In the second game, Mike Rodriguez made some history, becoming the first Yellowjacket to play every position in a single game. UW-Superior athletics photo

NEW ULM, Minn. – The Yellowjacket baseball team entered play Saturday knowing a couple of things. First, they knew the games would be their final regular season contests of 2021. Their next action wouldn't be until the start of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament, which will commence May 20.

Speaking of the tournament, the Yellowjackets entered the day occupying a spot in the post-season derby, entering play as the No. 5 team in the UMAC. They have yet to cement a position in the tournament, but a pair of wins Saturday against a winless Martin Luther club would go a long way to securing a slot in the tournament.

The 'Jackets took care of business.

Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) hurled a one-hit gem in the opener and Ryan Castaneda (San Pedro, Calif./Junipero Serra) blasted a pair of homers and drove in six in the second game as the Yellowjackets swept the Knights 15-0 and 13-1. Those performances were noteworthy, but were overshadowed by Mike Rodriguez (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech), who in the second game played every position for the Yellowjackets.

With the wins the Yellowjackets (15-19, 8-8 UMAC) hold onto fifth place in the UMAC standings and await the results of the second Bethany Lutheran-Northland game – a Bethany Lutheran win would clinch the fifth tournament seed for the Yellowjackets.

Game One
Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) was on cruise control throughout the opener, twirling a complete game shutout and allowing just one hit – a one-out double in the bottom of the fourth inning. He walked two and struck out 11 to improve to 5-4 on the year.

He got all of the support he would need in the top of the first inning as the Yellowjackets plated four runs.

Brandon Rolf (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) started the inning reaching on an error and he came around to score when Mike Rodriguez (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) doubled to the gap in left center. A few batter later Nick Shea (Pengilly, Minn./Greenway) singled to bring in a run and put runners on the corners. A perfectly-executed double steal saw Bryce Flanagan (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) steal home with the inning's third run, and then Shea scored on a Nick Zezulka (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village) double to make it 4-0.

It stayed that way until the top of the fifth when the 'Jackets blew the game wide open. With one out Flanagan doubled, and Christian Garcia (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) followed with a RBI double. She tripled to bring home Garcia and Alex Aguilar (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake ) doubled, plating Shea. A pair of errors brought home Aguilar, and later in the inning Rolf doubled to score Josh Hukriede (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) and the Yellowjackets led by nine.

Flanagan led off the sixth with a double and pinch runner Corbin Taylor (Hurley, Wis./Hurley) scored on a Garcia single to put the Yellowjackets into double digits. An Aguilar groundout produced another run later in the inning and it was 11-0.

The Yellowjackets would score four times in the seventh, and all of the runs came courtesy of the long ball. Will Bess (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) ripped a two-out home run to left field, and Shea made it back-to-back homers, launching a solo shot to left center to make the final score 15-0.

The Yellowjackets had 15 hits in the game, led by Garcia and Shea who had three apiece. Shea also drove in three.

Game Two
In the second game, Mike Rodriguez (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) made some history, becoming the first Yellowjacket to play every position in a single game. And for good measure, Rodriguez went 2-for-4 at the plate, as well.

Rolf led off the game with a single, and two hitters later Flanagan walked to put runners on the corners. Castaneda followed with a three-run home run to right to put the Yellowjackets in front.

Martin Luther got a run back on a home run in the bottom of the first, and it stayed 3-1 until the top of the third when Castaneda hit his second three-run shot of the game, again homering to right.

The Castaneda home run forced a Martin Luther pitching change, but the Yellowjackets just kept on raking. Aguilar doubled and Gunner Johnson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) followed with a two-run home run to right and the Yellowjacket lead was seven runs. A run scored on an error later in the inning and the 'Jackets were up 9-1 after three.

Ben Rhodes (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) led off the fifth with a single and went to second on a ground out. He would score on a Rodriguez single, giving the Yellowjackets their 10th run.

In the seventh, James Besaw (Oak Harbor, Wash./Oak Harbor) and Isaac Fugere (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, bringing in two runs. The final run came across on a wild pitch, putting the Yellowjackets up 13-1.

Castaneda had three hits in the game, pacing the Yellowjackets' 12-hit attack.

Elliot Danhoff (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) got the start on the mound and pitched five innings, allowing one run on three hits. He walked two and struck out eight to improve to 2-4. Fugere and Rodriguez each gave up on hit in a scoreless inning of work.

The Yellowjackets will now wait to see what the seedings are for the UMAC tournament to determine when they will play and who their opponent will be. The 2021 UMAC tournament will be hosted by Northwestern in St. Paul, Minn.