Top 25 Minnesota high school baseball preseason rankings (4/1/2025)

See the top teams entering the 2025 Minnesota high school baseball rankings

High School on SI's top 25 Minnesota baseball preseason rankings /

The 2025 Minnesota high school baseball season begins for many teams across the state this week.

High School on SI will have top 25 rankings regardless of classification every week. This week, we start with preseason rankings.

Top 25 Minnesota high school baseball preseason rankings (4/1/2025)

1. Wayzata

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Wayzata is eager to get back at it after its only loss last season kept it from the Class 4A state title game. The Trojans went 26-1 with an unbeaten record in the Lake Conference and a Section 6-4A title. Wayzata shut out eight different opponents. A lot of goose eggs were posted by Noah Filer. The senior RHP is coming off a campaign where he posted a 7-0 record with 67 strikeouts and a .887 ERA over 47 innings.

The offense will be led by senior OF Adam Deselich, who hit .452 with 28 RBI. Junior SS Sam Mohs wasn’t far behind at .448 to go with 10 RBI. Filer will have a reliable battery mate in junior Matthew Berkland (.355, 16 RBI).

The Trojans are led by head coach Bobby DeWitt, who enters his 17th season at the helm. He graduated 10 players from the 2024 roster. The biggest loss is all-state P Riley Leatherman, someone with an incredible baseball name who’s now plying his trade at the University of North Carolina.

2. Mounds View

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: The Mustangs were tantalizingly close to taking home their program’s third state title. Mounds View boasted a 2-1 lead late in the state championship over conference rival East Ridge last spring at Target Field. The Raptors stormed back with a run in the sixth and the game-winner in the seventh.

After tying for third in a deep Suburban East Conference, Mounds View did better in Class 4A by finishing second. The Mustangs posted a 20-9 overall record and were 12-6 in conference play. A lot of production is back from last year’s squad, headed by junior RHP Andrew Gette, who’s committed to Miami.

Senior Isaac Beseman is a talented middle infielder headed to Concordia-St. Paul. Senior Nate Edelman is another strong right-handed arm in the rotation and a reliable first baseman who’s committed to Wisconsin-La Crosse. If not Edelman at first, it’s senior Ryan Maylone, who’s a future Gustie.

Replacing big RHP/1B Tyler Guerin is the biggest concern for head coach Nik Anderson. Guerin was named the 2024 state Player of the Year by several outlets. The all-state performer joined brother, Blake, collegiately at Iowa.

3. Minnetonka

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Minnetonka is poised for another strong season after a Class 4A consolation championship run in 2024. Despite graduating 10 seniors, head coach Paul Twenge has enough tools at his disposal to produce another winner. He’s beginning his 20th year as the Skippers’ skipper and has won over 1,000 games coaching collegiately and at the high school level for over half a century.

Key returners include senior RHP Jack Butterworth, who’s committed to Arizona State, and senior 1B/OF Gus Berger (Concordia-St. Paul). Key departures include all-state SS Will Koeppen (St. Thomas), LHP/OF Daniel Musgjerd (Charlotte) and IF Nate Wheeler (Southwest Minnesota State).

4. Cretin-Derham Hall

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: With 11 state championships in school history, there’s winning DNA at Cretin-Derham Hall. The Raiders fell short of that last year, but they bring back a lot of key pieces that make a 12th title attainable. Losing just six seniors from a Class 4A program isn’t bad. A key departure, though, is 1B/LHP Paul Jones II, an all-state performer who’s now at Maryland.

While one Big 10 player leaves, a couple are still around in Iowa commit John Kohorst, a senior LHP/OF, and junior 1B/OF Davis Fleming (Minnesota). Others to watch are senior SS/2B Zander Coy (University of Mary) and senior P/SS Blake Bullis (St. Scholastica). Sophomore C/RHP Ike Crouser is an underclassman to watch.

Last season’s squad went 14-9 and had a disappointing finish, going 1-2 in the Section 4-4A playoffs. Highlights of the season include a regular season sweep of back-to-back 4A champ East Ridge (21-6) and a split with section finalist Stillwater (18-7).

5. Farmington

This week’s games: April 3 vs. New Prague, April 4 at Rochester Mayo

Ranking rationale: Farmington got off to a 12-0 start last season and finished strong with a Section 1-4A title. The Tigers closed with a program record 24 wins against five losses en route to sixth place at the Class 4A state tournament.

They went 16-2 to win the South Suburban Conference by two games. A lot of those players who felt like they had unfinished business going 0-2 at the high school state tournament got vindication when they took home the Senior American Legion state title last summer.

Pitching should be the strength of head coach Jon Graff’s team with three of the top four hurlers back in the mix. Senior RHP Joe Baldus posted a .89 ERA and a 6-3 record. Senior RHP/SS Brandon Lund finished at 8-2 with a 1.64 ERA.

Junior Brodie Gibart is an LHP/OF Augustana commit who was a perfect 4-0 with a 3.45 ERA. This trio will have senior Marshall Gordon to throw to. The Minnesota State-Mankato commit boasted a .301 batting average with 22 RBI.

6. East Ridge

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Even with 17 seniors graduating, a championship standard has been set at East Ridge. The Raptors became back-to-back Class 4A champs after completing a 21-6 season in 2024 that resulted in a 3-2 victory over Mounds View in the title game.

Key returners for head coach Brian Sprout’s squad include a trio of college commits led by junior SS Bennett Skinner, who’s committed to the University of Minnesota. Senior LHP Caden Nelson (Iowa Central) and senior RHP/3B Ryan Menne are also key cogs for yet another talented team.

Huge departures among the 17 graduates are Max Arlich and Luke Ryerse. They formed the state’s top pitching duo and are now at Arizona State and Minnesota, respectively.

7. Stillwater

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Stillwater continued its run as one of the premier programs in the state in 2024. The Ponies finished 18-7 overall and tied for first in the best conference in the state, going 13-5 to split the Suburban East title with eventual Class 4A state champ East Ridge. Unfortunately, East Ridge got the laugh by beating Stillwater twice in the Section 4-4A playoffs, including in the championship.

Back for head coach Michael Parker’s teams are a couple all-section selections in senior CF A.J. Levy and senior 1B Blake Vanek. One of the top arms is also back in senior RHP Alex Oehlke. A key departure is SS Charley Rowan, who’s now at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

8. Prior Lake

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: This is a team that graduated three of four all-section players from an 18-9 team but is prepared to reload. There’s plenty of college-bound talent on the roster for head coach Zach Hendrikson, who did well in his debut season in 2024.

The Lakers took third place in the South Suburban Conference at 13-5 and just a game back of second. They were a game away from making the Section 2-4A championship out of the elimination bracket.

Senior LHP/OF Ben Snider is a future Division I prospect heading to Southeast Missouri and senior SS/2B Nikhil Kandi is D-II bound going to Minnesota-Duluth. The senior-laden roster also features OF/RHP Hunter Onson (Gustavus Adolphus), SS/OF Gavin Brening (St. John’s), RHP Dylan Kulper (Iowa Central) and C/1B Jaeger Solis (John A. Logan).

9. Totino-Grace

This week’s games: April 1 vs. Anoka, April 3 vs. Coon Rapids

Ranking rationale: It was awfully tough to see a state championship coming after Totino-Grace’s 0-5 start to the season in which it scored nine total runs. The rest of the regular season got better, but it’s not like the Eagles were world beaters, finishing at 5-7 in the Northwest Suburban Conference to take ninth place.

Yet, T-G found its stride when the time was ripe. It reeled off eight straight wins late in the regular season before winning seven straight in the postseason all the way to a Class 3A state championship. Longtime head coach Mike Smith did a tremendous job not only leading the Eagles to their first state tournament appearance since 2012, but their first state title.

A key returning player for 2025 is senior RHP Tommy Heifort, who’s committed to Southwest Minnesota State. There’s a lot more college-bound pieces back in the mix with seniors OF/RHP Kellen Westphal (Gustavus Adolphus), RHP Jake Rantz (Bethel), IF Colin Blake (St. Mary’s, Minnesota) and C/OF Tyler Hand (Marshalltown CC).

A big loss among three all-section players departing is 1B Matthew Galatazer, who was also an all-state selection.

10. Waconia

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: University of St. Thomas head coach Chris Olean is likely watching this Waconia Wildcats season with great intent. There are four future UST Tommies on Waconia’s roster this season: senior RHP Landon Majerus and juniors 1B/3B Culley Ohm, RHP/OF Lucas Langin and C/1B Matt Mieras. Waconia head coach Erik Olsen has another college-bound athlete at his disposal with senior C Soren Marker.

Langin was an all-section performer last season. Most of the Wildcats’ production is back from a 12-10 team last season that took fourth place in the Metro West Conference. A key departure is all-section OF Austin Randall.

Waconia opened last season 4-1 and won its final five regular season games. The inconsistent Wildcats struggled in between and exited the Section 2-4A playoffs with just one win. This is a team that projects to go deeper in the postseason in 2025.

11. Mankato East

This week’s games: April 3 at Albert Lea

Ranking rationale: Mankato East was effectively playing with house money last season. The Cougars nearly cashed in for the jackpot. With a young roster featuring just two seniors in 2024, East finished 22-6 overall, took first place in the Big 9 Conference at 14-2 and was the Class 3A consolation champ. Head coach Micah Degner led the Cougars to a Section 2-3A title. They may have been wondering what could have been after losing a 4-3 nailbiter to Grand Rapids in the state quarterfinals.

The 2025 roster is chock full of collegiate talent. There are seven seniors committed to play at the next level. Nathan Bridger tops the group after the LHP and Wisconsin-Whitewater posted an all-state season. OF/3B Caden Hansen (Gustavus Adolphus) and LHP/1B Owen Studtmann (St. Mary’s, Minnesota) were also all-section, along with uncommitted young rising stars sophomore P Keaton Wojcik and junior OF Carson Hart.

The rest of the college commits include SS/RHP Caeden Willaert (Bethany Lutheran), RHP Jacob Langworthy (Bethany Lutheran), OF Jack Hansen (Minnesota-Crookston) and C Austin Headley (Valley City State). One key loss to graduation for East was all-state SS/P Nicholas Werk.

12. Maple Grove

This week’s games: April 1 vs. Rogers, April 4 vs. Roseville

Ranking rationale: Maple Grove expects to be one of the most improved teams in the state this season. The Crimson showed promise last season going 11-11 with nice wins over Mahtomedi (22-5) as well as both Northwest Suburban Conference runners up, Andover (14-9) and Osseo (16-9). Most of the roster is back in 2025 led by junior RHP ace Evan O’Dwyer. He posted a 4-1 record with a 1.63 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Junior LHP/1B Beckett Shimpa (2.60 ERA, 28 K, 22 IP) is another capable arm along with closer Brody Berglin (4-0, 2 S, 25 K, 18 IP) and Matt Kuno (18 K, 18 IP), among others.

Maple Grove looks like a team that will be able to shut down opponents, but can it produce enough offense? Junior shortstop Kaden Harney is a talented athlete receiving D-I interest as a quarterback. He’s one of the headliners out of the other eight guys on the diamond.

13. Andover

This week’s games: April 1 vs. Elk River

Ranking rationale: Looking at last year’s roster and seeing 10 players graduate can seem daunting. However, a large chunk of Andover’s top-end talent returns in 2025. The Huskies return their top bat in the form of senior C Drew Law.

The future Winona State Warrior led the team with a .415 batting average, 15 RBI and four home runs on the way to all-state honors. He was also all-section, along with returning seniors IF/RHP Wyatt Myers (Iowa Central) and senior RHP/DH Brett Buettner (Southwest Minnesota State).

Buettner was the team’s workhorse leading with 42 ⅔ innings pitched and 47 strikeouts to go with a 2.95 ERA. Senior RHP Jameson Kuznia is also going to Iowa Central.

Head coach Pete Andersen is also building for the future with junior SS Keaton Coe, who’s one of the top players in Minnesota at his position in the class of 2026. One big loss for Andover is all-section OF/P Grant Pieri.

The Huskies are seeking to build off a 14-9 season in which they went 8-4 to tie for second in the Northwest Suburban Conference. They bowed out fairly early in the Section 7-4A playoffs, going 1-2. A highlight of the season was shutting out eventual Class 3A champion Totino-Grace.

14. Mahtomedi

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Mahtomedi was a run away from winning its third state title in seven seasons. It was looking like every third year was the ticket for the Zephyrs, who were champs in 2018 and 2021. In 2024, they fell 2-1 to a red-hot Totino-Grace team in the Class 3A state championship game. Mahtomedi finished the season at 22-5 overall and finished in a three-way tie atop the Metro East Conference at 13-3.

Reigning Section 4-3A Coach of the Year, Rob Garry, loses nine seniors from last year’s roster. He does get a huge piece back in senior OF/LHP Ethan Felling. The southpaw is one of the best pitchers in the state who’s staying home to play in the Big 10 at Minnesota. He was an all-section performer in 2024.

15. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Regardless of talent returning or not, the standard has been raised at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Making the state tournament and competing for the title is the norm under head coach Andy Judkins, who has guided his team to four state appearances in his seven years at the helm. The Class 3A Red Knights were runners up in 2019 and champions in 2022. Last year, the squad posted a 21-5 record and took fourth at state.

There are big gaps to fill from last year’s roster. The biggest loss to graduation is CF/LHP Caleb Koskie, the Class 3A Player of the Year and current Indiana Hoosier. 1B Charlie Gearen and SS Jack Anderson also graduated after all-state seasons.

The cupboard isn’t bare with a talented senior college-bound quartet of C Grant Geske (Gustavus Adolphus), IF Rowan Dodge (Bethel), RHP Abu Kalokoh (Sioux Falls) and OF Deandrew Mayaka (Iowa Central).

16. Osseo

This week’s games: April 1 at Centennial, April 3 vs. Elk River

Ranking rationale: Osseo enters the 2025 season with a lot of momentum. A junior-heavy roster in 2024 posted a 16-9 overall record and 8-4 mark in the Northwest Suburban Conference. The Orioles won three games in the Section 5-4A playoffs and were ousted in a close game against eventual state runner up Mounds View.

Osseo did make it to state in the summer with many of those same varsity players helping the American Legion team place second at the Division I state tournament.

There are several future collegians on head coach Joe Lavin’s squad. One is senior RHP/3B Tyler Weum (Augsburg). Weum was an all-section selection, along with senior C/3B Gavin Phenow and senior 1B/DH Brenden Kranz. Senior OF/RHP Isaac Johnson and senior C/3B Gavin Phenow will remain teammates next year at Wisconsin-Superior. Weum will be competing in the same conference as senior OF/C Gavyn Krzoska, who will be off to Gustavus Adolphus.

17. Rockford

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Rockford wasn’t content to just be in its first state tournament in program history last spring. The Rockets went out and won the whole dang thing. They capped their run through the Class 2A tournament with a 6-0 blanking of Foley in the title game at Target Field.

Head coach Cody Hallahan has been phenomenal in his two years at the helm. His 2023 team went 17-5 and went deep in the Section 5-2A tournament.

Some big names are back in the fold, including three arms to head a talented rotation. The big name is senior LHP/RF Will Haas, a Tennessee commit who was an all-state performer. Senior RHP/3B Patrick Binnebose was also an all-section performer. Senior infielder Riley Moran is a St. Olaf commit.

A big loss is RHP Aiden Smith, who hit nearly .500 last year en route to all-state honors. The Rockets look like the cream of the crop in 2A yet again.

18. Chaska

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Chaska has a good pipeline of talent coming down the pike over the next few years. This year’s bunch is one that is capable of building on a solid 13-7 regular season that ended in disappointment and an 0-2 record in the challenging Section 2-4A playoffs.

If this isn’t the year, then 2026 might be with the juniors on the roster. RHP Parker Killian is already throwing 90-plus miles per hour and is a future Minnesota Golden Gopher. Matthew Welter was an all-section 3B last season and SS/RHP Owen Strey is one of the top players in the class of 2026.

There’s also senior leadership with OF/1B Jacob Welter (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) and RHP Tyler Nesheim (Southwest Minnesota State). The Hawks boast two of the top sophomores in the state with LHP Joshua Keenan and 3B/1B/RHP Kalin Jochum.

Head coach Craig Baumann enters his 15th season at the helm and has eclipsed 150 career wins.

19. Champlin Park

This week’s games: April 3 at Rogers

Ranking rationale: Champlin Park is coming off its second straight winning season under seventh-year head coach Ryan Tohm. While the Rebels dipped from 18-6 (10-2 South Suburban), a conference title and Section 5-4A championship game appearance in 2023 to 11-9 (6-6), a middle-of-the-pack finish and an 0-2 section tournament in 2024, they have enough production returning in 2025 to be back on the upswing.

A key returner is senior SS/RHP Nick Carlson. He’s a Concordia-St. Paul commit who was the Rebels’ lone representative on the all-Section 5-4A team. Carlson and senior 1B/LHBP Kellan Oligmueller make a dynamic one-two punch on the mound.

Many on the roster played on Champlin’s summer American Legion team that qualified for the Division I state tournament.

20. Moorhead

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Moorhead was a win away last season from qualifying for the state tournament for the first time since 1990. The Spuds improved from 10-12 in 2023 to 14-10 and advanced to the Section 8-4A championship. They return a wealth of talent that makes the Spuds one of the top teams in northern Minnesota.

College bound-athletes include senior C/RHP Carter Houtari, an all-selection choice who’s going to Concordia-Moorhead. Senior RHP/1B Drake Kunza (Bismarck State) was an all-section selection, as was junior SS Tyden Bergesen. Senior LHP Easton Groce (Alexandria College) and senior RHP Carter Olson (Alexandria Tech) join Kunza as part of a steady pitching rotation.

Head coach Greg Salvevold is entering his 20th season at the helm. He has one of his best teams yet that’s coming off the program’s first section title appearance since 2008.

21. Forest Lake

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: After opening the season with a win at powerhouse Cretin-Derham Hall, things got tough for a while for Forest Lake. The Rangers lost four of their next five and struggled to find a groove with the bats.

Offense still wasn’t their forte, but they found enough of it to reel off four straight wins in the playoffs to take advantage of a relatively easy Section 7-4A and make it to the state tournament for the first time in seven years. Kale Henry, the section Coach of the Year, helped his team improve from an 8-16 record in 2023 to 14-13 last year.

The Rangers recorded their seventh shutout of the season in a 1-0 win in the state quarterfinals vs. Farmington. The magic wore out in a semifinals loss to eventual back-to-back champion East Ridge and Forest Lake settled for fourth place.

The team graduated nine seniors but brings back a couple key pieces to build around. Senior RHP Andrew Brandt is committed to Kirkwood Community College. His battery mate, senior C/IF Keegan Lee, is headed to Marshalltown CC.

22. Shakopee

This week’s games: None

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: Shakopee did some good things under first-year head coach Eric Schmitz in 2024. The Sabers finished 15-8 overall and competed for the South Suburban Conference title, taking second place at 14-4. They’ll have a little fuel to the fire in the offseason after losing four of their last seven games, including two of three in the Section 2-4A playoffs.

Both all-section players from last year graduated, but much of the core returns. The losses are 1B Connor McGee and 3B Ryan Vosper. Key returners are senior LHP Nick Johnson (Minnesota State-Mankato), senior OF Ryder Peace (Jamestown) and senior RHP Carson Schroeder.

23. Woodbury

This week’s games: None

Ranking rationale: If the Royals can generate enough offense, they’ll be a threat to make a deep postseason run. Woodbury’s coming off a 13-11 season and returns a lot of production on the mound. Senior LHP/OF Jack Gessner is the ace of the staff who’s committed to Illinois-Chicago.

The senior duo of senior LHP Gavin Dahl and RHP Alex Kirchoff are both headed to Dakota County Technical College. The infield features good depth too with senior Evan Crandall (Wisconsin-La Crosse) and senior Joshua Griffin (St. Mary’s, Minnesota).

Woodbury also has a veteran skipper in Kevin McDermott, who needs just seven wins to hit the 250 mark in his 17th season.

24. Little Falls

This week’s games: April 3 vs. Hutchinson

Ranking rationale: Little Falls has had no issues making the state tournament in recent memory. The Flyers have made it thrice in the last six seasons and each of the last two. The impasse does not come in the section tournament, but at state, where Little Falls has gone 0-6 in that span.

This year’s group could have the makings of the team to do some damage after finishing 18-8. Senior RF/LHP Carter Gwost is coming off an all-state season that led to him committing to play at Nebraska. He and senior RHP Peter Knopik (Northeast Iowa Community College) form a solid tandem. Their battery mate, senior C Alex Thoma, joined Gwost on the all-section team. Section Coach of the Year Chad Kaddatz does lose a couple all-section guys in LF/RHP Charlie Smieja and 1B Garrett Lindbergh.

25. Perham

This week’s games: April 4 at DeLaSalle, April 5 at Minnehaha Academy

Ranking rationale: There’s a double dose of Class 2A representation in the preseason Power 25. Perham has a loaded roster after finishing 24-3 and taking fifth place at state in 2024. Veteran head coach James Mulcahy’s squad is led by a pair of seniors committed to Minnesota-Crookston: LHP/1B Ashton Detloff and IF/RHP Alex Blume.

Detloff was an all-state performer and both were all-Section 8-2A. Sophomore outfielder Gavin Griffin is a promising young player who was the lone freshman on the all-section team.

---

Recommended Articles

feed