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South metro sports notes: Hastings softball starts in on its goals

By Star Tribune, 04/22/17, 10:15PM CDT

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The Hastings softball team has its sights set on winning the Metro East Conference, followed by the Class 4A, Section 3 championship.

The Hastings softball team has its sights set on winning the Metro East Conference, followed by the Class 4A, Section 3 championship.

The Raiders are off to an excellent start toward reaching their first goal. They opened the season with five consecutive victories, all over conference opponents.

Coach Ken Lundquist’s squad has finished first or second in the conference in nine of the past 10 years. It has advanced to the state tournament four times during that span.

Hastings won the Class 3A state championship in 2011, the last time it reached the tournament, which expanded to four classes last year.

Blaze names coach

Following two stints as Burnsville’s offensive coordinator, Vince Varpness has been tapped to be the Blaze’s head football coach.

Varpness served as the school’s offensive coordinator in 2010 and 2016. He also had been head coach at St. Louis Park.

He replaces Tyler Krebs, who left Burnsville to become Lakeville South’s head coach. Krebs replaced longtime coach Larry Thompson.

The Blaze has had back-to-back winning seasons, finishing 7-3 last year after going 9-2 in 2015.

Top performances

• Shakopee shortstop Zack Henderson went 6-for-11, including three doubles and a home run, in the Sabers’ first three baseball games of the season. The senior drove in eight runs in the three victories.

• Red Wing junior Teddy Tauer pitched a six-hit shutout as the Wingers defeated Albert Lea 5-0 in a Big 9 Conference baseball matchup. He struck out five and walked none while throwing 92 pitches.

RON HAGGSTROM

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