RECAP: Park River Area Reclaims ND Class B Baseball Crown with 9-2 Win Over Kindred
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (KVRR) – For the first time since 2021, the Class B baseball state champion was not the Thompson Tommies.
And fittingly enough, the team that ended the Tommies’ four-year reign in the semifinals became the new king of Class B baseball.
Park River Area jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two innings in the championship game over Kindred, and from there, senior pitcher Jacob Solseng took control. The Mayville State commit delivered a dominant performance on the mound, recording 11 strikeouts while helping lead the Aggies to the program’s fourth state championship — and first since 2019.
“I was definitely trying to hold myself to less free passes there on the bases,” Solseng said. “You know, went into that rain break and really got mentally focused for the rest of the game and came out really hot. I feel like I got really good command of my curveball and fastball was working from there.”
The championship game itself turned into a marathon.
In the fourth inning, play was suspended because of weather, resulting in a 59-hour rain delay before the teams finally returned to finish the title game. Even with the lengthy pause, Park River Area never lost momentum. The total game time officially lasted three hours and 14 minutes.
When play resumed, Solseng picked up right where he left off, overpowering hitters and keeping the Aggies firmly in control.
Because of his pitch count, Solseng was only able to pitch every out but the final one. For the last out of the championship, Noah Troftgruben came on and recorded the Aggies’ 12th strikeout of the game, sealing the state title celebration.
For head coach Brett Omdahl, the championship is the reward for a resilient group that battled through adversity all season long.
“Well, it feels great,” Omdahl said. “Great group of boys persevering in moments of adversity. You know, just accomplishing a goal that we set at the beginning of the season. It’s fun.”
The road to the championship nearly ended a week earlier. Park River Area trailed 2-0 in the region championship before rallying to keep its season alive.
Now, the Aggies are state champions.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Solseng said. “Last weekend when we were down 2-0 in the region championship, I would never have thought we’d be here. But these guys pulled through and I’m really, really happy — really happy to be doing this with these guys.”
After dethroning a dynasty and surviving everything from early-season adversity to a nearly 60-hour rain delay, the Aggies are once again on top of North Dakota Class B baseball.
