A look at the numbers: pitching has been key

There's no secret why Ely's American Legion baseball team is off to a 10-2 start this year: strong pitching.

Ely has been very effective on the hill, with college freshman Nick Pecha leading the way and sophomore lefty Wes Snyder not far behind. They've combined for seven of the team's 10 wins.

Pecha has been nothing short of dominant this summer, fanning 13 in a season-opening win at Esko and following up with a one-hitter against Chisholm, a four-hitter against Sartell and a four-inning no-hitter against Aurora. Throw in a save against Proctor for good measure and Pecha begins the second half of the year with a 4-0 mark on the mound and a miniscule 1.40 earned run average. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is even more impressive. In 25 innings of work, Pecha has fanned 48 and walked only seven.

Snyder has been the surprise of the season, stepping into the Legion rotation and picking up three wins. He has a perfect 3-0 slate and a 0.41 earned run average, and 23 walks in seven inings.

As a team, Ely has allowed only 15 earned runs in 60 innings for a team ERA of 1.75.

Top hitters so far include Alex Koschak (.484, 12 RBI), Sean Fisher (.421) and Nick Mathews (.375, 15 RBI). In limited duty, Trevor Bernsdorf has recorded a .589 average and senior outfielder Aaron Donais is five-for-10 (.500).