A band of brothers

There were plenty of reasons why the 2015 Medford baseball team should not have won 13 games. 
For one thing, the school had only won 16 games in the past three seasons combined. For another, the varsity had only nine players, the bare requirement for a team, and one shy of having a single substitute. Having only two seniors could also have been a problem.
Coach Jon Chappuis admitted that going into the season, there were many questions. 
“Coming into the season, we were unsure of what to expect,” said Chappuis. “We only had two seniors and started as many as four freshman throughout the season.”
The young, short-handed Tigers woke from years of slumber to pounce back into Gopher Conference conversation, and they did it quickly. 
After a season-opening 2-1 victory over Maple River, the Tigers bounded past every opponent, winning seven straight games to begin the season. They would win thirteen before the season ended.
While there were plenty of reasons the Tigers should not have had the season they enjoyed, there were several positives that overshadowed the negatives.
Only nine players
While Medford’s coach and players admitted a short-stacked roster brought challenges, they all agreed those challenges were outweighed by the benefits.
“Having only nine players was difficult at times, because no one was able to take breaks,” said senior AJ Chappuis, “but it also helped build our chemistry. I believe (its) what made our team so close.”
“(It) made us rely on each other heavily,” said senior Nick VonRuden. “We made sure that everyone’s grades were high and no one was getting in trouble. I also think that is what made us a close group of guys.”
Coach Chappuis admitted the shortage brought struggles as a coach. 
“It was difficult to manage, because they couldn’t take breaks when (they) were tired or struggled,” said Chappuis. “They learned to rely on each other and depend on each other. This group lunched together, found common interests together and just spent time together like successful teams do.”
The family
The Medford boys quickly became what many of the players would call a family — a group of incredibly close teammates who always had each other’s interests above their own.  
“I felt like the team was close right away at the beginning of the season,” said AJ. “We had fun while getting our work done, and I feel like that helped a lot.”
According to freshman Javis VonRuden, the team knew their ability to play well together before the first game, since most of the players played together in summer ball. 
“We all knew it was going to be a good year after a successful legion season during the summer,” said Javis. “We all had eight other brothers that had each other’s backs no matter what happened.”
While the small team became figurative “brothers,” there were actually three sets of brothers on the team, including Nate and Nick Meixner, Wyatt and Cole Volkmann and Nick and Javis VonRuden. AJ Chappuis is also a cousin of the VonRudens. 
The season
It didn’t take long for the the close-knit team to show their school that their confidence was more than smoke and mirrors. The Tigers won seven straight games to begin the season, the same number of wins they totaled the season prior. 
While a 2-3 finish to the month of April would bring the team somewhat back to reality, the Tigers weren’t about to finish quietly. They would end the regular season 3-3, amassing a 12-6 finish, but the Tigers still had one more surprise up their sleeves. 
In the first round of sub-section play, the Tigers hosted Southland, a team that Coach Chappuis said had a strong history of playing their best ball in sections play. 
Tied 6-6 after the full seven innings of play, the two teams would exchange missed opportunities in extra innings, as both Southland and Medford stranded runners throughout the eighth and ninth innings. But in the bottom of the 10th, an RBI single by Nick VonRuden cleared the Medford bench as the team celebrated a dramatic finish on the pitching mound. 
Memories
Although Medford went on to lose twice to finish their sections run, the team holds onto memories they will not likely soon forget. 
For AJ, the greatest memory will be the statement the team made by their many wins. 
“No one really expected us to be a top contender by looking at the past season,” said AJ. “It was good to show everyone that we are able to be a good team and play well with other good teams.”
Javis will remember watching his brother Nick’s walk-off single against Southland. Nick said that besides the Southland victory, the team’s trip to Minneota halfway through the season was a great memory, adding that the team really bonded during the round-robin tournament.
For Coach Chappuis, one highlight was watching the team’s two seniors bring the team together. 
“With only two seniors, it took both of them to have the success that we had,” said Chappuis. “AJ and Nick came as a package. They did this together and both led tremendously. They brought the team together like a band of brothers. They definitely built a tradition that will continue.”
AJ’s play and leadership also landed him a spot on the 2015 Class A Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Assocation All-State team.
While Nick and AJ will leave for college in the fall, Coach Chappuis said the bond created this past season will not be quickly broken. 
“This team (came) together for the common good of just having fun and playing baseball together,” said Chappuis. 
For now, Medford players and fans can reminisce about the season that was and look forward to what may be in the 2016 season.