Silver Bay baseball coach Ward Wallin reached out before the Mariners’ doubleheader against the Two Harbors Agates on May 6. “Should be a dandy with two solid starting pitchers,” he wrote, hoping I’d make it to the field for what promised to be a great matchup.
Unfortunately, my day job had other plans. But, fortunately, the game lived up to the hype, as both teams put on a show and split the doubleheader.
The Agates’ starting pitcher, sophomore Garren Tikkanen, has clearly put in the offseason work, and it’s paying off on the mound. Head Coach Adam Labat praised Tikkanen’s performance, saying, “I think he has an ERA around 1. He’s been doing a fantastic job for us.”
Tikkanen shares the mound with senior Jaden Osberg, one of just two seniors on the team. Coach Labat appreciates the energy Osberg brings to every game and practice.
“Jaden’s enthusiasm is really what sets him apart. He comes every day excited to be there and wanting to participate,” Labat said. “He always wants to throw, so that’s great.”
Coach Labat also praised senior Cooper Anderson for his leadership, noting his role as a captain on this season’s North Shore Storm hockey team. “He’s been a great voice for the team,” Labat said, highlighting Anderson’s steady presence both on and off the field.
The two seniors lead a tight-knit squad— just 24 players across varsity and JV this season. The shrinking size of some local high school teams is a worrying trend, and Labat is actively working to turn that around.
“I would say that’s kind of our focus,” he explained. “Just trying to get more kids to come out and play. I think that’s better for the program and just in general. I’d like to see kids participating in some sort of activity. It seems more and more are choosing not to. The benefits of participating in sports and extracurriculars are pretty well documented. They help develop life skills.”
“It gives you a little more knowledge to pull from—you know what you could have done better last year,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of steps forward. Our defense has performed much more consistently. We’re committing fewer errors.”
He’s also witnessed significant growth in the team’s drive and determination on the field.
“We are a lot more competitive this year in almost all games. I couldn’t necessarily say that about last year,” Labat admitted. “There were some games that just got away from us early. Our compete level has definitely increased.”
Labat attributes the team’s improvement to a combination of hard work from the players and strong support from his coaching staff.
“Timmy Perfetto is back for a second year, which is always good for continuity,” said the coach. “It’s great to have him back.”
Justin Jones also returned this year and continues to coach JV baseball, while Peirce Risdon joined the coaching staff this season to focus on pitching.
“I picked up another coach this year who has helped us focus more on pitching,” Labat said of Risdon. “It’s been helpful to have another set of eyes working with our pitchers.”
The strength of the coaching staff has clearly made a positive impact on the team’s performance.
“Having peers available to really take over has given us more time on the mound and in practice,” Labat said. “That all contributes to us being more competitive and more consistent.”
That consistency has helped the team build momentum, even with an inconsistent schedule full of weather-related postponements and a late start to the season. Still, the Agates have persevered.
“We’ve made a lot of improvements,” said Labat. “Even though our record isn’t great, we are getting better—and we’re having fun doing it.”
As the team heads into the homestretch, Labat hopes they can “win a few more games to finish the season on a high note—and maybe surprise somebody in the playoffs.”
While I couldn’t make it to that May 6 doubleheader, the Agates showed then— and all season—that their hard work and team spirit are making a real impact. Best of luck as you head towards playoffs, Two Harbors!
