win over rival Burnett at the Burnett Field on 18 July. Not since 1979 with last names like Peterson, Melin, and Olson has a team from Brookston won the Little League Crown.

The league that was started in the early 70’s is comprised of the towns of Brookston, Burnett, Alborn, Cotton, Floodwood, Cherry, Cook, Clinton, Orr, and Wuori. The league teams have changed over the years as rural communities have gotten smaller, but the programs in the league have grown with the addition of different divisions of baseball which consist of Tee-ball, Pee Wee’s and Little League.

The Wildcats scored all of their runs in the second inning as they were led by Tom Deidrich, Greg Ruzinski, Justice Janke, Mikala Olesiak and Bill Redding.

Drew Janke got his second win of the post season that included a perfect game against Cherry in the Quarterfinals of the League Championship playoffs. Kody Karppinen pitched the final inning earning the save. Burnett’s offense was led by Dane McClelland and Zack Johnson who combined for three hits and two runs.

Brookston Head Coach Adam Janke a three sport athlete and graduate of AlBrook High school could not be any prouder of his team’s efforts this year. Janke, was one of the key members in revitalizing Brookston youth baseball in the last decade. The Brookston baseball team did not field a team from the mid eighties until 2001 when Janke and company started the program back up a with just eleven kids. Coach Janke noted that they had approximately seventy kids signed up in all of the programs combined this year. Coach Janke spent his youth playing baseball in his home town of Alborn.

Northland Sports Online would like to congratulate Coach Janke his Assistant Dan Nelson and his Championship Squad. We would also like to recognize the Runners up from Burnett and their long-time Coach Richard “Dick” Williams Jr. Dick has been a loyal supporter of Burnett Baseball and the St. Louis Little League his whole life.

Andrew Chalberg can be reached at andrew@northlandsportsonline.com