Legion coach a longtime guide for Minnehaha star Fedje-Johnson

By MATTHEW DAVIS

Alex Fedje-Johnson knew first-year Giantvalley Legion Post 234 baseball coach Sean Toomey well before this summer.

Fedje-Johnson, a Division I-bound baseball star from Minnehaha Academy, developed much of what he brings to the table through Toomey’s tutelage at the Hit Dawg Baseball Academy. It started when Fedje-Johnson came to the Chaska-based academy as a seventh grader.

“Toomey’s been great both for me personally and for our team as a whole,” Fedje-Johnson said.

Toomey got involved with Post 234 through Fedje-Johnson’s father since Minnehaha varsity coach Scott Glenn had an interest in having a Hit Dawg instructor coach Legion. A former college baseball standout at Concordia College in Moorhead, Toomey has worked with high school through minor league players at the academy.

He also has involvement in college baseball recruiting, and he anticipates a bright future for Fedje-Johnson at Davidson College. Toomey also likes what he sees from Post 234’s other college-bound senior, St. Olaf College recruit Jesse Retzlaff.

“I’ve only gotten see Jesse in a short period of time, but the game he threw against Champlin was a gem,” Toomey said. “He’s a very good pitcher.”

Retzlaff helped Post 234 come within a run of a Champlin Legion team that had a roster of players from the Class AAAA state runner-up team in the spring. Minnehaha Academy won the AA title.

Both Fedje-Johnson and Retzlaff played major roles in the Redhawks’ run to the title in June. Moreover, they helped the Redhawks make three-straight state tournament appearances.

Such success doesn’t surprise Toomey knowing how Fedje-Johnson has emerged through the Hit Dawg program.

“There’s been some plays that he’s made that I haven’t seen high school kids make,” Toomey said.

Moreover, Fedje-Johnson provides crucial leadership for the team.

“When they see him making some the plays that he does and hustling out ground balls, it raises their level of play,” Toomey said. “I’ve noticed these kids have a whole lot of confidence in him.”

Post 234 gained confidence with him in the lineup after his return from the high school all-star series. Giantvalley went 0-4 without him but turned things around to finish 7-7 and draw the top seed in district tournament play. The tourney began on July 21.

Fedje-Johnson has more baseball than Legion going this summer with Chaska Hitdawgs amateur team. That experience benefits Fedje-Johnson since he gets to play the Riverview League, which has droves of current and former college baseball players.

“It definitely keeps me busy, but it’s a lot of fun,” Fedje-Johnson said.

It can help Fedje-Johnson get ready for the rigors of college baseball at Davidson. The Wildcats (28-26) played 54 games between mid-February and late May.

Fedje-Johnson will get a chance to get acclimated to the college game too with fall practice in a few months as well. The North Carolina-based school recruited Fedje-Johnson as an infielder, but he may get to pitch as well.

“I plan on trying to play shortstop day one,” Fedje-Johnson said.

While Minnehaha Academy won’t have the leadership of Fedje-Johnson next season, another solid core of players continued to develop this summer. James Wong and Luke Mahler each put forth strong showings on the pitching mound with Giantvalley. Noah Dehne and Bennett Theisen both looked solid at the plate for Post 234.