With a three game sprint to start their postseason run, the Eagle Lake Expos rallied late to keep hope alive, only to have it dashed in the early frames of their final contest. Despite a heartbreaking finish to a 13-10 season, a squad of young collegiate ballers and experienced veterans carried themselves like players worth more than the dirt on the diamond.
Their postseason gauntlet in District 3B was a mad dash of three games in five days. With a hobbled bullpen–missing notable aces Nate Bridger and Riston Wojcik–the Expos relied on its bats to power through a weakened rotation.
Following a 9-3 defeat to the Le Sueur Braves on August 9th, the Expos entered the consolation “win or go home” style bracket. Thankfully, the team didn’t travel far to square off against the Montgomery Mallards at ISG Field in Mankato two days later. A thrilling contest that featured numerous lead changes, the showdown between the sixth and seventh seeds in District 3B proved to be a postseason classic.
When one team claimed the advantage off a beautiful swing or a booming home run, the opposition took it personally to respond in the following frame. The first two innings passed without any scores, but the Mallards were the first to cross home plate at the top of the third. Knutson provided the spark in the home half of the inning with a leadoff bunt hit; he then swiped two consecutive bases to place him 90 feet away. Werk whacked a shot up the middle to tie the game at one all and a Kopesky liner to deep center gave ELE a 2-1 lead.
Determined to ruffle feathers, the Mallards countered two innings later, scoring two runs to reclaim a slim advantage; however, the Expos offered a two-run retort of their own. Knutson and Werk led the charge with base hits while Kopesky cleaned up the bases with a towering shot to right field that bounced off the wall.
Holding a narrow 4-3 margin, the Expos’ limited pitching began to show signs of struggle. Ben Snaza battled through the heart of Montgomery’s lineup in the top of the sixth, but a string of base hits led to a three-run surge for the Mallards, which prompted a mound visit to relieve Snaza of his duties.
Cael Willaert stepped onto the mound in the seventh inning and despite giving a solo shot to bring the game to 7-4, he maintained his composure to retire the side. But Willaert wasn’t done making an impact on the diamond. Following two straight HBP and a walk to load the bases, Willaert dug into the plate at the game’s most crucial spot.
Then it happened.
A 1-1 pitch carried high enough for the Expo to drive it deep, far, and past the MSU sign in left field for a miraculous grand slam. out of the ballpark for a captivating grand slam. The crack of the bat echoed in the near-empty stadium, the collective roar from the ELE dugout rang out far beyond the stadium’s borders, and Willaert–usually stoic in these moments–let out a smile as his Expos teammates swarmed him at home plate. As Willaert crossed home plate.
That bases-clearing shot gave the Expos a one-run lead and some clutch pitching by Willaert closed the door to clinch an improbable 8-7 victory over the Mallards, effectively keeping their playoff hopes alive.
The hype of a close, but well-earned, victory carried them to their next game at Union Hill on Thursday August 13. The Expos and Bulldogs built a rivalry over the season with their most recent match being a convincing 6-1 ELE victory during Tator Days. It was a highly anticipated matchup, and the Expos had a certain pep in their step; however, playoff baseball soon humbled the squad often and early against a Union Hill determined to find redemption.
Every man in the dugout had the will to push forward but the game of baseball can be unforgiving. A seven-run explosion in the second inning followed by six more runs in the fourth posed a mountain the Expos were unable to climb. They showed heart in the middle innings, but a four-run bottom of the sixth by the Bulldogs was the final nail in the coffin on a spectacular ELE season. Eagle Lake’s post season ended with a 17-5 loss to Union Hill.
Over the course of 20 regular season games, the Expos built a team average of .334 with a slugging percentage of .486. Expos rotation recorded an ERA of 4.221 for 2026, 169 strikeouts with 75 strikeouts looking, and 18 HBPs. Fielding earned 466 putouts on 634 total chances for a fielding percentage of .959.
Manager Mitch Kleist was proud of the team for playing a good season and making the best run they could in the playoffs. The young Expos have a lot of developed skill and plenty of potential to look forward to in their next season.
While their time as Expos has come to an end for 2026, many of the players will continue developing their baseball skills until they return for the 2027 campaign, stronger and more determined than ever.
This is the Janesville Journal signing off on its debut coverage with the Eagle Lake Expos. We hope to see you at the People’s Ball Park in 2027!
