Kernels look to build on
FIRST-EVER STATE
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
In their sixth sea ason of existence, e, the Cokato Kernels broke
thro rough
to advance to their fi rst-ever Class C state te tournament
in 2019.
The Kernels fi nished 3-2 in the Region 12 C tou urnament, fi nish-
ing seco ond (the top four team
ms advance to the state te tourna-
ment).
Cokato won their fi rst-ever state tourname ent game, 3-0 over
Sleepy Eye, but fell in the sec econd round of the tour urnament to
Bemidji by a score of 4-1.
Cokato’s nickname, the Kernels, references the community’s
strong ties to corn agriculture. They play their home games at
Veterans Memorial Park, at Brooks Lake in Cokato.
Team:
Cokato Kernels
Manager:
Nick Corbin, sixth year
League: North Star League – Maple Lake, Hutchinson, Buffa-
lo, Loretto, Delano, Dassel-Cokato, Howard Lake, Maple Plain,
Cokato, o, Litchfi eld, Waverly.
State Tournament:
2019.
Hall of Famers: None.
2019 fi nish: After their best regular season to date, the Ker-
nels entered the Region 12C tournament as the #5 seed, with
the top four teams from the region advancing to the state tournament.
Cokato defeated Buffalo 8-2 in the fi rst game of the tournament,
behind a complete-game gem from Steve Schmitt. They
followed it up with an 11-1 victory over Loretto in the semifi nals,
securing their fi rst-ever state tournament appearance.
Vinne Pokornowski went the distance for the Kernels against
the Larks, with Tommy Halonen and Isaac Nelson each driving
in three runs.
In their fi rst game of their fi rst state tournament, the Kernels
scored a 3-0 victory over Sleepy Eye behind another gem from
Schmitt, who went 8 1/3 innings.
In the second round, Cokato fell victim to bad luck, as Bemidji
scored four runs in the fi rst inning, including three on an
unfortunate miscue, and held on for a 4-1 win.
Billy Aho approached the plate against Loretto in the Region 12C
playoffs, as Isaac Nelson and Luke Morris cheered him on. Cokato
defeated the Larks 11-1 to advance to their fi rst state tournament.
Key returning players: The Kernels look to return most of their
offensive roster from last season, including starters:
• Jake Smith, IF
• Ethan Niemela, IF
• Tommy Halonen, IF
• I. Nelson, C/OF
• Billy Aho, OF
• Luke Morris, OF
• Sanders Asplin, OF
• Luke Nelson, IF
• Austin Kantola, C
The pitching rotation will include the top two starters from
last season, Steve Schmitt and Vinne Pokornowski. Also returning
are veterans Tanner Terning and Jake Hendrickson.
Player losses from 2019: The biggest loss from 2019 will be
veteran pitcher Eric Pokornowski. The crafty righthander could
always be counted on to throw strikes, and had several big
wins on the mound for the Kernels.
Key 2020 acquisitions: The Kernels will have several youngsters
making their debut this season, including:
• Kaden Schmidt
• Riley Pennala
• David Raisanen
• Jaeger Ohm
• Grayson Londerville
Player
Cokato Kernels 2020 Roster
Pos.
1 Kaden Schmidt INF
2 Sanders Asplin OF
3 Adam Barnaal INF
4 Luke Nelson INF
5 Chad Koivisto INF
7 Logan Niemela P
8 Vinne Pokornowski P
9 Steve Schmitt P
11 Tom Halonen INF
12 Austin Kantola C
13 Billy Aho OF
14 Jacob Schmitz C/UTIL
15 Riley Pennala INF
17 Jake Hendrickson P/INF
Player
Pos.
18 Tanner Terning P
19 Ethan Niemela INF
23 Jake Smith INF
24 Nick Corbin MGR
25 David Raisanen P/INF
25 Garret Lueders C
34 Caleb Keith OF
42 Jackson Martin INF
52 Luke Morris OF
56 Jaeger Ohm UTIL
66 Grayson Londerville INF/P
84 Isaac Nelson C/OF
Manager: Nick Corbin
File photos by Brad Salmen
Steve Schmitt was the ace of the Cokato pitching staff in 2019.
50 | Dassel-Cokato Visitors Guide 2020-21