Posted: 5/12/04

Execution is key to success on the field

Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

According to Forest Lake High School baseball coach Brian Raabe, the difference between winning and losing comes down to how the players execute plays.

ìIf you can execute the fundamentals of baseball youíre going to win,î Raabe said.

The Rangers took a four game losing streak into last Wednesdayís game against fifth ranked Woodbury. With Ross Miller on the mound, the entire Rangers team executed and beat Woodbury 5-3.

ìWe played extremely well against Woodbury,î Raabe said. ìThey are a tough team and everything worked well for us. We also executed well.î

Two days later the Rangers traveled to Hastings. Earlier in the season Hastings beat the Rangers by ten runs, this time around the game was a bit closer but Hastings was still on top as they won 7-3.

ìHastings is a very, very difficult team at the plate and they did a nice job of hitting us,î Raabe said. ìWe hung in there and had some opportunities.î

Raabe said that the entire conference is strong so games can go either way, it simply depends on who is going to execute better.

Monday the Rangers welcomed Stillwater to Schumacher Field. The Rangers won the first meeting of the two teams 2-0. In Mondayís game, Stillwater evened the season series by beating the Rangers 4-2.

ìStillwater fielded the ball very well, Raabe said. ìI told the players early in the year if you execute you will win. Yesterday Stillwater executed a few things better than we did and they won the game. They did the little things just to beat us.î

Zach Guttormson pitched for the Rangers and also had two hits to help his own cause.

ìIt was a pretty good well played baseball game all the way around,î Raabe said. ìStillwater played a very solid baseball game and we did too.î

The Rangers next game is Friday at Park Center at 4:15 p.m.

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