MAYVILLE -- The three-time defending champs will continue to defend their title in Class B.
The Thompson Tommies earned their trip to Fargo later this week following a Region 2 tournament that saw them navigate the lower half of the bracket to make it there, capped off by two wins over Hillsboro/Central Valley Friday, May 23.
"A lot of nerves were relieved there," said senior Thomas Schumacher after their second win.
Thompson's first game in the Region 2 tournament saw Hillsboro/Central Valley win 10-8 May 19, dropping the top-seeded Tommies to one loss away from elimination.
Following 19-4 and 3-0 wins over Hatton-Northwood and Larimore, respectively on May 22, that set up a rematch with the Burros the next day, needing two wins or their season would end.
The first game between the two saw Hillsboro/Central Valley score two runs in the top of the seventh inning to make the score 3-2, but Thompson's Jeromy Tyce recorded a strikeout with the bases loaded to end the threat and force a winner-take-all scenario.
In the second game, the Tommies faced a 4-0 deficit in the first inning, but would later take a 5-4 lead by the third inning.
The Burros struck back with two runs in the fourth inning, and the score remained that way until the sixth inning.
Thompson senior Drew Odenbach could only throw 15 pitches in the game, and threw a scoreless top of the sixth, leaving the mound with a triumphant yell, in an attempt to motivate his teammates.
"I just feel like we needed a burst of energy and everyone else was giving it too," Odenbach said.
The Tommies followed with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take an 8-6 lead, but the Burros threatened to respond in the seventh inning, putting runners on first and third with one out.
Thompson's Kaden Loiland induced a line drive to Schumacher, who quickly fired a throw back to Odenbach to double up the runner at first base to end the game, completing the Tommies' path to return to the state tournament.
"We haven't really battled through much adversity this year, at times, certainly, but when your season's on the line, it's a little bit different and it can kind of snowball at times, and we just didn't let it do that," said head coach Nate Soulis.
Before the region tournament, Thompson only had one loss on the season.
Once the final out was recorded, the celebration was on for Schumacher, who would later be named the Region 2 Senior Athlete of the Year.
"They're my best friends I've been playing with forever, it's just I don't want to do it with any other group of coaches, group of teammates," he said.
Thompson is looking to add to its rich history as a baseball program, winning eight Class B championships, including the last three, and Odenbach says it will be important to treat this tournament as something new.
"We've got to go out there hungry, erase the season before us, and we just need to have an 0-0 mindset and we need to go out there and just compete, and I feel like if we compete, we have a good chance," he said.
For others, taking home a trophy this year would be extra special.
"It would mean everything to go out with three wins down at Newman [Outdoor Field], can't think of any other way to do it," Schumacher said.
Per NDHSAA's record books, no program has won four consecutive Class B championships since Drayton won six in a row between 1958-1963.
Thompson received the #2 seed in this year's tournament, and will face Renville County Thursday at 11:30 a.m., televised on WDAY Xtra.