By Jesse Menden
Sports Writer

There are a lot of famous streaks in baseball.

Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight games during the 1941 season. That record has not been seriously threatened since. Cal Ripken Jr. played in 2,632 straight games at one point during his career. That is a streak that will probably never be touched.

Locally, the DC Saints are working on two amazing streaks of their own. The Saints have not had a losing season since 1987, and they have made an appearance in the state tournament six years in a row, every year since 2001.

The Saints are set to add another year to those streaks in 2007.

The recent success of the Saints is just the latest in the history of winning baseball at Dassel and Cokato. Ever since the inception of baseball in this area, the teams have been successful.

Just one year after Dassel and Cokato combined their teams in 1967 to become the DC Saints, they won the state championship. They have been runners-up at the state tournament three times since then, taking second in 1973, 1976, and 1993.

Between the two towns, Dassel and Cokato have made 21 state appearances, the latest coming last season. They lost the opening game to Cold Spring 11-0, but advanced with a 5-0 win over New Ulm, and a 8-2 victory over Grand Rapids. The Saints were eliminated in their next game, losing a ninth-inning lead and the game to Red Wing, 5-4.

The Saints are in good position to head back to the state tournament in 2007 because they are returning almost every player from last year’s 27-15 team. That list includes significant contributors like Brent Opsahl, Pete Bergstrand, Matt Bergstrom, Dan Birkholz, and Eric Hanson.

The pitching staff that gave up under three runs per game is back largely intact, and that includes a name that Saints’ fans are very familiar with.

John Riewer will be back for the 2007 season. The pitcher/first baseman is coming back to play after moving to his hometown, Staples, after the 2006 season.

It will be his 19th season in a Saints uniform, and he will continue to add to the numerous pitching and offensive team records already in his name.

DC finished second in the Central of the North Star League last year with a 12-5 record, three games behind St. Michael. The Saints were runners-up in the Section 8 Class B playoffs.

The continued success, especially in the playoffs, for the Saints is a community effort, but it all starts with the players on the field.

The manager of the Saints, Mark Forsman, has worn the DC uniform for 24 seasons, 20 as a coach. He has been the leader during this remarkable run of success. One of the keys is using homegrown talent.

“Teams have different philosophies. I can say that we’ve had two players that were not local,” Forsman said about his tenure. “That is why we have such a good following. We use all local players.”

That local following has led to a strong interest in baseball at all levels. Whether it is a kid shorter than the baseline fences at Saints Field, or a high school senior, everybody wants to play for the Saints.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a good baseball program,” Forsman said. “We are always filling in good players when we lose them.”

Another key to the recent success of the Saints is where they play. The beautiful Saints Field is a great place to play and watch a game.

“That builds a program, too. You’ve got to have a good place to play,” Forsman said.

Whether it be the grandstand that was built in 2002, or the perfectly manicured infield, Saints Field is a great place for everyone.

That is evidenced by the number of home games the Saints will have this season. DC will host 22 home games in 2007, while traveling for just 11 non-tournament contests.

No matter what the reason for the Saints’ success during this remarkable run, look for more of the same play this season. And when you can’t find anybody in Dassel and Cokato on a Sunday afternoon, you know where to go.

For more information of the Saints, including scores, the schedule, and roster, go to www.dcsaints.com.