Tharaldson Enterprises Brings Home ASA Hooters B National Championship

By Dave Utnik
 
    Oklahoma City, OK. – The true legacy of Chaun Demars’ power requires a tape measure larger than Minnesota. His home runs travel that far.
    Some legends in his home state suggest that Demars has sent poor unsuspecting softballs soaring over many of the 11,000 lakes that share the landscape.
Softball fields are rarely large enough to contain him. Hall of Fame Stadium surely couldn’t.
    Demars hit six home runs in three games — adding Most Valuable Player honors to his elite status — and Tharaldson Enterprises captured the ASA Men’s B Division National Championship with a three-game sweep against Checking/Worth in Oklahoma City.
    “It’s always nice to win, but it’s a little extra special when you can lock down an MVP trophy,” Demars said. “Those don’t happen very often.” The Western Champions are ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time thanks mainly to Demars, who went 7 for 9 with 12 RBI.
    Starting at catcher in all three games, Demars had four RBI in the opener, an 18-8 win, and he hit three home runs in game two — a dramatic 8-7 victory that wasn’t assured until the bottom of the seventh. His final home run of the tournament, a two-run first-inning blast, was the impetus of a 13-0 victory in game three.
    Shortstop Shane Leininger, the team’s leadoff batter, also collected seven hits and scored six runs. Outfielder Jason Madsen was 7 for 10, while second baseman Ron Brown was 6 for 11.
    With team sponsor Gary Tharaldson, occupying a VIP seat on the bench, the team combined for 51 hits, including a three-run double by first baseman Jim Schlieman in the final game.
    “I’ve coached Gary Tharaldson’s team for 10 years now. I’m not just saying this because he’s our sponsor, but he’s the best sponsor in the nation,” coach Mark Riggs said. “At this level, we get unlimited support from Gary. He’s a softball fanatic. He loves ASA Softball.”
    A decade ago, Tharaldson made the Forbes Magazine list of America's 400 richest people and he is widely acknowledged as North Dakota’s richest man, having made a fortune in the motel and hotel industry.
    It was hard for anyone not to appreciate what his softball team did throughout the weekend.
    Pitcher Todd Schuldt even tossed a five-hit shutout against the Eastern Champions from, New Haven, Conn., which was no small feat considering that designated hitter Derek Riolo hit three home runs during the series, while pitcher Norm Adair was 4 for 7, shortstop Jason Longo went 4 for 8 and catcher Charlie Baumgartner was 4 for 9.
    “We knew we had a good team but we always respect our opponents,” Riggs said. “We knew we were going to play a good team from Connecticut but we’re confident in our ability. “We’ve been trying to win this for several years now,” he said. “Last year (we lost) and this year we won it going.”