WEST FARGO -- In 2016, West Fargo Sheyenne won the EDC baseball tournament in its first season with a varsity program. Three years later, the Mustangs were on top of the EDC again, claiming the conference tournament.
A glaring difference in those two seasons: the Mustangs were able to defend their conference title the next season in 2017. The 2019-20 Mustangs didn't get that luxury due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"It was amazing. I think everybody was ready for it," said West Fargo Sheyenne head baseball coach Ryan Bodell.
After a year of no baseball activity on the high school level, the Mustangs getting back into the swing of things in 2021. In fact, they haven't lost a game almost a month.
"Just to get back on the field and play some high school baseball," said Bodell.
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Sheyenne had to hone in quickly this year. For the second time in its history, it was the hunted in the Eastern Dakota Conference.
"There was a little bit more motivation than there normally would be," said West Fargo Sheyenne senior infielder Alex Urlaub.
Urlaub was a rising star as a sophomore on that 2019 team, much like many of his teammates. Now as seniors, Urlaub and company are one of the most talented groups around.
"Even though we haven't played in two years, we bring back some guys that played and started for us, and we brought along to the EDC and state tournaments in that 2019 season," said Bodell.
Urlaub, who is signed to play college baseball at Neosho County Community College, is just one of several Sheyenne seniors committed to play baseball at the next level.
"We have four guys, actually maybe five guys going to play college baseball," said Bodell. "Skyler Hoard's going to play."
"Quade [Peters] going to play at Mesa," said Urlaub. "We got Nolan Dodds going to Crookston."
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Not only a talented group, but a group that, according to Bodell, wants to work hard as the Mustangs still search for their first state championship on the diamond.
"They've been playing baseball for so long they know what to do, they know what to expect from everybody else, so they put the work in," said Bodell.
"Things run a lot smoother, and we're able to relax a lot more and can have a lot more fun playing the game," said Urlaub.
In that 2016 season, Sheyenne got all the way to the Class A state championship game before losing to Dickinson. The 2021 team isn't looking to far down the road, but they don't deny a state championship is on the mind.
"You gotta take baseball one game at a time, one pitch at a time, but that goal is definitely in the back of your head all the time," said Urlaub. "You want to get to that state championship game and you definitely want to win it."
