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Chisago Lakes Wildcat baseball player Quinn Collins played in the 35th Annual Lions All-Star Baseball Tournament last weekend in Chaska. Collins was selected as one of 20 players to represent the Northern All-Stars in the four-team tournament showcasing the best high school senior baseball players in Minnesota. Quinn is the son of Pat and Michelle Collins of Lindstrom. Pat is the head baseball coach at Chisago Lakes High School.

Collins' Northern team swept all three games to win the tournament. They beat the Metro East All Stars 7-4, pounded the Metro West All Stars 10-2 and rolled over the Southern All Stars 12-5. Collins played second base against Metro East, lining out and walking in his two plate appearances. He played right field against Southern, grounding out in his only plate appearance.

Collins was scheduled to pitch three innings against Metro West, but his appearance was cut short to two innings as he made a scary, incredible play. His father, Pat Collins, described it. "With the bases loaded and two outs," said Pat Collins, "the batter ripped an absolute rocket that hit Quinn in the ribs. Quinn instinctively trapped it against his body for the third out, spiked it to the ground, and ran to the dugout. Luckily, it turned out that he just had the wind knocked out of him."

Collins was the eighth Wildcat player to appear in the Lions' All Star Tournament, following Josh Dresel (1994); Cullen Bahn (2000); Chad Hollister (2003); Danny Reed (2004); Kyle Collins (2005); and Adam Gemuenden and Jeff Hollister (2007). Wildcat assistant coach Jay Brown also appeared in the game in 1991.

Collins was locally sponsored by the Chisago Lakes Lions, Wally Carlson and Sons BP and the Drive In, Taylors Falls.

The tournament is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank and the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association and benefits the Lions Children's Eye Clinic at the University of Minnesota. The clinic sees more than 5,000 children each year, many with such serious vision problems that no other clinic in the region can help. In the 34-year history of the tournament, more than $330,000 has been raised for the Children's Eye Clinic.

Reporter's note: I have had two successful cornea transplants. One of the corneas came from Texas, and both corneas were provided by the Lions Eye Bank. Corneas can be preserved for up to two weeks after death, allowing more of them to be available for transplant. I am grateful to the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank for giving me the gift of better sight. You can find out more information about the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank at www.mnlionseyebank.org.

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