Plato is 2018 Class C State Amateur Baseball Champion

The Plato Bluejays defeated the Sobieski Skis 8-5 in New Prague today to capture the Class C State Amateur Baseball crown.  It is Plato's fourth title, third in the past 11 years.  The Bluejays Chris Odegaard pitched 1-0 wins over Faribault and Luxemburg to get his team to the semis and contributed mightily with his bat while playing second base in the title game.

Odegaard had 3 hits including an RBI double as the Bluejays scored 8 runs in the first inning knocking out starter Jack Hegarty by having four of the first five batters smack hits.  Plato finished with 13 hits and Sobieski 9 hits in the game.  The Skis scored their first run in the third inning and plated 4 runs in the 5th but Plato draftee Mac Zachow of Green Isle got the win going 5 innings and scattering 3 hits while allowing no runs and two walks.  Cody Hallahan, another Green Isle draftee pitcher threw 4 innings, scattering 6 hits and gave up the 5 Sobieski runs with 3 walks.  The Skis hit two doubles and a homer off Hallahan.

Odegaard, 31,  played his high school baseball at Glencoe-Silver Lake and elected to go to Minnesota State Mankato. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 23rd round in 2008. In 2009 he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and played three seasons in the minors for them.

In 2009 the Waconia native played for the Yakima Bears in Yakima, Washington.  Members of the Northwest League.  He was 2-8 and threw 79 innings, walked 35 and struck out 46 while compiling a 4.10 ERA.  In 2010 he played for the South Bend Silver Hawks in the Midwest League in South Bend, Indiana and improved to 5-3 with a 3.42 ERA. Odegaard pitched 68.1 innings, allowed 58 hits, struck out 73, walked 33 while giving up 58 hits and compiling a 3.42 ERA.  In 2011 with the Silver Hawks he was 5-1 with a 3.86 ERA.  Throwing 63 innings, allowing 55 hits, striking out 67 and walking 35.