New Prague’s town baseball team is in an enviable position, having earned the top seed in its region for post-season play in hopes of winning a berth to play in the state tournament at home.

The Orioles won two of four games in the past week. Securing the favorable seed for the playoffs afford the O’s the opportunity to rest pitchers and give other players a break as needed in the final week of the season.

Elko 9, New Prague 0

Details of the Express’s win Monday, July 20, were not available when the newspaper went to press.

After a tough loss to Le Sueur back on June 28, the Union Hill Bulldogs are on a roll, winners of their last five games.

The Bulldogs have rolled off big wins in the past two weeks. Union Hill defeated Lonsdale, 8-3, June 28. They topped Jordan, 6-5, Tuesday, July 7, and thumped Norwood, 10-0, in an exhibition game, Wednesday, July 8. Union Hill pounded Shakopee, 19-6, Friday, July 10, and thumped New Prague, 13-3, Sunday, June 12, at Don Giesen Field.

Union Hill 13, New Prague 3

Orioles use big numbers in a pair of DRS victories

New Prague’s town baseball team turned its offense up a few notches this past week in a pair of victories.

Averaging over 10 runs in two games, the Orioles thumped Lake Crystal and St. Benedict heading into Sunday’s rivalry game against Union Hill at Don Giesen Field, July 12, 2 p.m. The Bulldogs topped the O’s, 8-6, June 14 in New Prague.

After a tough extra-innings setback, a win was just what the doctor ordered for the Union Hill Bulldogs Sunday.

Union Hill topped Lonsdale Sunday, June 28. It took some of the sting out of Friday’s June 26 12-inning home loss to the Braves.

Union Hill 8, Lonsdale 3

The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the second inning when Will Busch smacked a double and later scored without the benefit of a hit. UH upped its lead to 2-0 when Jack Kreutzian singled, scored on Joe Becker’s two-base hit down the right field line.

He entered the Special Olympics 2026 USA Games looking to enjoy the experience and do the best he could.

For New Prague’s Seth Dorner, mission accomplished.

A defender on the soccer team, Dorner and his teammates from the Prior Lake-Savage Soccer Club represented their state and themselves well, winning a silver medal. The team fell in the championship, a 2-1 overtime loss.

The few times New Prague’s American Legion team has lost, the team has rebounded with a win, a resilience impressing team leaders and coach Jackson Sirek.

Case in point: Saturday, July 27, the NP team fell to Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 19-10, in the first game of a round-robin mini-tournament at Jordan. New Prague rebounded with a nice win over Jordan, 5-1. Monday, June 22, NP dropped a 10-2 decision to Prior Lake. The team bounded back three days later with a 5-2 win over Rosemount.

When they started the season neither one would have likely stated they would make the Minnesota State High School League’s clay target state meet.

Yet when the top shooters in the state line up and take aim at clay targets flying across a field at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Credit River, New Prague’s Ava Chlan and Amber Indykiewicz will be among the trapshooters competing as individuals at the state meet. The team competition begins in the morning with the competition for individuals slated for a 1 p.m. start.

River Valley League action also.

If all goes well in Alexandria, New Prague High School’s trapshooting team will learn if it will make the state tournament next week.

The Trojans will be competing against like-sized schools Monday, June 22, at The Championships in Alexandria, the gateway tournament to the Minnesota State High School League’s state tournament June 26 at Minneapolis Gun Club in Credit River. NPHS is hoping to qualify its five-best shooters and two alternates for the state tournament. Two members of the team – Ava Chlan and Amber Indykiewicz – have already qualified for state as individuals.

Armed with players from the New Prague High School varsity team, NP’s American Legion Post 45 baseball team is all-in on enjoying a strong season this summer.

This year’s team is working to reschedule games initially lost because of the extended high school season. The 45s will play Rochester Saturday, June 20, 7 p.m., at Memorial Park. Monday, June 22, 7 p.m., NP will be at Prior Lake and Thursday, June 25, 6 p.m., the team heads east to face Rosemount.

New Prague’s athletes made a strong showing last week at the Minnesota State High School League’s Class AAA track and field championships at St. Michael-Albertville High School, setting new school records and advancing several athletes to the medals stand.

In the pole vault, John Walters cleared 14 feet to finish eighth and earn all-state.

A strong second-day performance vaulted New Prague’s Azalea Kallal 18 places in the individual standings at the Minnesota State High School League’s Class AAA state golf tournament Tuesday and Wednesday, June 9-10, at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids.

New Prague improved its position in the Dakota-Rice-Scott League standings with a pair of wins in the past week.

New Prague High School's baseball team suffered two losses to Farmington Tuesday, June 2 after the newspaper's print edition went to press, in Dundas and settled for a second place finish in the Section 1AAAA baseball tournament.

With their performances at the Section 1AAA meet last week at Lakeville South, New Prague is sending several of its top track and field athletes to represent the Trojans at the Minnesota State High School League’s state meet today and Saturday, June 4 and 6, at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

Kallal earns state berth

Although they advanced only one golfer to the state tournament, New Prague’s girls’ and boys’ golf teams were strong at the Section 2AAA meet Tuesday and Wednesday, May 26-27, at Ridges of Sand Creek in Jordan.

The NP girls took second in the team competition, posting a two-day, 36-hole total of 676. Minnetonka won the team competition at 581. Orono took third at 705.