Spring is back again within the great state of Minnesota, and we all know what that brings with it. Allergy season, the tentative renewal of road repairs around the state, and possibly more important than all, baseball season. 

With the 2020 season being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many fans and players eagerly waited for 2021 with a glimmer of hope that they’ll be back again next year. With covid restrictions still in place, hopes were rewarded when it was announced that college baseball would return to the field in 2021.

The Anoka-Ramsey Golden Rams we’re welcomed onto the fields of U.S. Bank Stadium, on March 20th, where they went horn-to-head against the Itasca Vikings in a double-header, after almost a year off and months of solitary or pod training.

After a slow start by both sides, the Rams managed to win after an explosive 7th inning. They scored five runs to take game one at 9-8. 

Both teams looked confident starting off game one, with the first few innings resulting in no team having a clear lead. The Vikings got some wind in their sails by the 3rd and into the 6th innings. They used that momentum to get an early lead on the Rams with a score of 6-4.

The Vikings kept up the pressure in the top of the 7th, by taking advantage of an overthrown ball to first base,  that drove in two runs. It created an almost insurmountable lead at 8-4, Vikings. 

The Rams didn’t count themselves out.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Rams loaded the bases. Trevor Adams and Noah Thompson each doubled, sending two runners home each, tying the game. Later that inning, the Rams again loaded the bases, claiming one last run, cinching a 9-8 victory over the Vikings. 

The Rams then dominated over the Vikings in game two, shutting them down for a majority of it. The game ended in the 6th inning with Rams ahead 13-2. 

The Golden Rams started off with a commanding lead over the Vikings, denying them any runs and picking up three for themselves, ending the 1st inning 3-0, Rams.

The Rams continued to steamroll over the Vikings throughout most of the game. They picked up a run at the bottom of the 2nd inning, four in the 3rd, and two more in the 4th. 

The Vikings tried valiantly and scored three runs by the top of the 5th, but when the Rams returned to bat, they gained another three runs and closed the game out at 13-2, Rams. 

The series marks a promising beginning to the Rams 2021 season. 

The Golden Rams men’s baseball team will be facing off against Central Lakes College in another doubleheader in Brainerd on Apr 3rd, starting 12:00 p.m.