The last time the Proctor Rails baseball team made an appearance at the state tournament was in 1976. The team has had some successful seasons since then but was never able to get over the hump and make it back to state.
Sometimes it seemed like the Rails either had a key player go down with an injury, or they just simply played a team in the playoffs that was clicking on all cylinders. That string of bad luck may come to an end this season with Dan Carlson leading the way.
Carlson, a senior and the Rails' number one pitcher and third baseman, is the emotional leader of the squad and the guy everyone turns to in times of trouble.
The four-year starter has been dominant on the mound compiling a record of 2-0 with an earned run average of 3.50. Both of his wins have been complete games and he has averaged more than one strikeout per inning pitched.
In baseball, pitchers aren't usually relied on to be proficient when hitting. In this case though, Carlson defies the odds. He leads the team with a .462 batting average and four triples. He is also among the team leaders in total bases and on-base-percentage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Head coach Tim Rohweder is in his seventh season as head coach of the Rails. He feels lucky to have such a great leader like Carlson on his team.
"I knew he was special a long time ago," Rohweder said. "As a freshman he was our best pitcher. The other guys really look up to him. He knows when to get in their face and when to leave them alone. When he's on the mound it seems like the whole attitude of the team changes. He has phenomenal physical ability and is one of the best athletes in the entire area."
Last year's team made some noise in the section 7AA playoffs. The Rails beat Greenway in the first round before bowing to Esko in the second round. The team only had two seniors last year as opposed to six this season. Their record stands at 5-2-1, which is good for second place in the conference. Their two losses were to Two Harbors and Ely, but both defeats were only one-run deficits. The tie came against Mora when the game was suspended due to darkness.
The members of that 30-year state tournament anniversary team will be back on May 19 when the Rails take on Eveleth at Terry Egerdahl Memorial Field. Carlson hopes the presence of that 1976 team will get the guys fired up.
"That will be a fun game to play in," he said. "Hopefully, it will give us some incentive to play well the rest of the season and get us back to where they were 30 years ago."
Like this year, the Rails were 5-2 at this time last season. They then went on to lose 12 of 15 and finished the year 8-14. Coach Rohweder doesn't think they will go into a losing streak this year though.
"We're more disciplined and smarter this year. Our base running has been great, and our pitching has been excellent," he said. "Out of eight games, we have seven in which our starting pitcher went the distance. One thing we do have to work on is our defense. We've already made 24 errors this season. One positive is that we made eight errors against Ely and still only lost by one run. The season is still young and we are now getting to the point where we have a set lineup every game. We have a handful of younger guys who are varsity-caliber type players. We should be fine if somebody gets injured."
Carlson, who also made all-conference and all-area as a running back and cornerback in football, likes where this team is headed. "We have a lot of depth on this team. We will do really well if our pitching stays strong. Personally, I feel more in control this year on the mound. I would like to stay undefeated as a pitcher and help get this team to the final four."
ADVERTISEMENT
Carlson has not committed to college yet but has talked to a few schools about playing football, but not really baseball. "Playing ball would be fun anywhere I went. I like the excitement of it all. When I'm on the mound, I see it as a tremendous challenge between me and the batter." The Rails know it will be a battle to get back to the state tournament, a feat 30 years in the making. For more information visit www.leaguelineup.com/rails .
