Part I: 1890-1970

Dundas has fielded a baseball team for well over 100 years, and has had an impressive history of success, both locally and at the state level.

The earliest known reference from a Dundas team comes from an article in the Northfield Independent on July 10, 1890.  In a game played on July 4 at the Union Lake fields, the Dundas Red Caps were defeated by the Brush Prairie Clippers by a score of 21-20.  The game must have been one of particular interest to local residents, because the paper did a full-fledged story about the contest (very rare for those days).  The winning team received two baseball bats and a league ball as a reward for their victory.

Apparently, the ballfield must have faced Union Lake.  The article mentions that "the ball has been knocked into the water and consequently so wet that the Red Caps' pitcher was unable to control it."  Brush Prairie scored five runs in the ninth after two were out for the victory.

The Dundas roster that day included the following players: Wilson, Grau, Donaldson, Swartwondt, Hamblin, Thielbar, Gatzke, Babcock, and Ellms.

The Red Caps put up and gave up quite a few runs in those days, as evidenced by scores of other games played during the 1890 season: Dundas 51, Faribault 9; St. Olaf 27, Dundas 19; Dundas 63, Prairie Creek 17. 

The game of baseball in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century had a more central position in everyday life.  Baseball was seen as a game that helped keep old men young, and that provided a healthy social outlet to the citizens of the towns.  For a long time, baseball games have been played in the Dundas area on Memorial Day and on the Fourth of July, although not always versus Northfield. 

Many times, pick up games were arranged for both fun and entertainment.  An 1890 article from the Northfield Independent talks about a game between the "marrieds" and the "unmarrieds" (the unmarrieds won 14-6).  Another game from 1910 was between the "lawyers" and the "bankers".  The teams made up names using the names of famous players; for example, "Ty Cobb Wilson, CF", "Johnny Evers Seeley, 2B", and "Hans Wagner Remele, SS".

Many of the small communities around Dundas had excellent teams in those days.  One game from 1900 had Dundas defeating Dennison 21-20.  According to the Northfield News, this was Dennison's first loss in three years.  Vermillion and Castle Rock also had strong teams.

The earliest known photo of the Dundas baseball team is from 1910.  The photo was taken on the steps of the Dundas schoolhouse.  One of the players is holding his child in his lap.  In that year, the Northfield News reported scores from five games: Dundas 11, Faribault 3; Dundas 9, Northfield 8; Dundas 19, Hampton 6; Faribault 9, Dundas 0; and Northfield 18, Dundas 0.  Some of the players on the 1910 team included Ollie Weston, Frank Freeman, Tony Schultz, Jack McKinnon, Frank Gallagher, Ancil Revier, Fred Hansen, Beaver Gallagher, Paul Thielbar.

During the war years, the papers have little to say about baseball in Dundas or the surrounding communities.  There were more important issues to deal with than baseball, and the papers coverage reflected that sentiment.  Once in awhile, there is reference to a ballgame, but mostly played by high school kids and/or younger.

The team of 1929 was a formidable squad, and was led by longtime Dundas resident, Warren "Kais" McKinnon.  Kais played for Dundas for about 20 years, from the mid-1920's to the mid-1940's.  Walter Kwiakoski and McKinnon were the start pitchers; the catching was done by stalwart Ralph Summers.  The teams had several impressive wins during the summer, including a 4-3 victory over the St. Paul All-Stars.  In August, Dundas faced the "St. Paul Colored Gophers" in a game at Dundas.  According to the Northfield News, the Gophers were a very quick and experienced team, and probably included either collegiate or semi-pro caliber players.  Of course, these were the days of the Negro league and non-integrated colleges, so the Gophers were probably the opportunity most of these players had to play.  In front of 700 fans, St. Paul squeaked out a 5-4 victory.

At the end of the regular season, Dundas (called "the best Rice County has to offer" by the Northfield News) faced off against Drover's State Bank, the winner of the Dakota League, in a best-of-three series.  Dundas won the first game 5-2 behind 10 strikeouts from Kais McKinnon.  However, Drover's came back to win the next two games, and the series, by scores of 8-0 and 12-2.  All three games were played in Dundas.  Just two months later, the stock market crashed and sent the country into panic.

By the early 1930's, Dundas was officially in the "Rice County League", along with Nerstrand, Lonsdale, Owatonna, Faribault, Cannon City, Morristown, and Waterville.  The Dundas teams in those days weren't very successful, often finishing near the bottom of the league.  For instance, the 1933 team suffered a 24-2 defeat at the hands of Hampton, and a 14-1 loss to Castle Rock.  Lonsdale and Morristown usually fielded strong teams in those early days of the League.

During the WWII years, again very little was said in the newspaper about town team baseball, either in Dundas or elsewhere.  Once again, international matters seemed to be of much greater importance than a mere game of baseball.  Although baseball was probably played in the area (Northfield was known to have a town team in the mid-40's while Dundas probably did not), there is little coverage of the events in the Northfield News of that era.

However, by the late 1940's, the Cannon Valley League had been created, and Dundas was one of the teams along with Lakeville, Randolph, Lonsdale, Northfield, West Concord, and Castle Rock.  The 1950 squad was managed by John Gibson, finished 4-8 in the CVL, and lost two games to Castle Rock in the playoffs.  It seems to be a common theme for Dundas teams in the late 1940's & early 1950's.

However, Dundas fortunes began to change in 1954.  In that year, the Dundas team, led by pitcher Ed Dusbabek, won the Cannon Valley League with a season-ending sweep of Northfield by scores of 3-1 and 10-5.  Dusbabek pitched both games, going the distance, while striking out a total of 16 batters. 

In regional play, Dundas defeated Hampton 8-3 thanks to a 6-run second inning.  Dundas then beat Lake Crystal 16-7, and Veseli 10-7 (in 10 innings), to advance to the state tournament.  1954 is the first Dundas team to participate in the state amateur tournament.  Sauk Rapids put an end to Dundas run in the first game of the tourney by a 12-3 score.  However, a sizeable number of Dundas locals boarded buses and followed their team to St. Cloud to watch the game.  The tradition of following the team to the state tournament is still very popular with the locals (just check out any Dundas state tournament game!). 

The 1960's began to see further improvements in the quality of baseball played by Dundas teams.  More often that not during this decade, Dundas found itself at or near the top of the Cannon Valley League.  Northfield was another strong CVL team in those days, and a good competitive rivalry developed between the two communities.  While Dundas did not make it to the state tournament during the 1960's, they had a number of ballclubs that came close.

For a brief time, during the early 1960's, the team was known as the "Dundas Cardinals".  The manager of the 1960 club was Duwayne Howie.  The 1960 ball team finished 13-3 in the Cannon Valley League, good for second place behind Northfield.  Fritz Vosepka was the star pitcher for Dundas that year.  The two teams had the same record 13-3; however, Lakeville had to forfeit their wins for the season due to an ineligible player.  Since one of Northfield's losses was to Lakeville during the season, the Knights record was changed to 14-2, good enough for first place.

Then, more controversy came once the playoffs started.  Northfield was originally "booted" from the playoffs for using an ineligible player, then was reinstated after a protest by the Northfield manager.  All the playoff games that had been played up to that point were "scrapped" (including Hampton's 9-6 win over Dundas).  Given a reprieve, Dundas beat Hampton 4-3, before losing to Miesville 3-1, and Northfield 7-4.  Miesville beat Northfield to win the league championship.  Some of the players on that Dundas team included Gordie Day, Francis Turek, Roger Cook, John Bickel, Larry Lundberg, Pete Isaacs, Bill Beaupre, Jack Morris, Jerry Griffen, and Fritz Vosepka.  The bat boys were Daniel and Dennis Howie.

In 1965, the team name was changed to the Dundas Dukes, which is what the team is still known as today.  The team was still managed by Duwayne Howie and finished with a 10-3 record, good enough for first place in the Cannon Valley League.  However, they were defeated by Northfield in the Cannon Valley playoffs.  Northfield seemed to often be a stumbling block to the Dundas fortunes.

By the late 1960's & early 1970's, Dundas was playing good team ball and were very competitive in the Cannon Valley League.

Part II: Dundas State Tournament History (covers mostly 1970 - present)

Dundas has been to the State Amateur Tournament 18 times, with 17 of those trips occurring since 1975.  In that span, the Dukes have won four state titles, finished 2^nd a total of four times, and finished 3^rd one time.  The Dukes unofficial total tournament record through 2000 is 49 wins and 25 losses.

1954 (0 wins, 1 loss) Single elim

Led by pitcher Ed Dusbabek, this team was the first Dundas club to compete in the State Tournament.  Dundas won the Cannon Valley League that year with a dramatic season-ending sweep of Northfield by scores of 3-1 and 10-5.  Dusbabek pitched both games, going the distance, while striking out a total of 16 batters.

In regional play, Dundas used a 6-run second inning to defeat Hampton 8-3, then followed that up with victories over Lake Crystal 16-7, and Veseli 10-7 (in 10 innings), to advance to the state tournament.  Sauk Rapids put an end to the Dundas season in the first game of the tourney by a 12-3 score.  However, a sizeable number of Dundas locals boarded buses and followed their team to St. Cloud to watch the game.  The tradition of following the team to the state tournament is still very popular with the locals (just check out any Dundas state tournament game!). 

1975 (4 wins, 1 loss) Single elim

After a 21-year absence, the Dukes nearly won the tournament in 1975.  Dundas finished 3^rd in the CVL that year, behind Miesville & Red Wing, but beat both teams in the playoffs to claim the CVL Playoff Championship.  After Miesville filed a protest for the use of an ineligible player, Dukie Bill Nelson had to sit out the series.  However, Dundas won anyway, and advanced to Region 6 play.  For the season, Terry Johnson won the CVL batting crown with a .522 average.  Terry hit safely in every game he played.

In Region 6 playoffs, Dundas defeated Chaska 9-7 in 11 innings.  With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth, Dave Johnson hit a home run to send it into extra innings.  In the second game, Dundas won again 6-5 when a Chaska rally in the 9^th came up a run short.  Jimmy Fuchs pitched a complete game and got the win.  With the victory, Dundas qualified for the State Tournament.  In the Region 6 seeding game, Dundas beat Faribault 5-3 to capture the top seed.

Dundas had some great pitching performances in the 1975 State Tournament.  The Dukes opened the state tournament with a 10-1 victory over Miltona.  Jim Fuchs went the distance, striking out 17, while Dukes batters pounded out 18 hits.

Next, Dundas beat Watertown 7-4.  Although the Dukes won, catcher Larry Johnson was spiked during the game and had to sit out the rest of the tournament.

Dundas beat Cloquet 7-0 behind Jim Fuchs and Steve Lundell's combined 2-hit shutout, then brother Doug threw a 3-hitter to beat Hamburg 11-0, to reach the championship game.

The Dukes lost the final in a heartbreaker, 9-7 to Prior Lake.  Jim Fuchs started on two days rest; Terry Johnson went the final four innings.  Joe Driscoll hit a homerun and picked up the victory in relief. 

The Dukes had gotten their first taste of success at the state level, and suffered their first of several heartbreaking finishes.

1979 (2 wins, 1 loss) Single elim

A few years later, Dundas began a run of four consecutive state tournament births, beginning with 1979.  Dundas finished 15-3 in the CVL West Division, and 24-7 overall heading into the playoffs.  Pitcher Bill Nelson posted a 7-0 record in CVL play.

In the playoffs, the Dundas bats really came alive.  The Dukes started with an 18-0 trouncing of Rosemount behind a 9-run 4^th inning.  They followed that up with a 15-7 decision over the same squad, with Dave Howie having four hits. 

The second round saw the Dukes score 2 in the 9^th to beat Hampton 10-9.  In the second game, Dundas beat Hampton again, 8-3, to advance to Region play.

In Region 19 play, the Dukes kept the runs coming in beating Zumbrota twice by scores of 14-0 and 22-0.  In the first game, Bill Nelson surrendered only two hits while striking out 10. 

In the final, Dundas beat Miesville twice by scores of 10-6 and 8-5.  Dundas had finished 8-0 in the playoffs and had thoroughly dominated the competition.

In the first round of the state tournament, Dundas defeated Worthington 3-2 in 10 innings.  Dundas scored two runs in the bottom of the 10^th, thanks to a timely hit from Jim Sviggum.  Bill Nelson started and had 12 strikeouts, the Doug Fuchs relieved and got the win.  Next, Dundas beat St. Peter 10-8.  The Dukes built an early 7-0 lead and then had to hang one for the win.  In the quarterfinals, the Dukes were beaten by a powerful Arlington team 7-1.  The game was tied at 1 going into the 7^th inning before Arlington started to get to Jim Page and pulled away.  Arlington went on to win the State Tournament crown.  Arlington and Dundas' paths would cross many times during the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Duke Terry Johnson hit .417 during the Tournament.

1980 - B 2nd (4 wins, 1 loss) Single elim - Dundas gets to the final three years in a row.

The 1980 version of the Dukes dominated the CVL with a 19-1 record, losing only to Miesville.  In the playoffs, the Dukes easily dispatched with Savage twice, beat Red Wing twice, and then beat Hampton 17-0 in the seeding game.

The team now had a nucleus of good ballplayers that had been together for a number of years.  Players like  Jim & Doug Fuchs, Terry Johnson, Davie Howie, Rick, Jim, & Steve Sviggum from Kenyon, Bill Nelson, and Don Freeman were all major contributors. 

In the state tournament, Dundas beat Crookston 9-3, St. Augusta 13-3 in 8 innings, and struggled with Marble before prevailing 9-7.  In the semi-final game, the Dukes trounced Owatonna 21-3 in 7 innings, behind Mike Pelach's 6 RBI's.  Dundas had reached another final.

In the final against New Ulm Kaiserhoff, the umpire ruled that Dave Howie had missed third base while scoring in the fifth inning; thus Howie's run was disallowed.  That would come back to haunt the Dukes, who ended up losing 5-4 in 11 innings.  Future major leaguer Terry Steinbach hit two home runs for New Ulm, which won its first state title since 1943.  Dundas finished 46-7 for the season.

1981 - B 2^nd (4 wins, 1 loss) Single elim

Dundas won another CVL crown in 1981 by defeating Miesville 10-6 in the last game of the regular season.  Going into the game, both teams were tied for first.

The Dukes added only one new player to their roster in 1981, but what a player he turned out to be.  Lew Olson became one of the better pitchers on the staff, as well as a long-ball threat every time he stepped into the box.  Before coming to Dundas, he starred for the Windom town team from 1972-79. 

The playoffs found the Dukes destroying the competition once again.  First were two easy victories over Lakeland, 18-0 and 13-1.  In the second game, Doug Fuchs took the mound for the first time all season, in relief of Lew Olson. 

Then came two victories over Miesville, 14-4 and 13-1.  Doug Fuchs had six RBI's in the first game.

Next, Owatonna was beaten 13-3 in 8 innings; then came two wins over Red Wing 14-5 and 4-1.  In the first Red Wing game, Lew Olson hit a homerun that was measured at 450 feet.  The Dukes were back in the state tournament, and once again had a formidable team.

In the first round of the tournament, Dick Sviggum hit a 2-run homerun and his brother Jim stole home as the Dukes beat Worthington 9-4.  Next, Dundas took care of Sobieski by the score of 9-6.  In the quarters, Dundas routed a good Mankato squad 11-1 in 8 innings.  In the semi's, Dundas squeaked by another tough Arlington team 5-4.  Dundas had made its second consecutive state final.

Once again the Dukes went home second.  Cold Spring scored the go ahead run on a squeeze play, and beat Dundas 8-5 in 12 innings.  Dundas finished the season 47-7, almost the identical record (and final result) as the 1980 club.

1982 - B Champ (5 wins, 0 loss) Single elim

The Dukes were persistent.  Again, with having mostly the same squad as the previous two years, the Dukes went after the championship again.  And they did so by scoring runs in bunches.  In a 19-9 win over Hampton, Dave Howie hit two grandslam HRs in the same game.  Lew Olson hit three HRs in a 14-7 win over Burnsville, then repeated the feat two days later in a 9-6 win over Red Wing.  Lew went on to hit 36 home runs in 1982, which is believed to be the all-time Dundas record.  Dundas finished first in the CVL National Division for the fifth year in a row, with an 11-3 record. 

The playoffs found the Dukes progressing to yet another tournament birth.  First came two easy wins over Hastings.  Hampton proved to be a much tougher foe in the second round.  In the first game, Lew Olson hit a 2-run HR in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for Dundas 7-6.  Olson pitched the entire game as well, and finished with 10 strikeouts.  In game two of the series, Dundas won another thriller 5-4 in 10 innings.

With a 7-6 win over Waseca, Dundas clinched another state tournament birth.  In the seeding series against Miesville, the Dukes lost both games, 13-3 and 5-3.

In round one of the state tournament, Dundas scored three runs in the ninth inning to defeat Crookston 6-3.  Next, Dundas beat Hamel 7-4.  The quarterfinal game saw one of the great comebacks in Dukes history.  Trailing St. Augusta 7-2 with one out in the top of the ninth inning, the Dukes scored 5 times to tie the score, then twice more in the tenth inning to win the game 9-7. 

The semifinal saw Dundas beating Alexandria 6-4.  The game was delayed several times by rain, and was not completed until 2:00am.  Dundas had made its third consecutive final.

This time, the Dukes prevailed.  Lew Olson hit a 2-run homer that was the difference in the Dukes 6-4 win over Jordan.  Dundas proved to be a resilient team, and the players that had stuck together had been rewarded for their efforts.  Lew Olson, quickly becoming one of the best players on the team, was named the MVP of the state tournament. 

After the championship year of 1982, Dundas lost a few of its key players.  Doug Fuchs, a 14-year vet, retired from baseball to spend more time on his dairy farm.  Larry Johnson, a 16-year vet, also retired.  And Bill Nelson transferred to play for Burnsville.

In the four years between tournament appearances, Dundas added several young players who would make significant contributions for the next several years.  Included in this group were: Dick Grass, Bob Klefsaas, Robert Weber, Pete Maus, Jay Olson (Lew's brother), and Bill Nelson, who returned after a couple of seasons in Burnsville.  During the three seasons after the 1982 championship, the Dukes were very competitive, although they did not reach the state tournament.

1986 - (2 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

The 1986 squad finished 13-3 in the CVL National, which tied them with Red Wing for first place.  Jay Olson and Robert Weber had established themselves as good players, while veterans like Terry Johnson and Bill Nelson continued to be productive.  In the playoffs, Dundas beat the Burnsville Blues and Eagan fairly handily, and found themselves matched up against the Burnsville Bobcats with a trip to the state tournament on the line.

The series between Dundas and Burnsville was a good one.  Burnsville surprised Dundas 5-4 in the opener.  Dundas won the second game 8-7, as Terry Johnson drove in the winning run. 

In the rubber game, Dundas found itself down 9-4 after seven innings.  However, the Dukes tallied four times in the 8^th, and four more times in the 9^th to win 12-9.  Jay Olson hit a 3-run HR in the 8^th inning to help spark the comeback.  Dundas was back in the state tournament.

In the opener of the state tournament, Dundas upset a solid Cold Spring team by a score of 7-6.  Next, Dundas beat Leavenworth 10-1 behind the pitching of Kevin Sevcik.  However, in the quarters, Red Wing scored four times in the 7^th to beat Dundas 6-4; then Cold Spring took revenge by a count of 7-4.  Cold Spring went on to win the Class B Championship. 

Jay Olson hit .600 during the four tournament games.  The Dukes finished another good year with a 27-13 record.

After the season, Rick Sviggum and Kevin Sevcik, both long time Dukes, hung up their spikes.

1987 - (0 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

The 1987 Dundas team added Greg Kozulla, Tim and Tom Graupmann, and Ron McCann to the roster.  Kozulla would become a mainstay on the pitching staff while the Grampians and McCann provided timely hitting and solid defense.

1987 marks the first year of the "orange" jersey & white pants look, with a cursive "Dukes" spelled out across the chest.  The white uniforms were still worn as well. 

Dundas finished in a tie with Burnsville for first place in the CVL National Division with a 13-5 record.  One of the more interesting games of the season took place against New Prague.  Finding himself short of players, manager Jim Fuchs pitched for the first time in many years, and was credited with the 8-0 win.

In the round robin playoff format, Dundas beat Winona 6-5 by scoring three runs in the bottom of the 8^th.  Lew Olson had 2 HR and 5 RBI's to pace the Dukes.  Next came a 9-2 victory over Faribault.

In the best of three series against the Burnsville Bobcats, the Dukes took game one 10-0 behind the pitching of Bill Nelson, and 6 RBI's from Dave Howie, including a grandslam HR.  In the second game, Dundas took care of business with another convincing win, this time 17-5.

Dundas finished with two more victories, 7-3 over Winona, and 6-5 over Faribault in 10 innings.  Dundas finished 6-0 in the playoffs, and were the Section II champs.

Alas, this time the tournament trip was a short one.  Arlington bested the Dukes 5-2 in the first game.  Then in the loser's bracket, Miesville beat Dundas 7-6 in 14 innings.  It was the first victory for Miesville over the Dukes in four tries during the 1987 season.  The Dukes finished 33-13 overall.

1988 - B Champ (4 wins, 0 losses) Double elim

The Dukes won their second Class B Championship in 1988, and they did so by hitting the long ball.   During the summer, Lew Olson told the Northfield News in an interview that he thought he had hit roughly 150 career HRs for the Dukes, including 14 in 1988.

The Dukes went 15-3 in the CVL, and then really brought out the lumber in the round robin playoff schedule.  Dundas and Prior Lake earned state tournament slots by finishing with 6-2 records.  Dundas put up some big numbers during the playoffs.  The team hit 6 HR's in an 18-7 defeat of Eagan.  Rusty Rogotzke went 4 for 5, with a 3-run HR, two doubles, and 5-RBI's in the Dukes 13-3 rout of Burnsville.  And the Dukes hit 8 HR's in a 14-3 drubbing of Northfield.  In an 18-10 win over Prior Lake, Jay Olson and Tim Graupmann both hit grandslam HRs.

In the final game, Dundas grabbed the Section's top seed with a 16-4 victory over Prior Lake.

In the first round of the state tournament, Dundas beat a pesky West Duluth squad 12-5 behind the 12 strikeout pitching of Greg Kozulla and Jay Olson's 4 RBI's.  In the second round, Robert Weber pitched a 7-hit shutout as the Dukes beat Sleepy Eye 4-0.  In the semis, the Dukes trailed Miesville 6-0, but came back to win a thriller 11-9 in 10 innings.  Scott Nelson hit the game winning HR for the Dukes. 

Next up was Jordan, and the Dukes prevailed 5-3.  Greg Kozulla pitched another good ballgame, and got the win for Dundas.  The Dukes then sat back and waited as Jordan played through the loser's bracket game, giving them another game with Dundas.

In the final, Dundas finished the tournament undefeated with a 14-2 rout of Jordan.  The game ended in the 8^th inning on a pinch hit 3-run HR by Bill Nelson.  Scott Nelson hit 4 HRs during the tournament, and was named MVP.  The Dukes finished 39-9 for the season.

After 17 seasons with the Dukes, Dave "Buddha" Howie hung up the spikes.  Dave was a mainstay on the Dukes squad, and hit countless HRs over the years.  He was also well-liked in the clubhouse, and did numerous duties around the ballpark.  Dave's father, Dwayne, was a longtime player and manager of the Dundas clubs in the 1950's and 1960's.   

1989 -(0 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

Doug Fuchs stepped down as manager after the 1988 season and turned the reins over the Bill Nelson.  Bill had played for Dundas since in the mid-1970's, and was an important fixture in the Dukes championship seasons.  The team also added Brice Pleschourt prior to the season, who became a good player through the 1990's and beyond.

The loss of Dave Howie seemed to hurt the Dukes at the plate, as runs were difficult to come by.  The team won the CVL again, and moved into the Section II round robin playoffs.  Dundas started with 7-3 win over Northfield, and a 5-2 win over Faribault.  Robert Weber improved to 10-2 with the Faribault win.  Next, Owatonna went down 14-3 before Dundas suffered a 17-10 setback at the hands of Prior Lake.  With a state tournament birth on the line, Dundas grabbed the second seed with a 5-0 win over Waseca, behind Pete Maus 11 strikeout effort.

However, the Dukes had another short state tournament appearance.  Jordan beat Dundas 7-3, as the Dukes stranded 13 runners.  In the second round, Marshall beat Dundas by the same 7-3 score.  HRs by Jay Olson and Pete Maus accounted for all the Dundas runs.  The Dukes finished 23-14 for the season.

1991 - (3 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

Prior to the 1991 season, the Dukes signed a number of good young players who would figure prominently in the teams of the '90's.  Tim Thull, Ryan Beckers, and Jeremy Fuchs all made significant contributions during the season, and would continue to do so in the upcoming years.

The 1991 team did not put together the traditional Dundas won-loss record.  At one point in the season, the Dukes were 9-16 overall, and 4-4 in the CVL.  However, the team played better as the season went on.  The Dukes proved to be an overachieving team, all the way to the state tournament. 

Jay Olson had one of the great games in Dundas history in July against the Minneapolis Adrians.  Jay went 7 for 7, with 2 HRs, and 9 RBIs as the Dukes prevailed 17-15 in 12 innings.  Two nights later, Jay had 6 RBIs in another Dukes win, 8-7 over St. Paul East Side. 

In the playoffs, Dundas beat Burnsville twice to grab the #4 seed.  Next on the docket was powerful Miesville, featuring a 10-0 Section Record and the #1 seeding.  Behind the pitching of Greg Kozulla, Dundas gave Miesville its first blemish by a score of 5-3.  Next, Dundas clinched a birth in the state tournament by pounding Prior Lake 13-3.  Lew Olson had 2 HRs for Dundas.

Miesville came back through the loser's bracket to get another chance at Dundas.  This time Miesville prevailed in both games, 14-4 and 3-2.  However, Dundas was still going to the tournament.

In the first round, Dundas lost to a solid Hamel team 6-4.  However, the Dukes then proceeded to win three straight games: 8-1 over Bemidji, 7-5 over New Ulm, and 5-2 over Arlington.  Greg Kozulla won both the Bemidji and Arlington games.  However, Miesville beat Dundas in the next round by a score of 9-5.  Miesville would eventually lose in the State title game to Rochester.  Dundas finished the season at 19-22.

1992 -(1 win, 2 losses) Double elim

Prior to the 1992 season, Dundas signed Greg Brandt, Brent Henze, and Dana Kiecker.  All would contribute greatly to the team's next run of tournament appearances.

In early June, lights were installed at Memorial Park.  In the first game under the lights, Robert Weber was the winning pitcher as Dundas beat Highland Park 8-4.  Dundas finished the regular season 22-14, and 5-5 in Section Play, good enough only for a #3 seed.  However, the Dukes made another patented great playoff run.  After losing the first two games of the playoffs, the Dukes won six straight to win a tournament birth.  Cannon Falls was defeated 6-4, then Hastings 3-1.  Next, Greg Kozulla gave up 3-hits in a 10-1 defeat of Northfield.  Lew Olson's 3-run HR helped beat Red Wing 8-7, before the Dukes pulled out two thrillers, 4-3 and 7-6, over Miesville.

In the first round of the tournament, the Dukes bats were silent as Hutchinson prevailed 4-0.  Greg Kozulla gave up no earned runs, but Dundas errors allowed Hutch to score four times.  In the second round, Dundas beat Marble 8-2, thanks partly to a 3-run triple by Northfield draftee Joel Magrane.  However, Hamel scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to end the Dukes season 3-2.  In spite of the loss, Dundas finished the season 29-18, and showed great improvement over the previous year.

1993 - no tournament appearance

In 1993, the whole Dundas community mourned over the loss of Jay Olson, longtime Duke.  Jay died in August of that year, unexpectedly, from arrhythmia.  Not only was Jay was one of the finest players ever to wear the Dundas jersey, but he was a fine person as well.  Jay did everything from preparing the field, bringing equipment to the game, and working with the Dundas Baseball Association.  The team wore Jay's number 22 on their caps during the 1994 season in honor of Jay.

The Dukes lost another fine man in 1993 with the passing of  Warren "Kais" McKinnon.   Kais played for the Dundas teams from the mid-20's through the mid-40's, and stayed involved with the game for his entire life.  He saw literally hundreds of Dundas baseball games, and was a fixture at the park for many, many years.  Kais also did much of the maintenance on the ballpark, helping to turn it into one of the finest baseball parks in Minnesota.

Prior to the 1994 season, the Dukes signed ex-Northfielder Joel Magrane.  Joel spent most of the '90's and beyond patrolling right field in the Dundas outfield, often batting ninth in the lineup, and playing as hard as any player ever to wear the Dundas uniform.   Joel's "44" jersey was often covered with dirt as a result of his fearless play.

1995 - (2 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

On Sunday, July 16, the Dukes held "Jay Olson Day" and officially retired the number "22".  The number now hangs in the outfield wall in left-center at the Dundas ballpark. 

In spite of another good run through the CVL, Miesville once again seemed to be the team to beat with an 8-0 record and the #1 seed.  Dundas beat Hastings 7-3 to claim the #2 seed.  The Dukes finished the regular season with a record of 25-13.

In the playoffs, Dundas opened with a 14-4 victory over Red Wing.  Tim Thull had 6 RBIs, including a grand slam, while Dana Kiecker got the win.  Next, Miesville handed Dundas an 8-5 loss.  In the loser's bracket, Dundas once again beat Red Wing by the same score of 14-4 to clinch a state tournament bid.  Tim Thull and Scott Bauer each had 3 RBIs, and Dana Kiecker was again the winning pitcher.

In the Section Championship game, the Dukes got another shot at Miesville.  Dundas was up 9-0 after three innings, and 9-2 after seven.  However, Miesville scored six runs in the eighth, and six more in the ninth to win going away, 14-10. 

In the first round of the state tournament, Dundas was handled by a good Rochester team 14-7.  In the next game against Bemidji, Greg Kozulla pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 9^th to send the game into extra innings.  Dundas won 7-4 in 11 innings.  Next, Dana Kiecker was the winning pitcher as Dundas beat New Ulm 9-1.  The Dukes season came to an end with an 11-10 loss to St. Cloud O'Hara's.  Joe Driscoll, longtime amateur ballplayer, took the loss for Dundas.  Dundas finished the season 29-17.

1996 - B 2^nd (4 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

1996 was another good season overall.  Ryan Beckers went 9-1 in CVL play, including a #1 seed clinching 8-4 win over Hastings.  The Dukes finished the season 10-3 in the CVL, and were the top seed going into Section 1B playoffs.

Hastings surprised Red Wing in the first round of the playoffs, and was Dundas' first opponent.  Dundas beat the Hawks 14-4.  Next up was a 10-9 Dukes victory over Miesville.  It was a typical Dundas-Miesville game, i.e. dramatic.  Dundas scored three times in the 8^th inning to tie the score at 8.  After Miesville scored once in the top of the ninth, the Dukes came back with two in their half to win the ballgame.   The Dukes had clinched yet another state tournament birth.

However, Miesville had the last laugh.  After beating Hastings to clinch a spot in the state tourney, the Mudhens beat the Dukes 17-12, behind a 9-run fourth inning.  In the deciding game between the same clubs, Dundas ninth inning rally came up a run short in a 6-5 Miesville victory.

The state tournament featured one of the great pitching performances in the history of Dundas baseball.  Ryan Beckers started the tournament by going the distance in beating Hamel 2-0.  Next, Beckers beat Waseca 11-0 in seven innings.  In the quarterfinal game, Beckers gave up just one run in the Dukes 6-1 win over Prior Lake.  In three complete game victories covering 25 innings, Beckers gave up just one earned run.  In the semis, Dana Kiecker threw a 4-hit gem, but lost 1-0 to Cold Spring.  Dundas fought back to beat Hamel in the loser's bracket 8-6, and earned another shot at Cold Spring.

Cold Spring was up 5-0 after three innings, but the Dukes fought back.  The score was 5-4 after seven innings before Cold Spring added an insurance run in the eighth.  Ryan Beckers pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for Dundas, but the Dukes couldn't score again and Cold Spring held on to win the championship 6-4.  Dundas finished the season 34-18 overall and took second place in the state. 

Beckers pitched a total of 26 2/3 innings in the state tournament, allowing just one earned run.  His ERA for the tournament was a dazzling 0.34. 

1997 - B 3^rd (4 wins, 2 losses) Double elim

Dundas lost a tough 9-7 decision to Red Wing in the last Section game of the year.  The loss dropped Dundas to the #3 seed in the Section, and left the team at 31-10 overall going into the playoffs.

In the first round, Dundas hammered Red Wing 15-3.    The game was tied at 2 after seven innings, before the Dukes scored eight times in the eighth, then five more times in the ninth to put the game away.   Next came a 7-2 win over #1 seed Miesville, a victory which gave Dundas a state tournament birth.  John Engeswick & Aaron Erickson combined to hold the Hens to eight hits.

In the seeding series against Red Wing, the Aces took two from the Dukes, 5-3 in 10 innings, and 7-3.

After finishing as runner-up in 1996, the Dukes entered the 1997 tournament as one of the favorites.  However, the pitching staff was roughed up in an opening round 13-5 loss to New Ulm Kaiserhoff.

Dundas then made a great run through the loser's bracket, nearly getting to the final.  Northfield was beaten 16-2, as John McCaustlin and Brent Henze each had three hits.  Next, Dundas beat Gaylord 5-2, thanks to HRs by Scott Bauer and Aaron Erickson.  Mankato was the next victim, 18-8, behind Chet Meyer's 3 for 6 performance, including a homerun.  Dundas won a rematch with New Ulm by a score of 12-3, with John McCaustlin becoming the first player in 42 years to hit for the cycle at the state tournament.  John went 4 for 5, and had 5 RBI's.  Dundas won its fifth tournament game in a row, 11-1 over Red Wing, behind the pitching of Dana Kiecker.

Having clawed their way back into the semifinals, Dundas and Cold Spring were tied at 7 after eight innings of play.  However, Cold Spring scored 8 runs in the ninth inning to win going away 15-7.  Dundas finished the season 37-14 overall, and finished third in the state tournament. 

1998 - B Champ (5 wins, 1 loss) Double elim

The 1998 version of the Dukes went 14-0 in the CVL, 8-0 in Section games, and easily earned the #1 seed.  To give an indication as to how dominant Dundas was, Miesville earned the #2 seed with a 4-4 Section record.  During the season, the Dukes had a 15-game winning streak, and had only eight losses entering the playoffs.

The CVL playoffs went much like the regular season did.  Dundas beat Red Wing 10-8, the bested Miesville 12-8.  C.G. Shoap pitched six strong innings in relief, and got 3-run homeruns from Tim Thull, Matt Farley, and Aaron Erickson.  After Miesville beat Red Wing for the second tournament birth, the Dukes hammered the Hens 16-4 to win the Section's top seed.  Scott Howard had two home runs for Dundas.

As much as Dundas dominated during the regular season and playoffs, the tournament was definitely "nail-biter" time.  The Dukes ended up playing five games during the tournament that were decided in the final at bat.

In the first round, Dundas needed a 3-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to subdue Burnsville 6-5.  In the second round, Dana Kiecker went the distance as the Dukes beat Marshall 4-1.  In the semifinals, Aaron Erickson's bases loaded single in the bottom of the ninth scored the winner in the Dukes 2-1 win over Rochester.

In a tense winner's bracket game, Miesville scored four runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 10.  However, Scott Bauer hit a leadoff homerun in the bottom of the ninth to win the game 11-10.

Chaska played itself through the loser's bracket, and played Dundas in two memorable games on Labor Day.  In the first game, Chaska scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Dukes 7-6. 

The second game was really one for the ages.  Chaska hit two grandslam HRs and led 11-10 going into the bottom of the ninth.  But the Dukes would rally.  Tim Thull led off with a single.  One out later, Chet Meyer singled to right.  When the ball got past the rightfielder, Thull scored and Meyer ended up on third.  Matt Farley and Brice Pleschourt were walked intentionally to load the basis.  And Scott Howard ended the season by hitting the game-winning single to left.

The Dukes finished the season 43-9 overall, and had won their third state championship.

1999 - B Champ (5 wins, 1 loss) Double Elim

The 1999 Dundas squad had some pitching problems, including an injury to Adam Bischoff.  The Dukes finished 8-6 in the CVL, a far cry from the year before.  They earned #3 seed in the Section play, behind both Miesville and Red Wing.

The playoffs did not start well for Dundas.  Red Wing beat the Dukes 6-4, thanks partly to five Dundas errors.  In the elimination game against Hastings, Dundas found itself behind 6-2 at the end of five innings.  However, the resilient Dukes scored 11 times in the final four innings and prevailed 13-9.  Joel Magrane dislocated his clavicle bone running into the right field wall at Jack Rohr stadium, and was lost for the playoffs.

In the game for the state tournament bid, Dundas again found itself down 7-1 with two out in the fifth inning.  However, Miesville committed three consecutive errors to allow one run.  Then, after a walk, Brice Pleschourt hit a grandslam HR.  Dundas scored five runs in the inning on just one hit.  Dundas then scored six more times in the seventh inning to win the ballgame 12-10.

In the seeding game, Red Wing beat the Dukes 13-9.

In the first round of the state tournament, Dundas went up against favored Chaska.  Chaska was primed for revenge, having lost in the championship game to Dundas a year earlier.  However, Dundas pounded Chaska 18-2 by scoring six runs in one inning, and nine in another.  Dana Kiecker went the distance for Dundas, and Chet Meyer hit two HRs.  Next up was Bemidji, which Dundas handled 11-4.  In the semis, Dundas jumped to a 7-0 lead over hard-hitting Rochester, then held on to win 7-5.

In the winners bracket game, Dundas beat Cold Spring 8-7 in 10 innings.  Cold Spring scored three in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score, and had the bases loaded with one out.  But draftee Dan Marso struck out the next batter, then got the final batter to hit into a groundout.  In the top the tenth, Joel Magrane homered to give Dundas the victory.

Rochester played through the loser's bracket, and earned another shot at Dundas.  In game one of the championship round, Rochester took advantage of several walks and numerous Dundas miscues to win 13-3 in seven innings.  In the second and final game, Dundas took a 9-0 lead after just two innings of play.  Rochester fought back, but Dundas kept scoring as well.  The Dukes scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to win the game and their fourth state championship, 16-6.  Dundas finished the season with a 31-17 record.

After the season, Bill Nelson stepped down as the Dundas manager.  Bill had played and managed for the team for nearly a quarter of a century, as was an integral part of all four state championship teams.

Winning a second straight championship was quite a feat for the Dukes.  Not since 1984 and 1985 had a team won two consecutive Class B championships, when Arlington achieved the feat.

2000 - (0 wins, 2 losses) Double Elim

Of course, the cries of "three-peat" were in the air as the Dukes took the field for the 2000 season.  Brice Pleschourt agreed to be player-manager in 2000, a role he performed admirably.  One of the highlights of the season was on July 16, when the team retired Bill Nelson's #16.  Bill even through out the first pitch that day, and managed to get the ball from the mound to home plate without too much trouble.

The Dukes, playing a brutal schedule in 2000, won several important games on their way to clinching another #1 seed in Section play.  Their overall record was only 19-16 going into the playoffs, but they had won the games that were most important.

Dundas opened the playoffs with an impressive 10-4 win over Hastings.  Then, behind the pitching of Jeff Deuth and Doug Parks 4 for 5 day (with 2 RBIs), the Dukes beat Miesville 11-4 to clinch a state tournament birth.  In the seeding game, Dundas edged Red Wing in an exciting game, 10-9.

However, the "three-peat" was not meant to be.  Hamel beat Dundas 6-4 in the first round, as the Dukes stranded 13 baserunners.  And Shakopee scored three runs in the top of the ninth to beat Dundas 4-3 and end the Dukes season.  Dundas finished 25-20 for the season.

2001 - ??

No one knows at this time whether Dundas will make the tournament again in 2001, but the Dukes will field yet another strong team.  The new manager is Don Freeman, longtime Duke who played from the 1960's-1980's.  The 2001 team appears to be a scrappy bunch, relying on good pitching and defense rather than the long ball to win games.  By mid June, the teams record stood at 12-5 overall, and included a sparkling 6-0 CVL record.

Records still continue to fall and history continues to be made, even to this day.  On May 16, 2001, left-handed pitcher Jeff Schoenfelter pitched what might have been the first no-hitter in Dundas history.  Jeff beat St. Paul O'Gara's 4-0, and allowed only two baserunners: a walk, and one reached on an error.  The game was played in under two hours.

Part III: The Dundas Invitational Tournament

In 1979, the Dundas Invitational Tournament was born.  This was the first in-season tournament in the state, and has been played for the past 23 years.  The Dundas Invitational Tournament has always featured the best teams in the state, including Cold Spring, Rochester, Miesville, Red Wing, and several quality "A" teams from the Twin Cities.

Dundas, in spite of having many quality teams over the life of the tournament, has managed to win it only twice in 23 years.  The 1983 squad beat Arlington 4-3, ending Arlington's run of four straight Tournament trophies.  The 1997 Dukes beat Red Wing 8-6, after impressive wins over Elko and Rochester.

Interestingly enough, the Dukes have not won this tournament during any of their four state championship years.  In only 1988 did they manage to get out of the first round.

Bill Nelson gets much of the credit for getting the tournament started, and he had to jump through many hoops to make it a reality.

1979 Dundas Invitational Tournament (1^st annual)

Dundas Record: 1-1

Quarterfinals:

Arlington beat Columbia Heights

Dundas beat Minnesota Lake

Lakonis (Minneapolis) 6, Miesville 3

Waseca 6, Marshall 0

Semifinals:

Arlington 13, Dundas 9

Lakonis 11, Waseca 0

Final:

Arlington 14, Lakonis 10

1980 Dundas Invitational Tournament (2^nd annual)

Dundas Record: 1-1

Quarterfinals:

Dundas 10, Cambridge 5

Maple Lake 12, West St. Paul 3

Arlington 7, Schwab Towing (Mpls) 2

Red Wing 11, J.Botten 9

Semifinals:

Maple Lake 8, Dundas 5

Arlington 11, Red Wing 2

Final:

Arlington 14, Maple Lake 0

Joe Driscoll was tournament MVP.

1981 Dundas Invitational Tournament (3^rd Annual)

Dundas Record: 1-1

Quarterfinals:

Dundas 13, Lonsdale 3

Columbia Heights beat Miesville

Lakonis beat Red Wing

Arlington 12, Hampton 4

Semifinals:

Columbia Heights beat Dundas

Arlington beat Lakonis

Final:

Arlington beat Columbia Heights

Dave Hartman, Arlington 3B & Mgr, was MVP

1982 Dundas Invitational Tournament (4^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Burnsville vs. Victoria

Miesville beat Willmar

Jordan 7, Dundas 3

Arlington 18, Goofy's (Mpls) 8

Semifinals:

Miesville beat Burnsville/Victoria winner

Arlington 8, Jordan 3

Final:

Arlington 12, Miesville 1

1983 Dundas Invitational Tournament (5^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 3-0

Quarterfinals:

Miesville beat ??

Dundas 9, Goofy's (St. Paul) 7, 10 innings

Arlington beat ??

?? vs. ??

Semifinals:

Dundas 11, Miesville 1

Arlington beat ??

Final:

Dundas 4, Arlington 3

Brian Greseth was WP; Lew Olson hit 2-run HR; Steve Sviggum hit solo HR

1984 Dundas Invitational Tournament (6^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 2-1

Quarterfinals:

Lakonis beat ??

Dundas beat ??

Burnsville beat??

Miesville beat Arlington

Semifinals:

Dundas 8, Lakonis 4, 10 innings

Burnsville beat Miesville

Final:

Burnsville 8, Dundas 2

1985 Dundas Invitational Tournament (7^th Annual)

Dundas Record: unknown

Quarterfinals:

Richfield vs. Miesville

Cottage Grove vs. Dundas

Scantec vs. Burnsville

Highland Park vs. Cambridge

Semifinals:

No information available

Final:

No information available

1986 Dundas Invitational Tournament (8^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 2-1

Quarterfinals:

Burnsville Blues beat ??

Dundas 8, Arlington 4

Hamel beat ??

?? vs. ??

Semifinals:

Dundas 9, Burnsville 8, 10 innings

Hamel beat ??

Final:

Hamel 15, Dundas 8

1987 Dundas Invitational Tournament (9^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 1-1

Quarterfinals:

Hastings vs. Hamel

Dundas beat Elko

Red Wing vs. Richfield

Miesville vs. Arlington

Semifinals:

Dundas lost in the semifinals

Final:

No information is available

1988 Dundas Memorial Tournament (10^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 2-1

Quarterfinals:

Red Wing beat Hamel

Dundas 6, Leavenworth 4

Miesville beat Elko

Hastings vs. Arlington

Semifinals:

Dundas 9, Red Wing 0

Miesville beat Hastings/Arlington winner

Final:

Miesville 9, Dundas 7

1989 Dundas Memorial Tournament (11^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Hamel 5, Prior Lake 4

Marshall 11, Dundas 10

Red Wing 3, Columbia Heights 1

Miesville 14, New Ulm Kaiserhoff 12

Semifinals:

Marshall 4, Hamel 3

Miesville 15, Red Wing 5

Final:

Marshall 28, Miesville 18.

Marshall scored 17 runs in the top of the 8^th to win; Miesville lead 18-11 after 7 innings.

1990 Dundas Memorial Tournament (12^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-0

Quarterfinals:

Hamel 9, Miesville 3

Dundas vs. Arlington, rained out

Rochester vs. Prior Lake, rained out

Marshall vs. Red Wing, rained out

Semifinals & Final:

Rained out

1991 Dundas Invitational Tournament (13^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 1-1

Quarterfinals:

Hamel 13, Red Wing 1, 7 innings

Miesville 7, Highland Park 1

Rochester 7, Prior Lake 6

Dundas 4, Arlington 3

Semifinals:

Miesville 16, Hamel 9

Rochester 8, Dundas 6 (10 innings)

Final:

Rochester 7, Miesville 2 (called after 5 inning due to rain)

1992 Dundas Invitational Tournament (14^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Hamel 7, Miesville 1

Prior Lake 9, Columbia Heights 5

Highland Park 11, Dundas 5, 13 innings

Rochester 6, Red Wing 3, 10 innings

Semifinals:

Hamel 19, Prior Lake 3

Rochester 13, Highland Park 7

Final:

Hamel 12, Rochester 8

1993 Dundas Invitational Tournament (15^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Highland Park 6, Red Wing 1

Hamel 9, Northfield 0

Rochester 9, Miesville 2

Prior Lake 11, Dundas 1

Semifinals:

Hamel 11, Highland Park 8

Rochester 8, Prior Lake 5

Final:

Hamel 10, Rochester 4

1994 Dundas Invitational Tournament (16^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 1-0

Quarterfinals:

Hamel 6, Prior Lake 3

Dundas 3, White Bear Lake 0

Rochester 12, Northfield 8

Highland Park 7, Red Wing 4

Semifinals & Final:

Rained out

1995 Dundas Invitational Tournament (17^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Rochester beat ??

Hamel 9, Dundas 7

Highland Park 8, Northfield 5

Red Wing beat ??

Semifinals:

Hamel 7, Rochester 0

Red Wing beat Highland Park

Final:

Hamel 18, Red Wing 2

1996 Dundas Invitational Tournament (18^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Elko beat Highland Park

J.Botten 6, Dundas 4

Hamel 4, Red Wing 3

Rochester 12, Burnsville 2

Semifinals:

Elko 3, J.Botten 2, 12 innings

Hamel 9, Rochester 6

Final:

Hamel 12, Elko 6

1997 Dundas Invitational Tournament (19^th Annual)

Dundas Record: 3-0

Quarterfinals:

Rochester 7, Highland Park 5 (10 innings)

Dundas 4, Elko 3 (10 innings)

Red Wing 17, J.Botten 11

Hamel 10, Rosetown A's 6

Semifinals:

Dundas 2, Rochester 1

Red Wing 12, Hamel 5

Final:

Dundas 8, Red Wing 6

1998 Dundas Invitational Tournament (20^th)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Hamel 4, J.Botten 1

Rosetown A's 11, Dundas 6

Rochester 3, Elko 0

Highland Park 17, Red Wing 1

Semifinals:

Hamel 8, Rosetown A's 6

Highland Park 8, Rochester 7

Final:

Hamel 9, Highland Park 8

1999 Dundas Invitational Tournament (21^st)

Dundas Record: 0-1

Quarterfinals:

Rochester 6, Hamel 5

Bloomington 6, Dundas 3

Highland Park 7, J.Botten 6

Elko 10, Rosetown A's 0

Semifinals:

Bloomington 12, Rochester 5

Elko 7, Highland Park 5

Final:

Elko 17, Bloomington 11

2000 Dundas Invitational Tournament (22^nd)

Dundas Record: 1-0

Quarterfinals:

Elko 9, Highland Park 5

Cold Spring 14, Fairfax 5

Dundas 5, Sleepy Eye 1

?? vs. ??, rained out

Semifinals & Final:

Rained out

2001 Dundas Invitational Tournament (23^rd)

Dundas Record: 2-1

Quarterfinals:

St. Paul Rosetown 4, Hopkins 2

Dundas 10, Hutchinson 4

Cold Spring 6, Sleepy Eye 1

Rochester 15, Bloomington 4

Semifinals:

Dundas 7, Rosetown 2

Rochester 6, Cold Spring 5

Final:

Rochester 13, Dundas 3, 8 innings.

Part IV: the Memorial Field story

Although ballgames in Dundas have been played at the Memorial Field site for many years, the first ballparks were elsewhere.  There was a park west of the bars, past the present Palen farm.  There may also have been a field east of town, between Highway 3 and Dundas.  However, for much of the twentieth century, ballgames were played in Paul Thielbar's pasture, on the current site of Memorial Field.  On October 10, 1950, the Village of Dundas officially purchased the field from Mr. And Mrs. Thielbar for the princely sum of $2,500.  This piece of property, dubbed Memorial Field, has been the official home of the Dundas teams ever since.

The Dundas Baseball Association was officially incorporated on October 25, 1950.  The original members were: Leonard Quist, President; A.H. Bickel, Vice-President; George Harris, Secretary & Treasurer; R. H. Ames, George Butterfield; and Ralph Drentlaw.  All of them were from Dundas.

In the 1970's, several improvements were made to Memorial Field including concrete dugouts, a primitive concrete grandstand, and toilets.  In 1990, the current grandstand was constructed, along with the concession stand area.  Lights were added in 1992, and the new scoreboard arrived in 1997. It remains one of the better scoreboards in the state of Minnesota.  The warning track was added in 1999.