The Redfield Muskrats are no strangers to the State B High School Baseball Tournament, but they are a bit foreign to the role they have in this year’s tourney.

The once-beaten squad will take on Tea at 11 this morning in the first game of the two-day event. While Redfield has been at five straight state baseball tournaments, they are normally among the pre-tourney favorites. That is not the case this time around, however.

“We’re going to go in as the underdog. That’s just what it is,” said Redfield coach Tommy Gregg. “But I think that fits this group best, going in as the underdog, and we’ll go and let the chips fall as they may and just see what happens.”

It’s hard to consider Redfield, which outscored its two Region 1B foes by a combined total of 17-0, as an underdog, but the team did lose four all-state players from a year ago. Not only that, they will be facing a potent squad in Tea to start the tourney.

“We knew our draw. We were either going to have Dell Rapids or Tea,” Gregg said. “We knew that both of them, if they put three really good games together, they could win a state championship.”

While the Muskrats may not be favored to win the tournament, they will be far from pushovers. Gregg still has a veteran squad with players who have been in big games before.

“I don’t expect our guys to be star struck or the stage to be too big for them,” Gregg said. “These seniors have been around so long. They’ve played on big stages before.”

Besides, being among the favorites hasn’t exactly served the Muskrats well in recent years. Redfield has lost in the opening round of the state tournament the past three seasons.

“Last year we weren’t the underdog. I think we were one of the favorites last year,” Gregg said. “I think about half the field had a chance and we just didn’t play good that day and we lost, and that can happen to anybody.”

Gregg said Dell Rapids, which is going for a three-peat this season, is among the favorites, as are Tea and Bon Homme.

What will it take for Redfield to make some noise and pull off an upset or two and have a chance to bring home a state championship?

“I think we have to play pretty good defense. When we’ve had success this year, we’ve played good defense and we’ve thrown strikes,” Gregg said. “We don’t have a power guy like we’ve maybe had in the past, so we’re going to need them to hit it at us.”

While Gregg said his team will need to catch a few breaks along the way as well, the Muskrats will attempt to make their own breaks by running whenever they get the chance.

“We’re always pretty aggressive on the basepaths when we’re able,” Gregg said, “and executing some running things will be big for us.”

Regardless of what transpires, Gregg is excited to have another team back at the state tournament after having to replace so many key members from a year ago.

Now, the Muskrats will try to make the most of their opportunities.

“I like the situation we’re in. We can’t control who and when we play, but we got there,” Gregg said. “I expect our guys to fully go down there and compete, and what happens happens.”