Minnesota (MSHSL) high school baseball 2025 state tournament: Ranking the teams

See how each teams ranks by classification

The 2025 Minnesota high school baseball state tournament begins on Wednesday, June 11, and High School On SI has ranked the teams by classification.

Minnesota high school baseball 2025 state tournament: Ranking the teams

CLASS 1A

The committee did a fine job seeding this year’s Class 1A tournament with my top three teams staying the same as theirs. It’s picking nits, but I peg Hayfield as the No. 5 team in the field instead of No. 6. The Vikings’ record doesn’t stand out, but they played a tough schedule filled with Class 2A squads.

While Legacy Christian Academy has a great QRF of No. 5 in the class, I’m not as strong on the strength of the Lions’ resume, bumping them down to No. 6 instead of No. 4 and sliding up Red Lake County and Hayfield.

1. Parkers Prairie (21-3)

Ranking rationale: Parkers Prairie is no stranger to this stage. The Panthers are making their fifth state tournament appearance, all since 2016. They’re used to making deep runs, having claimed a championship in 2017 and second place in 2016 and 2024. Parkers Prairie comes into this year’s tournament red-hot.

It lost three times in a five-game stretch late in April. The Panthers have since rattled off 16 straight victories to help claim a Prairie Conference championship. All but two of those wins came by multiple runs.

The Panthers are Section 6 champions, emerging as the top seed in the North subsection. They avenged a regular season loss to South No. 1 seed Upsala/Swanville (16-7) by thumping the Patriots 9-1 in the semifinals before edging South No. 2 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (20-7) 3-2 in the championship.

Other notable wins this season for Parkers Prairie include a sweep of New York Mills (12-10), a 13-run regular season win over B-B-E and a 12-run win over fellow state entrant and first round opponent, Frazee (15-10). A notable name to watch for head coach Derek Denny’s group is all-state pitcher Nolan Steidl. He leads a staff that’s holding opponents to a Class 1A-low 2.6 runs per game.

2. New Ulm Cathedral (21-2)

Ranking rationale: New Ulm Cathedral is back at state for the third time in the last four years. The Greyhounds have had a remarkable year, claiming a Tomahawk Conference championship and Section 2 title.

They’ve lost just one game to Class 1A competition all season, which was by two runs to Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (12-12). They clearly took umbrage with that as they won the second game of a doubleheader that day 17-2.

Notable wins include a pair against reigning conference and state champion Springfield (18-5). Top seed Cathedral beat the No. 2 seed Tigers 3-2 in the section championship. Another impressive victory came against Cleveland (13-6).

Head coach Alan Woitas has guided Cathedral to the program’s seventh state tournament appearance. A name to watch is all-state RHP/SS Jake Finstad. Colin Anderson is another talented RHP who did not allow an earned run in the section title game.

3. South Ridge (19-4)

Ranking rationale: South Ridge is a mainstay at the state tournament. The Panthers’ are making their sixth appearance, all since 2018. They’re hungry to make their first title game appearance. The northern Minnesota team from Culver had a sparkling regular season, going undefeated in the Polar Conference.

Notable wins came against Southland (17-5), Cherry (18-7), Moose Lake/Willow River (14-7), Sacred Heart (17-6) and Class 2A power Esko (20-4). The Section 7 tournament was a breeze as South Ridge went 4-0 with a combined run differential of 51-6. 

A name to watch for head coach Aaron Weber’s squad is all-state OF Ben Pretasky.

4. Red Lake County (22-5)

Ranking rationale: Red Lake County fell short of a solo Northwest Diamond Conference championship thanks in part to a 5-4 loss in April to Sacred Heart (17-6). That loss would also cost RLC the top seed in the Section 8 West subsection.

The Rebels got revenge in a rematch in the subsection finals and doubled up by beating Sacred Heart again in the elimination bracket championship.

That was the first win in three straight elimination games to advance to the state tournament for the sixth time in school history and first since 2015. RLC blitzed East top seed Win-E-Mac (17-6) in the championship games by a combined score of 19-1.

That great pitching in the championship was the work of Ben Gullingsrud and Boe Nelson. Gullingsrud allowed just one hit in five innings in game one. Nelson allowed two spanning six innings across both games. Notable wins for head coach Mike Gullingsrud’s squad include a regular season split with Win-E-Mac, Blackduck (13-7), a split with Upsala/Swanville (16-7) and a sweep of Sacred Heart (17-6).

5. Legacy Christian Academy (16-6)

Ranking rationale: Legacy Christian Academy hardly broke a sweat en route to a Section 4 title. The No. 2 seed Lions had to squeak by No. 3 seed Heritage Christian Academy (17-6) in the semifinals, but other than that LCA doubled up everyone it faced. That includes a 7-3 win over top seed New Life Academy (20-5) in the championship.

Head coach Dan Skog has guided this program to its fourth state tournament appearance and second in the last three years. Notable wins this season for the Lions include a split in the regular season against Heritage, as well as fellow Minnesota Classical Athletic Association co-champion Spectrum (13-6).

Some names to watch include INF/P Dean Raatz and INF/P Solomon Kardell, who’ve combined to steal more than 30 bases. Kardell also has a 1.25 ERA over 33 ⅔ innings. The Andover-based squad boasts five pitchers with an ERA below 3.

6. Hayfield (16-9)

Hayfield is one of the surprises of the Class 1A field, emerging from Section 1 as the No. 4 seed. The Vikings upset top seed Lyle/Pacelli (13-5) in the semifinals and took down No. 3 seed Southland (17-5) in the championship.

They went 4-0 in the playoffs with two wins by a run and a combined run differential of just 21-14. Notable wins in the regular season came on neutral field vs. Cherry (18-7) and at home vs. Blooming Prairie (15-7).

Head coach Kasey Krekling has Hayfield back at state for the fourth time in school history, all since 2019 and under his tenure. It’s the first time the Vikings are back since their run of a championship in 2021 and runner-up finish in 2022.

They feature IF Hunter Simsonson, who’s a Minot State commit. Based on 16 games recorded on Minnesota Baseball Hub, P/OF Eric Bermea is batting over .500 and is second on the team in ERA at 2.76.

7. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (18-7)

Ranking rationale: While Russell-Tyler-Ruthton may not have the best resume among the eight teams in the state tournament field, the Knights boast one of the more impressive section championship round performances.

No. 3 seed in the Section 3 Sorth subsection R-T-R absolutely blitzed North No. 2 seed Yellow Medicine East (13-7) 15-5 and 18-3 in the championship round to emerge from the elimination bracket after falling to that same team 7-6 six days prior.

It was an impressive playoff performance after the Knights dropped four of their final seven regular season games. Now, they’re at state for the first time in school history.

Notable wins this season for head coach Daniel Moffitt’s team include a 9-2 romp in the subsection final against top seed Dawson-Boyd (18-4), a 9-3 win at that same foe in the regular season, as well as a regular season win at YME. Names to watch for the Knights are third baseman Brayden Chandler and RHP Eli Determan. Chandler had six hits in the championship games, while Determan threw 5 ⅓ innings in the clinching game.

8. Frazee (15-10)

Ranking rationale: They’re going crazy in Frazee. The Hornets are state bound for the first time since 1999. Breaking the quarter century-plus drought didn’t seem likely entering the Section 5 playoffs as Frazee was the No. 5 seed in the West subsection. They lost their final six regular season games, including a 25-2 affair vs. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (17-4). 

The Hornets allowed just 11 runs throughout the playoffs, going 4-0 to claim the section title. They blanked subsection top seed New York Mills (12-10) in the subsection semifinals and rolled East top seed Ogilvie (14-8) 8-3 in the semifinals.

Names to watch on head coach Andy Mekalson’s underdog squad include pitchers Asher Blaine and Karson Krause.

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CLASS 2A

I completed this exercise of ranking each class’s eight teams without peeking at the true seeding in advance.  I arrived at a similar conclusion as the seeders. Duluth Marshall (21-2) possesses the high-quality wins and Division I talent to earn the No. 1 seed, followed closely by Perham (20-1) at No. 2. Concordia Academy (13-9) is clearly the Cinderella story emblematic of the No. 8 seed.

There’s lots of room for interpretation in the middle, as I value Glencoe-Silver Lake’s emergence from a tough Section 5 as reason to give it the slight edge for No. 3 over Pine Island (20-5).

I gave significance to Luverne’s commanding win over then-unbeaten and Power 25 team Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (22-2) as a reason to slot the Cardinals at No. 5, but there’s no shame in being seeded at No. 7.

1. Duluth Marshall (21-2)

Ranking rationale: Duluth Marshall’s first three state tournament appearances came consecutively between 2017-19 with the final year culminating in a title. Now it’s back for the first time. The Hilltoppers have an excellent chance to get back on top after a stellar season to date.

Marshall has spent time in the Power 25 this season and got through another Power 25-caliber Esko (20-4) team in the Section 7 semifinals before ousting No. 3 seed Proctor (17-9) in the championship.

Marshall only lost once to Class 2A competition all season. Standout wins for head coach Nick Garramone’s team include again in the regular season vs. Esko, Aitkin (16-7), Bemidji (16-6), Class 3A state entrant Grand Rapids (17-7) and Montevideo (17-5). You could make the case for Perham to be the top seed, but Marshall’s resume speaks for itself.

The Hilltoppers are led by LHP/1B/OF Owen Marsolek, a Western Kentucky commit who’s been lights out this season. He threw a two-hitter with 17 strikeouts in a 2-0 win in the regular season against Proctor.

2. Perham (20-1)

Ranking rationale: Perham’s one of the favorites to win it all in Class 2A after claiming the consolation championship in 2024. The Yellowjackets have been dominant all season, scoring 9 runs per game and allowing 1.5, which ties for fewest in the class.

Perham has spent time in our all-class Power 25, establishing itself as one of the premier programs statewide. Its only loss was a hard-fought 3-1 battle against a solid Class 4A team, Anoka (11-13). The Yellowjackets can make the case to be the top seed, but they haven’t played the same caliber schedule that Duluth Marshall (21-2) has.

Only two other opponents have been able to hang within a run. One was Rockford (18-5), another team that’s been in the Power 25 for a spell this season. That was a 2-1 neutral field win. The other was a 3-2 win in the Section 8 championship on neutral field against East Grand Forks (17-6).

The Yellowjackets are making their third straight state tournament appearance and 12th overall. They’re still seeking their first title. Watch out for the trio of .400-plus hitters Gavin Griffin (.483), Ashton Detloff (.412) and Ty Rooney (.409).

On the mound, the trio of Alex Blume (.59 ERA), Detloff (.71) and Drew Ellingson (.75) are all lights out. Blume and Detloff are committed to University of Minnesota-Crookston.

3. Glencoe-Silver Lake (20-4)

Ranking rationale: Glencoe-Silver Lake is back at state for the first time since winning the Class 2A title in 2021. The Panthers emerged from one of the deepest sections in the state as the No. 3 seed, beating second seed and reigning champ Rockford (18-5) in the quarterfinals and top seed Providence Academy (16-3) in the semis. GS-L held Rockford to one run and routed No. 4 seed Holy Family (16-8-1) 12-3 in the championship.

The Panthers are led by all-state IF/RHP Luke Roepke. Brody Ruschmeier will look to stay hot after driving in four runs against Holy Family.

Head coach Dean Schwirtz’ team is riding a 14-game win streak dating back to May 2 when it was swept by Rockford. Other notable wins came against Sibley East (15-8) and fellow state entrant Concordia Academy (13-9).

4. Pine Island (20-5)

Ranking rationale: Pine Island has arrived to state for the fifth time in school history and first since 2016. The Panthers have one of the best pitching staffs in the tournament.

They’re riding a seven-game win streak in which they’ve outscored opponents 54-5. Every win in the Section 1 playoffs came by six-plus runs, including a 6-0 blanking of No. 4 seed Caledonia (18-8) in the championship.

5. Luverne (21-4)

Ranking rationale: Luverne boasts one of the more extensive state tournament histories among the eight Class 2A teams with this being its 10th appearance, however it’s been a little bit since the Cardinals have gone dancing. Twelve years to be exact.

It was no easy path to get there as Luverne’s Section 3 was headed by unbeaten regular season squad Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (22-2), which was in the all-classes Power 25 late in the season. Luverne, the No. 2 seed in the South subsection, was unafraid of the top-seeded Tigers, handing them their first loss by a 16-5 score.

Luverne next won two of three games against North No. 2 seed Montevideo (17-5) to punch its ticket to state.

Other notable wins for head coach Skyler Wenninger’s squad include an 11-1 beatdown over reigning Class 1A champion Springfield (18-5) and three wins against St. James (12-6).

A Cardinal to watch is RHP Carter Sehr, who threw a shutout in a 9-0 win over Montevideo in the championship. Another is Blake Sauer, who had three hits in that matchup.

6. Pierz (16-9)

Ranking rationale: Pierz is one of several non-No. 1 seeds to emerge from their section. The No. 3 seed Pioneers in Section 6 shut out top dog St. Cloud Cathedral (21-3) on its home turf in the semifinals, 1-0. This came after Pierz routed No. 2 seed Royalton (16-8), 8-3.

The Pioneers needed two cracks at taking down No. 5 seed Albany (16-10) in the championship, but they got it down via another shutout, 3-0. Nathan Solinger held the Huskies to four hits over six innings. RHP Brayden Haberman is another player to watch. The RHP threw a two-hitter against Cathedral.

7. Maple River (19-6)

Ranking rationale: Maple River took advantage of one of the more fortuitous section playoff paths among the eight Class 2A state entrants.

The Eagles avoided top seed and reigning section champ Le Sueur-Henderson (16-7) and had two cracks in the championship to win one game against No. 8 seed Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (13-13).

Maple River needed both cracks to win the title, but it did the job to advance against an LC-WM team it was swept by in the regular season to go to state for the third time in school history and first since 2006.

Head coach Jeff Cole’s squad picked up nice victories this season against LS-H and in the section quarterfinals against No. 2 seed Sibley East (15-8). A player to watch for the Eagles is senior RHP Gavin Halvorson.

8. Concordia Academy (13-9)

Ranking rationale: Concordia Academy opened its doors in 1983. More than 40 years later, the Roseville school is state tournament bound in baseball for the first time. The Beacons are an underdog story both historically and in this season in particular.

They entered the Section 4 playoffs with a pedestrian 9-8 record to earn the No. 3 seed. Head coach Eric Schutte’s bunch caught fire in the postseason with a key semifinal rout of No. 2 seed St. Agnes (12-12) and a split in the championship against No. 4 seed Minnehaha Academy (12-13). Concordia has not beaten a team that ended the season with a winning record.

Players to watch for the Beacons include 1B/P Charlie Mueller and IF/P Caleb Schutte, who were all-section selections a year ago. Jack Usalis had three hits in the 10-3 championship win against Minnehaha.

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CLASS 3A

A Mankato East vs. Totino-Grace championship matchup would be intriguing. Both my rankings and the actual tournament seeding forecast that. Where I differ is sliding Delano and Grand Rapids up a slot while moving Mahtomedi a couple spots down to No. 5.

The Zephyrs have great tradition but perhaps not as strong of a resume as the seed indicates. It should be an interesting tournament, though, with no one looking untouchable or incapable of winning a game.

1. Mankato East (21-3)

Ranking rationale: Mankato East has looked like one of the best teams in the state, regardless of class, throughout the season. Well, at least since May. The Cougars got off to a rough start to April by their standards by going 2-2, but ever since they’ve won 19 of the next 20 games with 17 of those victories coming by multiple runs.

East won a deep Big 9 Conference with wins over teams who spent time in the Power 25 like Owatonna (18-6) and Northfield (18-6) once and Mankato West (16-7) four times. The Cougars also own one of the best non-conference wins of any Class 3A team, a late season win at 4A state entrant Andover (19-6). The Cougars went 4-0 in the Section 2 playoffs culminating in a 6-3 win over West in the championship.

Head coach Micah Degner’s team is loaded with future collegiate talent. LHP Nathan Bridger was all-state a year ago and is bound for Wisconsin-Whitewater. Another southpaw on the staff, Owen Studtmann, is bound for St. Mary’s (Minnesota). Bridger pitched a complete game and went 2-for-2 at the plate in the championship.

The Cougars are in pole position to win the program’s first state title in their third appearance at state. They’ve made the tournament in back to back years after debuting in 2000.

2. Totino-Grace (20-7)

Ranking rationale: The Eagles took the long way to make it back to state to defend their 2024 state title. They won five straight elimination games en route to a Section 5 championship.

Top seed Totino-Grace was upset at home 3-1 against No. 4 seed Princeton (16-8). The Eagles never heated up at the plate in the elimination bracket, but phenomenal pitching allowed them to pull out close game after close game. They got revenge on the Tigers by beating them twice in a row in the section championship by scores of 3-0 and 2-1.

T-G has thrived under pressure all season, going 8-3 in one-run games. Notable wins for this battle-tested team that regularly competes against Class 4A foes include vs. state entrant Andover (19-6), Power 25 No. 1 Blaine (22-4) and a regular Power 25 team, St. Anthony Village (19-4).

One player to watch for T-G is RHP/1B Tommy Heifort, a Southwest Minnesota State commit with a 2.18 ERA and the team’s only two home runs. RHP Jack Goldsberry leads with a 1.34 ERA.

3. Delano (19-4-1)

Ranking rationale: The Tigers are making their 11th state tournament in program history. Speaking of 11, that’s how many years it’s been since they’ve made it to the big dance. Head coach Toby Hanson has done a nice job in his first year at the helm.

Princeton won’t be the favorite this year to win its first ever state title, but this squad has what it takes to make a deep run. The Tigers are coming in off a Section 6 title where they emerged as the No. 1 seed. They fended off pesky No. 3 seed Orono (15-9), a team Delano beat in the semifinals but needed two games to beat again in the championship.

A player to watch is RHP Jack Scanlon, a St. Thomas commit. Notable wins for the Tigers include at Benilde-St. Margaret’s (15-7), going 4-1 against Orono and 1-1 against fellow 3A entrant Hutchinson (17-9).

4. Grand Rapids (17-7)

Ranking rationale: Grand Rapids continues its tradition as one of northern Minnesota’s premier programs. The Thunderhawks are state tournament bound for the fifth straight year and six times since 2018. Twenty-three total appearances overall are a state record. Head coach Bill Kinnuen has been at the helm for a quarter century.

His team got to state in 2025 by way of a 4-0 run through the Section 7 bracket. As the No. 1 seed, it shut out one opponent and allowed just five total runs. The only team that gave Grand Rapids a game was No. 5 seed Hermantown (12-12) in a 2-1 semifinals matchup. When the two teams faced off again in the finals, the Thunderhawks rolled 12-2 in six innings.

Sam Dick pitched six scoreless innings. Klous Jones had three hits, four RBI and was a homer short of the cycle. Kaden Sweeney added three hits and Caleb Gunderson two. Those four are a few integral parts to this machine.

Grand Rapids did not beat a Power 25 team this season but played well in defeat during a weekend spent in the Twin Cities metro. It lost 3-0 at Minnetonka (15-9) and 2-1 on neutral field vs. Totino-Grace (20-7). The Thunderhawks also fell 1-0 at Anoka (11-13).

5. Mahtomedi (16-7)

Ranking rationale: After coming up a run shy of a state title in 2024, getting the chance to get back to Target FIeld didn’t seem all that likely at times this season. The Zephyrs were more of a juggernaut last season, finishing 22-5 and claiming a Metro East Conference co-championship en route to a Section 4 title.

This year’s squad did not contend for a conference title and was the No. 3 seed instead of No. 1, but it got hot at the right time to go 4-0 in the playoffs and make it back to state for the fifth straight season. Mahtomedi is chasing its third state state title since 2018 and is looking to snap a streak of two straight runner-up finishes.

A resume-boosting win for head coach Robert Garry’s group included a 6-4 win in the section semifinals against top seed St. Anthony Village (19-4), which spent time in the Power 25.

The championship featured a win over No. 2 seed Hill-Murray (19-6). During the regular season, Mahtomedi swept fellow state entrant Simley (15-7) and knocked off solid Class 4A teams like Maple Grove (14-12) and Centennial (11-12). The Zephyrs are led by all-state LHP/OF Ethan Felling, who’s committed to the University of Minnesota.

6. Simley (15-7)

Ranking rationale: After a 4-2 loss May 7 at home against Mahtomedi (16-7), Simley stood at 7-8 overall. The Spartans were losers of two of their previous three and trending the wrong way with the postseason looming.

Now, Simley is off to its first state tournament in school history. That loss to Mahtomedi doesn’t look so bad, either, now that the Zephyrs are also state bound. Head coach Jon Heiderscheit’s squad got it turned around at the right time.

They won the last four games of the regular season before winning four in a row, including the last three by shutout, to storm to a somewhat surprising romp to the Section 3-3A title.

Simley had to survive a 2-0 win vs. No. 3 seed St. Thomas Academy (13-12) in the quarterfinals, as well as 1-0 in another pitchers’ duel in the semifinals against No. 4 seed Bloomington Kennedy (13-10) before cruising 8-0 in the championship to avoid needing a second game to advance.

The Spartans’ marquee win this season was coming out on top of a 12-11 slugfest against Metro East Conference champion Two Rivers (19-5). The upset salvaged a season split and kept the Warriors from a perfect conference record.

Players to watch are SS/OF Joe Anderson (St. Mary’s commit) and RHP/3B Wyatt Seelhammer (Dakota County Technical College).

7. Hutchinson (17-9)

Ranking rationale: Hutchinson has a strong state tournament history in a lot of sports, but baseball is not one of them. The Tigers are state bound for just the third time and first since 2006. They’ve never made a state title game appearance and will be the underdog to do so in 2025. Hutchinson was an underdog in its section tournament, though, and that worked out pretty well.

The No. 5 seed Tigers lost their Section 8 playoff opener against No. 4 seed Fergus Falls (12-12) before reeling off five straight elimination games, including two in a row against Fergus Falls in the championship. Hutchinson also beat No. 2 seed Rocori (15-8) on the way to the title.

Another win that stands out for head coach Tim Thode’s group include a split with fellow 3A state entrant Delano (19-4-1). A player to watch for the Tigers is OF Eli Croatt, an all-selection player from 2024. Another is Hudson Lien, the starting pitcher in Hutchinson’s 1-0 win over Fergus Falls in game one of the championship round.

8. Stewartville (11-11)

Ranking rationale: If you follow prep sports in Minnesota, you don’t correlate Stewartville with being the underdog in most anything. Football and basketball, in particular, are a few sports that connote greatness in recent years.

Baseball hasn’t been one of them. That is, until this year’s Section 1A tournament. The Tigers proved they weren’t your average sixth seed as they went 4-0 in the postseason to make it to state for the first time in school history.

Head coach Tyler Schmitz’ bunch survived an 11-10 quarterfinals game at No. 2 seed Red Wing (11-12) before being gifted a meeting with No. 4 seed Kasson-Mantorville (12-11) in the semifinals instead of top seed and Power 25 squad Northfield (18-6).

The Tigers doubled up K-M two times, with the second being an 8-4 rout in the championship. OF/P Grayson Paulson doubled and tripled in the game, while P/2B Brekken Horstmann allowed just one earned run over five innings.

Stewartville, which finished 5-6 in the Hiawatha Valley League, did not exactly meet a murderer’s row, but it did well with the hand it was dealt. To still be playing baseball in June is an extraordinary feat after beginning the year 0-6.

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CLASS 4A

I once again have the same top two teams as the seeds with Cretin-Derham Hall and Andover leading the way. Where I differ is slotting Farmington at No. 3 instead of Minnetonka at No. 4. The margins there are admittedly quite slim.

I also think Champlin Park has a stronger resume worthy of No. 6 ahead of Moorhead. It should be a fascinating tournament given the parity in Class 4A all season, as well as the lack of several section top seeds that failed to make it to state.

1. Cretin-Derham Hall (20-4)

Ranking rationale: Cretin-Derham Hall has done well to live up to high preseason expectations. The Raiders fell short of a goal of winning a deep Suburban East Conference, but they’re happy to see their season lasting longer than conference champ Mounds View’s (17-7), which ended in the Section 5 playoffs.

CD-H did not get the benefit of playing any section playoff games at home given all were at Northwestern University. It didn’t matter, as head coach Buzz Hannahan’s went a perfect 4-0 in the tournament to make it to state for the 20th time in program history and first since 2007. When the Raiders get there, they tend to cash in. This is a team capable of winning the school’s 12th state title.

Leading the way is one of the best hurlers in the state, LHP John Henry Kohorst. He’s an Iowa commit who has University of Mary commit Zander Coy on the other end of the battery. Davis Fleming is another LHP who also starts at 1B who’s headed to the University of Minnesota.

There’s plenty of talent on this roster that didn’t lose a bad game on paper all season. Notable wins include four of them against a top-15 team all season, White Bear Lake (17-8). None was more important than the 7-6 win against WBL in the Section 4 championship.

The one knock on the Raiders’ resume is a lack of a signature non-conference victory with no matchups against the other 4A teams at state. They’ll get the chance this week.

2. Andover (19-6)

Ranking rationale: Andover had to contend with the No. 1 team in the state in its section and still made it out alive. The Huskies’ best win of the season came in the Section 7 title-clinching game in an 8-2 thrashing of top seed Blaine (22-4) after falling to that same team 1-0 earlier in the day.

A six-run top of the fifth inning did the damage for Andover, which had emerged from the winners’ bracket to have two cracks at advancing to state for just the third time in school history. All three have come since 2021 under the leadership of head coach Pete Andersen.

He’s got several small college recruits leading the way, including all-state catcher Drew Law (Winona State). Infielder Wyatt Meyers (Iowa Central) leads the team hitting .367.

Andover went 2-1 against the Class 4A state field. The Huskies won at home against Champlin Park (16-8) and Rosemount (12-11), while taking a neutral field loss against Moorhead (14-10).

3. Farmington (19-5)

Ranking rationale: Farmington was in a 34-year state tournament drought until making its second appearance in 2021. Since then, the Tigers have made it three more times. This year, they stormed through the Section 1 playoffs with a perfect 4-0 record and 39-6 run differential.

Joe Baldus has been a key cog for the Tigers. The all-state pitched another gem in a 7-0 win in the championship vs. Rochester Century (12-13), going the distance in a complete game one-hitter. The RHP Baldus and LHP Brodie Gibart, an Augustana commit, provide an excellent one-two punch.

Their backstop, Marshall Gordon, is also college bound, heading to Minnesota State-Mankato. Farmington leads the class in fewest runs allowed per game at 2.4.

The Tigers may not have had to get by any elite teams in their section, but they hung in well against Power 25 teams in the regular season, including two late-season wins against top-15 teams Prior Lake (16-8) and Shakopee (18-5).

Farmington was also in every game all season with its biggest loss coming by four runs. Head coach Jon Graff’s squad will be a tough out at state against a relatively new set of teams. The Tigers’ only matchup against a fellow state entrant was with Rosemount (12-11), a team they split with in conference play.

4. Minnetonka (15-9)

Ranking rationale: Minnetonka is 4-6 in its last 10 games. The Skippers couldn’t have asked for a better four wins to have in that span. They shook off a stunning six-game losing streak to close the regular season by running the table in the Section 2 playoffs.

It’s not like Minnetonka was gifted an easy bracket. All four wins came against top-20 teams, including an 8-1 upset at top seed and state No. 2 Shakopee (18-5) in the quarterfinals.

While Minnetonka does not have one of the better records among state entrants, head coach Paul Twenge’s team is battle-tested by playing one of the tougher schedules in the state. Along with a tough Lake Conference slate, the Skippers claim solid non-conference wins against Class 3As state entrants Grand Rapids (17-7) and reigning champion Totino-Grace (20-7), as well as 4A state entrant Moorhead (14-10). They’re 3-0 against 4A state entrants with a sweep of conference rival Edina (17-7) and Moorhead. 

This is Minnetonka’s third straight state tournament appearance. It seemed unlikely it was going to happen throughout most of May, but the Skippers are just three wins away from claiming the program’s first state title.

Minnetonka will feel good about winning at least one of those games when Jack Butterworth starts on the mound. The Arizona State commit pitched a complete game three-hitter in a 1-0 win in the championship against Chanhassen (18-8).

5. Edina (17-7)

Ranking rationale: There was a reasonable chance throughout the season the Lake Conference would get multiple teams into the state tournament. Throughout much of the season, Wayzata (19-7) seemed most likely to be one of those representatives. Instead, Edina kept the Trojans on the doorstep, winning 2-1 in the Section 6 championship.

It capped a 4-0 run through the section tournament in which Hornet pitchers spun two shutouts and allowed four runs total. Edina’s one of the hottest teams in the field with eight straight wins and 13 in their last 15. They went from outside the Power 25 to a team that looks capable of winning three straight this week.

Edina’s only matchup against a fellow Class 4A state entrant was two games against conference foe Minnetonka (15-9). The Skippers took both meetings.

Edina’s making its seventh appearance at state and second in the last three seasons after going 40 years between appearances. Head coach Tom Nevers has this program going in the right direction. Edina is led by junior middle infielder/OF Jackson McGrath.

6. Champlin Park (16-8)

Ranking rationale: The Rebels are heading to state for just the fifth time in school history and first since 2017. They took advantage of a fortuitous path in the Section 6 playoffs to go 4-1 and claim the title. Champlin Park benefitted from not having to face a Power 25 team throughout the bracket. The No. 2 seed bounced back from a loss to No. 5 seed Maple Grove (14-12) in the championship to win game two 6-3 and advance.

The highlight of the Rebels’ regular season was a win over reigning Class 3A state champion Totino-Grace (20-7). They otherwise struggled against most Power 25 opponents while cleaning up against the rest.

Champlin Park is 0-1 against 4A state teams with the loss coming 6-3 at Andover (19-6) in April. Head coach Ryan Tohm’s squad is led by middle infielder Nick Carlson, a Concordia-St. Paul commit. 

7. Moorhead (14-10)

Ranking rationale: Moorhead suffered a six-game losing streak this season and lived to tell about it. The Spuds, who play an independent schedule, hit a rough patch to open the month of May. They were within three runs of five of those games, though, so good baseball wasn’t far away.

After that spell, Moorhead has rattled off 10 wins in the last 12 on the way to a state tournament berth. It won its first three games in the Section 8 playoffs and split a pair of 4-3 games with top seed St. Michael-Albertville (18-7) to advance.

Moorhead is at state for the fifth time in school history and first since 1990. Head coach Greg Salvevold’s squad will be an underdog in the quest to claim the Spuds’ first state title. Their marquee wins this season include a sweep of Sartell (18-6), which has been a Power 25 for part of the season, as well as two wins in three tries in the playoffs against STMA, which ended the season at No. 13.

If the Spuds are to keep their historic run going, they may have to lean on their pitching. Easton Groce has been dominant, allowing one run all season. He’s a big reason why Moorhead opponents are limited to 3 runs per game.

8. Rosemount (12-11)

Ranking rationale: Rosemount is your Cinderella story for the Class 4A state tournament. The Irish have plenty of state tournament tradition with 10 appearances all since 1985, as well as a runner-up finish in 2023. However, this season’s bunch did not look like it had the makeup of a section champion.

After a 10-1 loss at Eastview (7-16) on April 26, Rosemount stood at 2-7 and was having trouble pulling out wins against deep South Suburban Conference. None of the losses came by more than five runs, however, and it was clear this team wasn’t bereft of ability.

Head coach Chris Swanson got his team back on track with wins in three of the next four. Later, an upset of a top-10 Farmington (19-5) squad proved Rosemount could beat an elite opponent.

Fast forward to the Section 3 playoffs, and the Irish were ready to take an advantage of a relatively weak section. With top seed and state top-15 Two Rivers (19-5) going down early on the other side of the bracket, Rosemount went 4-0 against all sub-.500 teams to claim the section title. The Irish are led by a couple all-section players from a year ago, including Cal Ronay and Joe Timmerman.

Rosemount is 1-2 against the Class 4A state field with a split with Farmington and a loss at Andover (19-6).

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