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 2nd a total of four times, and finished 3rd 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 3rd 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 9th 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 4th 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 9th 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 10th, 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 7th 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 2nd (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 8th, and four more times in the 9th to win 12-9. Jay Olson hit a 3-run HR in the 8th 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 7th 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 8th. 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 8th 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 9th 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 2nd (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 8th 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 3rd (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.