Minnetonka Baseball: A Family Affair

Paul and Alex Twenge share many things: A last name, a roof over their heads and a love for baseball. 

Now, the father-son combination is looking to share a section title. 

The Twenges are leading the Minnetonka baseball team into the Section 2AAA tournament—the Skippers will play either Chanhassen or New Prague at 3:30 p.m. Saturday—riding a 14-6 record after a season of ups and downs. But for Alex, the presence of his father at his side has remained a constant during his baseball career. 

That doesn’t mean they don’t butt heads when mistakes happen on the field. 

“I hate listening to him talk about what goes wrong…it just frustrates the heck out of me,” Alex Twenge said. “But that’s just part of it when your dad’s the coach.”

Alex Twenge has a 5-1 record on the mound with a 2.14 ERA, while hitting .248 and 14 RBIs this season.

Alex helped his little league team win the Indiana state title back in the day, with his father at the helm. 

Twenge also plays football for Minnetonka, but admits that baseball is his first love. He will play at North Dakota University next year. 

“If I could be out here 400 days a year playing, I would,” Twenge said. 

While the possibility of winning a state title is still up in the air, Paul Twenge said the thought has occurred to him. Last year, Mike Halloran and his son Matt shared the state title at Eden Prairie. 

“That’s a great thing for a father and son to share,” Paul Twenge said. “That’s something they’ll be able to talk about for years to come at every Thanksgiving.”