OTC ends regular season with 9-10 record

The Otter Tail Central Bulldogs closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion Thursday night, erupting for five runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Brandon/Evansville Chargers 5–2 at Tony Kawlewski Baseball Field.

With the victory, the Bulldogs finish the regular season with a 9–10 record and now turn their attention toward postseason play.

Brandon/Evansville grabbed an early lead in the opening inning when a steal of home plated the game’s first run.

The Chargers added another run in the third inning after an Otter Tail Central error, putting the Bulldogs behind 2–0 heading into the late innings.

After being held scoreless through five innings, the Bulldogs finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth.

The biggest swing of the night came from senior leadoff hitter Ryan Despard, who crushed a two-run home run to right field on an 0–2 pitch, scoring the leadoff batter Grady Shebeck, igniting the Bulldogs dugout and giving OTC its first lead of the game.

Otter Tail Central scored five runs in the inning on just three hits, Beske double, Max Grove RBI single and an Evansville error, capitalizing on timely hitting and pressure on the bases to completely flip the momentum.

Senior Kale Misegades started on the mound and kept the Bulldogs within striking distance all night. The right-hander allowed just two hits and two unearned runs on three errors over four innings while striking out three.

Casen Leroy earned the win in relief, throwing two scoreless innings while allowing only one hit.

Quenten Beske closed the door to earn the save with two strikeouts.

The Bulldogs collected four hits in the win: Ryan Despard two-run home run and singles from Quenten Beske, Carter Knutson and Max Grove.

Otter Tail Central Head Coach Ryan Hendrickson said the comeback was a fitting way to finish the regular season.

“That sixth inning showed the toughness and fight this group has,” Hendrickson said. “We’ve been through a lot of close games this season, and it was great to see the guys respond in a big moment and finish strong heading into playoffs.”

Hendrickson also praised the team’s senior leadership.

“Our seniors have continued to lead through every high and low this year. Tonight was another example of them stepping up when we needed it most. I knew we were fine down 2 when Kale Misegades rallied the troops and got some positive energy going prior to our big sixth inning,” he said.

“This group has been through a lot together this season, and I think that’s made us tougher,” said Despard. “We know our record doesn’t tell the whole story about who we are. Now it’s playoff baseball — everybody is 0-0, and we’re excited for the opportunity to keep playing together. Getting a home playoff game at Tony Kawlewski Field is something we’re really looking forward to.”

Otter Tail Central now turns its attention to the Section 8AA playoffs. The Bulldogs earned the fourth seed and will host fifth seeded Hawley in the opening round of the Section 8AA tournament. The first pitch will be at 5 p.m. 

The Otter Tail Central Junior Varsity Bulldogs wrapped up their 2026 season Thursday night with a pair of impressive victories, defeating Brandon/Evansville 13–3 before closing the season with an 8–1 win over the Trojans JV squad.

The doubleheader sweep capped off an outstanding second half of the season for the Bulldogs, who rebounded from a 4–5 start to win eight of their final nine games and finish the year playing some of their best baseball.

In game one, OTC wasted little time responding after Brandon/Evansville grabbed an early 2–0 lead in the first inning.

The Bulldogs answered immediately with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Casen Leroy highlighted the rally with a two-run triple, while Grady Shebeck added an RBI single.

OTC continued to pressure the Chargers throughout the night, using aggressive baserunning and disciplined at-bats to pull away for the 13–3 victory.

Game one highlights include: Grady Shebeck earned the win, striking out seven over five innings, Casen Leroy triple, two RBI, Easton Misegades two hits, Bulldogs drew 10 walks and stole six bases

The Bulldogs carried the momentum into game two, defeating the Trojans JV squad 8–1 behind a dominant third inning and another strong pitching effort.

OTC erupted for five runs in the third inning behind RBI hits from Austin Sem, Mason Kerzman, Lynch, and Anderson.

Game two highlights include: Easton Misegades earned the win, allowing just one unearned run over five innings; Mason Kerzman two hits, three RBI; Austin Sem two hits; Easton Misegades  3-4 at the plate and Kerzman added two shutout innings in relief with three strikeouts. 

After a challenging start to the season, the JV Bulldogs steadily improved throughout the spring, developing confidence, consistency, and toughness as the year progressed.

The team’s strong finish showcased the growth of several younger players while building momentum for the future of the OTC baseball program.

OTC JV Coach Evan Meece praised the group’s growth and resilience over the course of the season.

“I’m really proud of how this JV group kept improving all year,” Meece said. “Early in the season we were still learning how to compete consistently, but the guys kept working and really started playing confident baseball in the second half.”

Meece also pointed to the team chemistry and development throughout the season.

“You could see the guys starting to believe in themselves more every week. Winning eight of the last nine games says a lot about their attitude, work ethic, and willingness to keep getting better.”

The future looks bright for OTC baseball as many of Thursday’s contributors are expected to play important roles in the program moving forward.