Sarah Michal bats third in Maple Grove’s lineup, a spot earned for her prowess as a hitter.

She came to the plate last week in the Class 3A, Section 5 final with runners on first and second and nobody out, looking to add to the Crimson lead with a good swing. When coaches called for a bunt to move the runners over, however, Michal did as instructed.

A season of sacrifice and shared glory spurred Maple Grove to the No. 1 ranking and a return to the state tournament. The Crimson (22-2) opens play at 11 a.m. on Thursday against Woodbury (17-6) at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Tournament runner-up last spring, Maple Grove is back in pursuit of that elusive state championship. Michal said final preparations earlier this week signaled “go time. We all know what we want and we know what we have to do to get what we want.”

Maple Grove opened the season with a 12-0 record, punctuated with a 6-2 victory against Elk River on April 30. Two days later, the Crimson fell to earth after two consecutive losses in the Eastview Tournament. Ace pitcher Sydney Smith missed the game to nurse shin splints, but the problems were bigger than the absence of the Star Tribune’s two-time Metro Player of the Year.

“We might have been a little cocky after that Elk River game,” Michal said. “I think we needed the Eastview tournament to humble us a little.”

Senior Sammi Sadler, who overtook older sister Cayli in career hits, said the losses taught a hard but necessary lesson.

“If we don’t know what losing feels like we’re not going to have as much urge to win,” Sadler said.

The urge returned as Maple Grove won 10 consecutive games and allowed a total of just three runs. The Crimson repeated as section champions by not giving up a run in four playoff games.

“What we really talked about a lot was worrying about our process, about what we needed to do better to get to where we want to go,” coach Jim Koltes said. “Each day, how are we going to get to our goals?”

Michal, the third baseman, paired with senior shortstop Shannon McMurphy to anchor the left side of the defense. Sophomore Erin Roehl made strong plays at second base. Senior Hanna Lund took ownership of the catcher position. And senior Sara Fisher kept the good vibes flowing on the bench.

“Everyone on the team has found their role and that’s really going to help us going into the state tournament,” Michal said.

Michal was handed a bag of ice after last week’s section final victory, relief for swollen fingers. On Michal’s first bunt attempt, the ball smashed two of her fingers against the bat.

“I told her, ‘That’ll just soften the bunt,’ ” Koltes joked.

Michal squared to bunt the next pitch and laid down a successful sacrifice, a sequence that typified how much a championship pursuit means to Maple Grove’s players.

“We talked at the beginning of the season as a team and told each other we needed to do what’s best for the team and not ourselves as individuals,” Michal said. “We wanted to make sure what we were doing was for the team because at the end it will pay off.”

 

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574