(Fargo Post 2) FARGO, N.D. – The 17th class of the Fargo Post 2 American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame will be inducted at the annual Red River Diamond Classic Banquet scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Ramada in south Fargo.
The 2023 hall of fame class includes pitcher Jeff Stevens (1990-1992), catcher Eric Grande (1996-1998) and shortstop Travis Koehn (1997-1999). There will also be a 10-year reunion of Fargo’s 2013 state championship teams, the Fargo Jets (Class A) and Fargo Post 2 (Class AA).
The banquet is open to the public and tickets are on sale at www.post2baseball.com/banquet. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for the silent auction and social followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the hall of fame induction ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
All proceeds from the Red River Diamond Classic Banquet support Fargo Post 2 Baseball, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization run by community volunteers sponsoring three American Legion Baseball teams – Post 2, Bombers and Jets – for high school athletes in Fargo.
Table sponsorships are available to local businesses interested in supporting Post 2 Baseball, and silent auction items are being accepted. Visit www.post2baseball.com/banquet or email contact@post2baseball.com for more information.
Here is more information on this year’s honorees:
JEFF STEVENS – Member of the Fargo Bombers in 1990 before two seasons with Fargo Post 2 in 1991 and 1992…Earned five postseason wins pitching Fargo to the American Legion World Series in 1992…Tossed a nine-inning complete-game against Darin Erstad and Jamestown for a 5-4 win the state championship game…Pitched all nine innings and hit the game-winning home run to beat Omaha 6-4 in the Central Plains Regional championship…Winning pitcher in Fargo’s victory over Medford, Oregon, in the 1992 World Series played before a capacity crowd at Fargo’s Jack Williams Stadium…The 1992 team still shares the program record for wins posting a 65-12 record…Led the ’92 team with 109.0 innings pitched and went 11-2 with a 1.67 ERA his senior year while hitting .359 with a team-high six home runs and 63 RBIs, the sixth-most innings and ninth-most RBIs in Post 2 single-season history…Had a .363 career batting average and went 18-5 on the mound with a 1.95 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 161.1 innings over 34 appearances…Mr. Basketball finalist at Fargo South before playing college basketball at NDSU and then Black Hills State, where he was a two-time All-American and was inducted into the BHSU hall of fame in 2007 and the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference hall of fame in 2022…Built a successful career in financial services becoming the National Sales Manager for BlackRock Investments before passing away at the age of 47 after a courageous battle with cancer…Survived by his wife, Erica (Solberg) and three children, Maia, Michael and Maren.
ERIC GRANDE – Left-handed hitting catcher for the Bombers in 1996 and Fargo Post 2 in 1997 and 1998…Most Valuable Player for the 1998 Fargo Legion team that went 47-22 overall and won the Eastern Division Tournament…His team-high .442 batting average in 1998 was the second-best in program history and still ranks fifth all-time for Fargo…Hit 13 doubles, two triples and seven home runs for a .717 slugging percentage that ranked fourth in program history and is still among the top 10 in the club’s single-season history…His two-year varsity slugging percentage of .613 still ranks ninth among Post 2 career leaders…Had a career .392 batting average with 21 doubles, eight homers, 54 RBIs and 69 runs scored in 73 games with Post 2…Also hit .351 with six home runs and 50 RBIs for the 1996 Bombers team that went 62-7 and advanced to the Class B state tournament…Graduated from Fargo North as the program’s career leader with 20 home runs and earned MVP honors as a senior in 1999…Played two seasons in the baseball program at Minnesota State University Mankato, where he studied to become a teacher before embarking on a career in real estate appraisal over the past 20 years…A volunteer youth baseball coach, he managed two Fargo Little League all-star teams to Midwest Regional appearances…Served on the Fargo Youth Baseball board of directors for the past eight years and is currently in his third year as the board president…He and his wife, Anne, have three children, Benson, Tate and Penelope.
TRAVIS KOEHN – Shortstop for the Bombers in 1997 and Fargo Post 2 in 1998 and 1999…Co-MVP of the 1999 Fargo Legion hitting .385 with a team-high 156 at-bats, 60 hits, eight doubles, three triples and 23 stolen bases…Strong arm and steady glove in the middle infield with a .939 fielding percentage…Hit .387 his rookie year with Post 2…Graduated from Fargo South High School in 1999 and went on to spend five years in the baseball program at the University of North Dakota from 2000 to 2004…Hit a school-record 20 doubles his senior year at UND and was named All-North Central Conference at second base…Ranked among the top 10 in UND history with 33 career doubles…Currently resides in Alisa Viejo, Calif.
