Mounds View’s Joe Fredrickson is fearless when facing the big moments.

The Mustangs senior shortstop said he loves being in a position to be the one who makes the play to win a tight game.

“I really like the moment when it’s close and in extra innings, I just want to put the game away,” Fredrickson said. 

It was no surprise, then, that Fredrickson came through in the clutch Wednesday, hammering a single to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning in Mounds View’s 3-2 home victory over Suburban East Conference rival Cretin-Derham Hall.  

“(Fredrickson) has a way of getting game-winning hits like that, it’s happened before,” Mustangs coach Mark Downey said. “He’s not afraid of limelight. He likes that spot, he wants that spot and he wants to get it done.” 

Fredrickson got it late in the game despite struggling in his earlier at-bats, where he was 0-for-3 and had reached base only on a fielding error.

The North Dakota commit pushed that performance out of his head and approached his final at-bat with confidence. With junior left fielder Tyler Fredlund on second base and representing the winning run, Fredrickson calmly worked the count to 3-1 and then jumped on a high fastball from Cretin-Derham Hall senior pitcher Rob Rice. Fredrickson swing sent the ball sailing over Raiders senior left fielder Jack Wingerd and dropped in for a hit, which scored Fredlund and kept the Mustangs, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A by Let’s Play Baseball, unbeaten on the year.

And when the ball left the bat, Fredrickson felt he had shone bright under the spotlight.  

“I thought it was maybe too high (to be caught), but when I was halfway up the baseline I knew it was over (Wingerd’s) head (because) he was running backwards,” Fredrickson said.

Fredrickson’s RBI was one only a few successes batters had against the pitchers. 

Mustangs senior Henry DeCaster, a South Dakota State University commit, gave up two runs on four hits, struck out six and walked two in five innings. DeCaster, who retired eight out of the first nine batters he faced, said he had to be sharp against No. 6-3A Cretin-Derham Hall.

“That’s a good hitting team, and I knew if I missed and was getting behind and have to start throwing fastballs, that they were going to make me pay, so I was trying to get ahead,” DeCaster said. 

DeCaster’s day was nearly a carbon copy of his first outing of the season, when he gave up just three hits and struck out six while walking none in pitching five scoreless innings of Mounds View’s 6-0 victory over Stillwater in the season opener on April 8.

DeCaster is following in the footsteps of two stellar Mustangs’ pitchers - Max Knutson and Sam Hentges - who lead Mounds View to back-to-back Class 3A state titles. Knutson, a 2013 graduate who is pitching at Nebraska, and Hentges, a 2014 graduate who signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, were each selected as the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, but Downey said DeCaster should not be compared to either former player.

“(DeCaster) is an outstanding pitcher and we expect him to do an outstanding job and I don’t expect him to look or replace any body like (Hentges), but we expect big things from Henry,” he added.

The Mustangs may expect big things from DeCaster, but no one on the team expects to excel in big situations more than Fredrickson.

Mounds View senior shortstop Joe Fredrickson drove in the game-winning run in the Mustangs' 3-2 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall in a Suburban East Conference matchup Wednesday at Mounds View High School.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and junior left fielder Tyler Fredlund standing on second, Fredrickson worked the count to 3-1 before lifting a fastball over Raiders left fielder Jack Wingerd to bring home Fredlund and keep Mounds View’s undefeated.  

Senior first baseman Charlie Callahan gave the Mustangs, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A by Let's Play Baseball, a 2-0 lead with RBI singles in the first and second innings. Fredrickson and Fredlund scored the runs. 

The No. 6-3A Raiders retaliated in the fourth inning, knotting the game with RBIs from senior second baseman Bret Huebner and junior catcher Justin Weinberg. Huebner hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring senior center fielder Max Jackson from third, while Weinberg laced a double to left field to bring home senior Cole Gnetz.   

Mounds View (4-0, 4-0) senior pitcher Henry DeCaster allowed four hits and two runs while walking two and striking out six in five innings as the starter. Junior Bo Lovdahl gave up up two hits, walked one and struck out one in finishing the final four innings to earn the victory.

Gnetz gave up five hits and two runs, and finished with three walks and four strike outs in pitching six innings for the Raiders (4-1, 4-1). Senior Rob Rice took the loss in relief, pitching the final three innings and surrendering four hits and the last run.

Both teams continue league play on April 17, with Cretin-Derham Hall heading to East Ridge and Mounds View traveling to White Bear Lake.   

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