Courrier: Stangl's summer of baseball ends with dream come true

It was the most stressful of circumstances, yet something that Easton Stangl had dreamed about since he first took a hack off a tee and sprinted off to first base.

Four runs in but still down one, bases loaded, one out in the third-place game of the American Legion baseball state tournament on Sunday at Rochester. Stangl grabbed his bat and headed for the plate.

“I was just trying to keep the rally going,” Stangl said. “I was super nervous. It was the biggest at-bat of my life.”

What followed was every young kid’s dream. The pitch, the contact, the crowd noise, the celebration.

Stangl hit the game-winning home run, in what turned out to be the final at-bat of the season, maybe of his baseball career.

“I was numb, in shock,” he said. “I started freaking out. I couldn’t believe what happened.”

Stangl didn’t hit any home runs during the spring season at Mankato East. His only other home run this summer for Mankato American Post 11 came earlier in the state tournament.

So a walk-off grand slam would have seemed unlikely. But any extra-base hit might have tied the game against Wayzata, in which Mankato American trailed 5-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

As he approached the plate, Stangl knew this was likely the last time he’d swing the bat.

The first two pitches were low and outside, putting Stangl in a good count. The third pitch was a fastball down the middle, and Stangl was ready.

“I was sitting on a fastball,” Stangl said. “It had to be a perfect pitch because he had already walked a couple of guys.

“I knew I hit it well, but I didn’t realize that it was going over the fence until I rounded first. I couldn’t believe it.”

Stangl sent that fast ball over the left-field fence for a walk-off grand slam and set off the biggest celebration of the season at home plate as Stangl jumped into the air and landed on the dish, hugging and back-slapping with teammates. The phones were capturing all of the emotion; Stangl’s dad and sister have videos that will be watched over and over.

Stangl was injured playing football last fall, so he put in more work to get ready for baseball this spring. The high school season ended with a loss in the section championship, but this run in Legion baseball helped to ease that sting. Mankato American nearly advanced to the championship game, but lost to Eden Prairie in 10 innings Saturday night.

Winning the third-place game was important, and to win in such a thrilling fashion made it even more gratifying.

“You always want to win your last game, especially at the state tournament,” Stangl said.

In two weeks, Stangl will be leaving for South Dakota State, where he will study business economics. He isn’t playing college baseball, and he’s not sure if he’ll play town-team baseball in the future.

Having an experience like Sunday’s keeps the competitive juices flowing, but how can that moment be topped in the future? Stangl isn’t sure he’ll try.

“This was probably the best way it could end. I couldn’t wish for anything better,” he said.

Chad Courrier is the Free Press sports editor. He’s at 507-344-6353, [email protected] or on Twitter @ChadCourrier.

Easton Stangl came to the plate in the most

Down 5-4, bases loaded in the third-place game of the American Legion baseball state tournament.

The first two pitches were low and outside, putting Stangl in a pretty good count. The next fastball came right down the middle, and Stangl didn't miss, sending the ball over the left-field fence to complete an eight-run inning and an 8-5 victory.

Chad Courrier is the Free Press sports editor. He’s at 507-344-6353, [email protected] or on Twitter @ChadCourrier.

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