The 2021 PBR MN Scout Blog provides insider information, videos and scouting notes collected by the PBR MN Scouting Staff through this year's spring season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, videos, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. Simply put, the PBR Minnesota Scout Blog is loaded with information.

For all up-to-date baseball news, commitments, rankings, player spotlights & more- follow Prep Baseball Report Minnesota on Twitter @PBRMinnesota and on Instagram @pbrminnesota along with visiting our website HERE

Interested in subscribing to Prep Baseball Report? Click Here for details.

Interested in attending a PBR Minnesota event? Check out our schedule by Clicking Here.

 

PBR MN SCOUT BLOG

June 7th

Maple Grove - 2 vs St. Louis Park - 7

Section 6AAA Elimination Bracket 

7:00pm @ Hopkins High School

+ 2022 Minnesota commit Kristofer Hokenson took the mound in hopes to keep the Orioles’ season alive.  The lefty did just that going 6.1 innings allowing just 5 hits, and striking out 9.  A solid two-way player SLP stands in at 5-foot-11, 170-pound.  The southpaw has a loose and clean arm, with his fastball sitting at 86-88 mph with slight run and a 69-70 mph curveball with 1/7 break.  

 

+ Stefano Giovannelli started in center field for St Louis Park.  The 2023 grad looks to hold down the outfield for the next few years; an athletic body with some length, good speed,  shows skills and instinct for the game.  The right-handed bat flashes good pop in the barrel and makes solid contact through his at bats.  Defensively, Giovannelli covers ground in center and has an arm that plays.  He also finished the game in relief for Hokeson, striking out two. 

+ Another young 2023 for St. Louis Park is right-handed hitting Zack Helfman.  A good body that stays balanced and uses his bottom half well.  He showed power with a 3 run homer to left field. Along with Giovannelli, he will be a good one to keep an eye on in the future.

+ Minnesota-Morris commit Ethan Schmitz also had a nice evening for SLP going two for three, with one run scored and had four RBI.

 

+ Maple Grove’s 2022 Cole Newell opposed Hokenson on the mound.  The uncommitted RHP has a frame to dream on at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds.  Newell, had good control and command for two pitches with a fastball at 85-86 mph with slight and a curveball at 68-69 mph that showed good break and spin.  

 

+ 2022 Devin Hornbacher led the way offensively for Maple Grove going two for three and an RBI.

 

June 4th

East Ridge - 3 vs Cretin-Derham Hall - 10

4AAAA Elimination Bracket Quarterfinals

4:30 @ East Ridge HS

+ The Raiders looked to 2022 Cooper Smith to keep their season alive.  The uncommitted RHP was solid going 6 innings, allowing 5 hits and striking out 5.  A fluent and easy arm that saw a fastball sit 85-86 mph with arm side run.  A harder curveball at 75-76 mph that showed 11/5 break.  On a warmer day, Smith’s fastball was up to 86-88 mph later in his outing.  

 

+ 2021 Cole Hannum an uncommitted infielder for Cretin-Derham Hall shows pop in the barrel and discipline at the plate.  Hannum smacked a home run and added a single.  Athletic frame with good instincts who runs the bases well.  Hannum finished going 2 for 4, with 2 RBI and a run scored. 

 

 

+ A total of eight Raiders had hits on the day for a total of ten hits.

+ Wichita State commit Trevor Lee took the ball for East Ridge.  The big right-hander lists at 6-foot-4, 225-pounds.  The 2023 has a smooth and clean arm and his fastball was heavy at times sitting at 85-86 mph.  Lee’s breaking ball sat 74-75 mph with 11/5 break; he showed control of both pitches.  Lee is the first 2023 commit in Minnesota.

 

 

June 2nd

Anoka - 3 vs Blaine - 4

Section 7AAAA Quarterfinals

4:30pm @ Blaine Baseball Complex

+ The #4 seed in Blaine hosted #5 seed Anoka.  The Bengals have a good group of younger guys with one of them being 2023 RHP Adam Puder who started on the mound last night.  Puder, a lean frame that will continue to fill out, works with a long and loose arm action.  The fastball sat 77-80 mph with cut action and paired a 65-67 mph curveball that has 10/4 break.  Puder shows good command of both pitches and good poise in tough situations.  He went 5.1 innings allowing 2 earned runs, 3 hits, and struck out 5.

+ Ethan Pettis is another young player for Blaine.  The 2024 shows upside and skill on both sides of the ball and plays with good instincts.  Pettis will continue to get bigger and stronger with the frame.  At the dish, he has a short swing and good barrel control and his pop will continue to develop. 

+ 2021 Wisconsin-Whitewater commit Brennan O’Brien sets the table for Blaine.  Proportional frame and athletic kid, O’Brien makes things happen when has on base.  Last night, he took good AB’s each time he was at the plate. 

+ Anoka also has some youth of their own in 2023s Reagan Reeder and Sawyer Chell.  Both will continue to develop with age and experience.  Reeder is athletic and shows potential to fill out and add pop to the bat.  Chell also has a chance to fill his frame out as he continues to age.  During his at bats, his swing can get long at times but the barrel stays through the zone.

+ The Tornado’s saw hits from Parker Colbert, Jacob Deutschman, Jake Gonse, and a multi-hit game from Jack Novack.

 

White Bear Lake - 6 vs. Cretin-Derham Hall - 10

Section 4AAAA, Elimination Round

4:00 pm @ Cretin-Durham Hall

+ White Bear Lake 2022 and NC State commit Derrick Smith was the DH from the cleanup spot for the Bears.  Smith has a physical frame at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds with present strength throughout.  An aggressive and powerful swing with a mid pull approach.  In the game, the right-handed hitting 2-way player showed barrel feel with above average contact who also moves well for his size.

 

+ 6-foot-3, 170-pound RHP/SS Max Weber took the ball for the Raiders.  Weber, a Minnesota Crookston commit, pitched 3.1 innings for CDH.  A long and lanky frame and room for growth has a whippy arm action.  Mixes arm slots between a low and high ¾ slot to keep hitters off balance.  Weber’s fastball sat 81-83 mph for most of his outing with sink and run, and mixed in his 67-69 mph slider with 10/4 break. 

 

+ CDH uncommitted 2022 Connor Duval had a nice game from the DH spot in the order.  Present strength, controlled swing with a mid pull approach.  Duval flashed power to the pull side just missing a home run to left field.  He added a deep fly ball to center field, a line drive single to right field, and was able to reach base on a sac bunt attempt. 

 

+ Another uncommitted 2022, is CDH’s first baseman Kevin Odlaug.  He has a big physical frame, but can be a little stiff in the lower half.  At the plate, Odlaug’s hands worked well and produced hard line drive contact to the middle of the field and drove in 3 runs early in the game.  Odlaug finished going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.

May 26th

Park 3 vs Hastings 2

7:00pm @ Veteran’s Park- Hastings

+ Hastings started senior pitcher Simon Hedin in the match up with Park of Cottage Grove. Hedin mixed speeds well and kept hitters off balance with a three pitch mix. The senior's fastball was 78-80 mph and topped at 82mph. The fastball was fairly flat but showed good arm side run.  He was able to mix in a 70-72 mph curveball with 11/5 shape that had good depth; a very solid 72 mph changeup that he used for an out pitch. His change up had arm side run and sink. The righty pitched into the 7th inning allowing 4 hits, and striking out 6 hitters while giving up just 2 runs. 

+ The Raiders third baseman is 2023 Eddie Peine.  Peine, a right-handed hitter, has a good frame with raw athletic ability.  At the plate, the sophomore had two hard hit line drives to the pull side of the field.  He showed good bat speed and sure hands at 3B.  A player to watch for Hastings in the next couple years. 

+ Last year's Future Games Participant Josh Hatano is Park’s smooth fielding starting shortstop.  Hatano, has a plus arm with carry and plays with confidence.  An athletic frame at 6-foot 170-pounds and good strength that aids in his aggressive swing and barrel that stays in the zone for a long time with a good amount of pop.  The uncommitted bat who is ranked #22 in Minnesota’s 2022 class runs a 6.89 60, has 84 mph arm strength and 89 mph exit velocity.

 

+ Park’s 2022 Will Smoot is a big frame at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds with present strength. Smoot came up with a big RBI double to left center.  A bat with pop potential that’s continuing to develop and has made good strides in his game over that past year.  Smoot has good footwork around the bag at first, and shows athleticism for his size while also being able to play catch.

 

+ Another 2022 for Park is Jackson Tessman who took the mound for the Wolfpack. Tessman worked a fastball at  81-82 mph while topping at 84 mph.  Athletic look, quick arm action from a ¾ slot.  The curveball was 68-70 mph and 12/6 break that stayed around the zone.  Tessman competed and battled on the mound and worked his way out of a few jams. The final line was four innings of work, allowing six hits, walking one and striking out three.

 

+ Hamline commit Conor Mestemacher came in to relieve Tessman in the 5th inning. The future Piper had his fastball working at 82-85 mph topping at 86 mph.  His arm side run fastball was used to attack early in counts.  The breaking ball at 74-75 mph showed 11/5 hard break and good depth; he also flashed an 80 mph change-up.  Mestemacher pitched three innings, allowing 3 hits, striking out six giving up no runs.

 

May 25th

St Paul Johnson - 15  vs North St. Paul - 2

7pm @ North St. Paul HS

The 5th ranked player in Minnesota’s 2022 class is Sam Kennedy out of North St Paul. North St. Paul’s ace took the ball on Senior Night, with it being his last start before Section play. Kennedy has a solid frame at 6-foot-1, 200-pounds. The ball comes out of the hand easy and clean from a quick arm action. Kennedy’s fastball sat 88-90 mph with run and also showed two breaking balls between and curveball and slider. The curveball was at 74-75 mph and 11/5 break and the slider worked 76-77 mph with depth. The right-hander's outing was short, going 3 innings and striking out six.

 

2021 and Wisconsin Stout commit Tristan Stark had a nice evening for North St Paul.  An athletic body at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds with growth potential.  Stark showed a consistent barrel through the game and flashed some pop with a double. He finished 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. 

 

 

AJ McMahon had a big night for St. Paul Johnson. McMahon, an uncommitted 2021 catcher is listed at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds and a left handed bat. Athletically built, shows upside with growth. A short to contact swing that gets the bat to ball consistently. His night finished going 3 for 5 and driving in four on the night.

Nine players registered hits with three having multi hit games.

 

May 24th

Providence Academy - 12 vs Mounds Park Academy - 1

4:30 @ Mounds Park Academy

+ On a Monday evening we saw a matchup between 15-3 Providence Academy and 5-9 Mounds Park Academy.  2024 OF/LHP Caleb Koskie got the nod for Providence Academy.  The southpaw is having an excellent year both on the mound and at the plate.  Koskie is a 5-foot-11, 155-pound young athletic frame that uses an easy, simple delivery.  The arm is clean and loose  from a ¾ slot.  Koskie’s fastball sat 78-81mph with arm side run, mixed well with a slider at 67-69 mph.  His final line was 4 innings, 1 hit, and striking out 5; Koskie also went 2 for 4 at the plate with a double. 

 

+ All around steady and reliable player Jimmy Fafinski had a nice game for Providence Academy.  Fafinski, a 2022 outfielder, attended an event in October of 2020 where he ran a 6.81, had a 85 exit velocity and threw 81 mph from both infield and outfield.  In each at bat, he consistently barrelled up the baseball with authority.  He finished his day going 2 for 4 with a triple and a RBI.

 

+ Providence had a total of 12 hits on the game with multi hit performances from 2022 Jack Reller and 2024 Tomas Palomarez.

 

May 19th

New Life Academy - 5 vs. Concordia Academy - 3

4:30pm @ Concordia Academy

+ Uncommitted 2022 RHP Josh Kirchhoff took the ball for Concordia Academy.  Kirchhoff has a nice body and frame standing in at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds.  His clean arm action from a ¾ slot looks effortless in the release.  The fastball was sitting 85-86 mph throughout his appearance and was downhill at times.  Kirchhoff’s curveball sat 70-71 mph with late break and potential swing and miss action.  Kirchhoff’s final line was 6 innings, eight hits, three walks and struck out twelve batters.

 

 

+ ‘23 RHP Sam George started for New Life Academy.  George, who also hit leadoff, helped his cause with three hits but did most of his damage on the mound.  A strong body, with overall athleticism saw a fastball work 84-86 mph with arm side run to go along with a curveball at 71-72 mph and 11/5 break.  The uncommitted righty has a clean delivery that comes with a long arm action into a high 3/4 release.  New Life Academy’s ace went 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, walking three and struck out fourteen.

 

May 18th

Rosemount - 4 vs. Bloomington Jefferson - 7

@ Dred Scott Playfield #1, Bloomington

+ ‘21 UMass commit Carter Hanson showed well in the box and on the mound for Bloomington Jefferson.  The lefty has an athletic body that’s strong and balanced in the box and is short to contact and with controlled barrel and pop.  The two-way OF/LHP came in late and threw the last four innings allowing four hits, and striking out six.  The fastball sat 78-81 mph with run.  He also finished one for four at the plate.

 

+ Bloomington Jefferson RHP/2B and Minnesota-Morris commit David Steffen, overall had a good game on the offensive side.  Steffen was two for three with a double, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored.  He also started on the mound for Jefferson where his fastball was 84-85 mph, curveball that had more of a slurve action sat 68-69 mph, and a change-up at 71-72 mph.

 

+ The Jaguars also saw offense from 2021s Ben Goedderz (2), Sam Malecha (2) and 2023 Braden Ebeling who all contributed with hits in the game.

+ ‘22 Easton Richter from Rosemount is a St. Louis commit, has an athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 190-pounds, shows the ability to drive to all fields.  Consistent barrel contact on the day having three hits and a homerun shy of the cycle with a single, double and triple.  Richter shows an above average approach and instincts adjusting pitch to pitch.

 

+ Young and above average frame is Rosemount’s 2023 RHP/1B Carter Theisen.  At 6-foot-5 and 220-pounds the big righty came in relief going 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out four Jaguars. Theisen works with a shorter arm action from a 3/4 slot.  The fastball sat 79-82 mph with arm side run, and paired with a curveball thrown at 71-73 mph with 11/5 break. 

 

+ The Irish saw offense from 2021s Aiden Oates (Bryant & Stratton) who had 2 doubles and Antonio Bugni (St. Scholastic) who added a hit, as well as Jacob Back and Grant Peroutka both providing multi-hit games.

May 14th

Northfield - 0 vs. Farmington - 10

4:30pm @ Levi Dodge Middle School

 

May 13^th

Rochester John Marshall – 2 vs. Red Wing – 0

5:00pm @ Red Wing Athletic Field

+ ‘21 RHP/C Drew Lingen went a complete game for John Marshall beating Red Wing 2-0. Fastball sat 82-85 mph, touching 87 mph, paired with a 71-74 mph breaking ball.  Former Future Games participant TeamIAMNNE and NIACC commit who also went 2-4 with a double and roped single.

 

 

+ Red Wing’s starter Andrew Ball fastball sat 82-85 mph; touching multiple 87’s. Leaning primarily on fastball; the control was spotty through his outing, but a lot to dream on with athleticism and high-waisted 6’5 frame. An uncommitted 2022 with projection

 

 

May 12th

St Thomas Academy - 2 vs. Hill-Murray - 7

4:15 @ Hill-Murray High School

+ In a matchup with two of the top teams in the Metro East Conference St. Thomas Academy and Hill-Murray met for the second time with the Pioneers taking the first game back on April 11th.  2021, Minnesota Crookston commit Cam Quinlan started on the mound for Hill-Murray.  Quinlan’s fastball sat 76-77 mph with little movement and mixed a curveball that had 10/4 break.  The two pitch mix kept the Cadet hitters off balance throughout his outing.  At the plate, Quinlan added a hit helping the Pioneer offense.  The left-handed swinging infielder is athletic in the box using a controlled load with a short to contact swing and contact type approach.

 

+ Minnesota State-Mankato commit Matthew Fleischhacker holds down the infield at short for Hill Murray.  Fleischhacker also added a single in game, and shined on the defensive side of the ball.  The sure handed shortstop had a terrific day making plays look easy with good footwork and angles.

 

+ Other notables came from ‘21 Matthew Forrester who had good at bats in each of his plate appearances and tallied a hit.  ‘21 AJ Dan also helped the offense, having a key hit to get the rally going.

 

+ 2023 RHP/C Michael Miller took the ball for St Thomas Academy.  Miller, who is 6-foot-2, 193lbs showed good control of his pitches early in the game.  Miller works from a ¾ arm slot and has a long and loose arm action.  The fastball sat 84-86 mph with slight run and used a curveball and flashed a change-up to vary speeds.

 

+ St. Thomas Academy’s 2021 Angelo Pacyga hits in the 3 hole for the Cadets.  Pacyga had a double and RBI early in the game.  The Minnesota Crookston commit shows the ability to drive the ball to the middle of the field with pop.  An athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 183-pounds controls centerfield well with good speed and range.

 

+ The Cadets also saw contributions on offense from ‘21 Simon Kotok who finished with double and a single.  ‘21 Tristan Thilmany had a single and solid at bats throughout the game.

May 11th

Stillwater - 6 vs. Roseville - 4 in 8 innings

4:30 @Univeristy of Northwestern- Roseville

+ Big Suburban east matchup between the #1 ranked 4A team, the Stillwater Ponies and the Roseville Raiders. The ponies were 10-3 coming into today’s game. 

+ The Raiders started uncommitted 2022 RHP, Ian Culver who commanded the zone well throughout his appearance. Culver’s fastball was sitting 84-86 mph and was able to top at 88 mph multiple times during the game. The 6-foot, 205-pound Culver mixed speeds well with his sweeping curveball (73-74mph). The righty kept hitters behind in counts and got them to swing and miss with both pitches. Culver uses a big rocker step, gets down the hill well, and hides the ball with a short arm action. Culver was ultimately pulled for pitch count going 7 innings allowing 4 hits, 2 walks and striking out 9. 

 

+ Uncommitted Roseville catcher, Zak Goodwin has good feel behind the plate, sits on a knee and works the zone well. Athletic movements behind the plate and throws from his knees often. At the plate, the left-handed hitting Goodwin added 2 RBIs on a line drive up the middle. Goodwin is currently ranked #23 in MN 2022 class.

 

+ 2021 OF/LHP Kade Peloquin (NIACC Commit) is a smaller, quick twitch athlete, with above average barrel contact. He had 3 hard hit line drives to the middle of the field, added a walk, and two stolen bases in the contest. The Ponies 2-way talent has very good instincts on the base paths and shows impressive range in the outfield. On the mound, Peloquin showed a tailing 78-80 mph fastball and was able to get up to 82 mph. Peloquin was inconsistent with his fastball location but was able to mix in his 68-70 mph 2/8 curveball. 

 

+ Stillwater’s 2022 Brayden Hellum and 2021 Gavin Zurn (NDSU commit) both came up huge for the Ponies late in the game. Zurn hit a double off the wall in left that drove in a run to tie the game.  Hellum had the game winning 2 RBI single on a line drive up the middle in the top of the 8th.

 

May 7th

Stillwater - 2 vs. Woodbury - 6

4:30 @ Woodbury High School

+ A heavyweight bout between Stillwater(10-1) and Woodbury (7-5) took place Friday afternoon in Woodbury.  2021 two-way player Reiss Calvin took the mound for Woodbury.  The Ventura College commit had a good day on the mound and at the plate.  His fastball sat mainly between 82-86 mph, mixed well with his curveball at 68-69 mph and change-up at 73-74mph. The righty kept a solid Stillwater lineup off-balance going 6.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7.  He also went 1 for 2 at the plate and had an RBI single.

 

+ 2021 Sioux Falls commit Joey Meurer led the charge at the plate for the Royals.  An athletic frame shows a short powerful swing with pop in the barrel.  Meurer went 2 for 3 with a triple and a double and had 2 runs scored for the day. 

 

+ Woodbury had hits spread between 5 others in the lineup: ‘21 Sam Malec (Minnesota), ‘21 Josh Hawkford (Winona State) ‘22 RJ Altman, ‘22 Nolan Drossel, and ‘22 Cole Erickson.

+ RHP Zack Nelson went to battle for Stillwater.  Nelson has a competitive demeanor on the mound, who pitches to contact.  The right hander had a fastball that sat 80-82 mph, and a curveball at 69-70 mph with slurve action.

+ 3 hits came off the bats for Stillwater: 2021s Alex Ritzer (North Carolina) and uncommitted Tony Ingram and ‘22 Corey Venske.

 

May 6th

Eastview - 2 vs. Eagan - 4

4:30 @ Goat Hill Park, Eagan

+ One of the top teams in 4A are the Eagan Wildcats, who are currently ranked #9 according to the May 6th MSHSBCA rankings.  The Wildcats were 10-2 heading into the matchup with Eastview.  A talented roster looked to 2022 and UC-Santa Barbra commit Liam Martin for the start in the Thursday afternoon tilt.  Martin, a strong RHP/SS two-way player, saw a fastball that sat 86-88 with a slight arm side run.  A combination of off-speed with a breaking ball that sits 69-70 and 11/5 break, and a change-up that works 76-77 mph with fade.  He also helped himself at the plate going 1 for 2 on the day with a double.  The right hander had 5 innings of work, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk and striking out 7 hitters.

 

+ Ryan Danich, Alex Lachenmeyer and Charlie Steffen each had hits for the Wildcats with Steffen delivering the go ahead and eventually game winning RBI for Eagan.

+ 2021 6-foot-3, 160-pound RHP Isaac Finley got the call for Eastview. The Century College commit keeps hitters off-balance with a two pitch mix.  A fastball that sits 79-81 mph with slight arm side run and a curveball that flashes 10/4 break at 73-74 mph.  A long and lanky frame that will continue to develop with plenty of room for growth.  Finley went 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and striking out 7.

 

+ Eastview’s Connor Wilberg led the way for both teams with 3 hits. A big athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, runs a 6.94 60, throws 85 mph from the outfield and has a 95 exit velocity.  Wiberg will be heading to Gustavus this Fall.

 

April 30th

Chanhassen - 0 vs. Chaska - 7

7:00pm @ Chaska Athletic Park

+ One of the more anticipated matchups that takes place twice a year in the Metro West Conference is the Chaska and Chanhassen rivalry. They met for the first time Friday night in front of a packed house at one of the nicer ballparks in Chaska's Athletic Park.  Uncommitted 2022 Karver Miller started for Chaska and did exactly what you would want from a starter.  Miller went 6 and 2/3 innings, allowing 5 hits, walking one and striking out 11.  The right hander and left handed hitting 2-way player who also hits leadoff, showed a fastball that sat 85-87 mph.  Paired with a slider at 76-78 mph for strikes that was used when ahead and behind in counts. An athletic frame to match a competitive mentality on the mound, Miller looks to be a really nice talent for Chaska. He finished 1 for 4 at the plate with a double and 2 RBIs.

 

 

+ In a game where Chaska's offense had 11 hits, 2023 shortstop Maddox Foss had two. With a strong baseball mindset, Foss looks the part with his actions; an arm with carry and routinely made plays behind Miller the entire evening.  At 5-foot-9 and 160-pound from the right side, the sure handed shortstop is a tough out that competes every pitch.  The young Chaska infielder is fun to watch both in the field and in the box.

 

 

+ Other Chaska notes: C, Nathan Rosenberg (UMD commit) was 2 for 3 and showed some pop by driving a ball to the right center gap for a triple. Nolan Kemp was 2 for 4 with a run scored and RBI. Kemp who plays right field also has a nice arm on the mound with a fastball at 86-88 mph at the PBR Preseason All State Event in March.

+ Recent UMD commit Riley Funk took the bump for Chanhassen.  Funk, a south paw was good early and then was removed in the third, held Chaska scoreless the first two innings, Funk's fastball was 83-85 mph with arm side run that went nice with a curveball at 71-73 mph, had 1/7 shape and average depth. 

 

 

+ 2020 Future Games participant Josh Och started at short and hit leadoff for Chanhassen.  Och began the game by hammering a double to the left center gap.  The 2023 grad later added a double down the left field line in his second at bat.  A talented two-way player shows athleticism, bat speed, and strength in the box to go along with average actions defensively and an arm with good carry.  Och will be a strong follow in the 2023 class.

 

 

+ Chanhassen notes:  Gustavus commit Hunter Sheehan started at third and then threw in relief for Chanhassen.  Sheehan has a lively fastball at 84-87 mph, that comes clean out of the hand.  2023 Left-handed hitting Mason Lang was the DH and went 2 for 3.

April 29th 

Maple Grove - 0 vs. Andover - 1 (9 innings)

4:30 @ Andover High School

+ In another low scoring pitchers duel, we saw uncommitted 2022 Cole Newell of Maple Grove and Josh Stoll of Andover battle for most of the game. Newell, a big frame at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, allowed zero hits through his 6 innings of work. The right-handers fastball sat 86-89 mph with run and the curveball showed solid 11/5 shape. The Crimson starter presents an athletic delivery with good tempo. The ball comes out easy from his hand from a high slot.  His final line was 6 innings, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts.

 

 

+ Maple Grove's offense was shut down to just two hits in 9 innings. Maple Groves 2023 shortstop Sam Kliber had one of the two hits on the night. A younger and athletic frame showed consistent at bats throughout the contest finishing 1 for 3.  A contact type hitter from the left side that has a short to contact swing and good barrel control.  

 

 

+ RHP Josh Stoll had a very impressive outing for Andover.  Stoll went 8 and 2/3 innings on just 100 pitchers.  The Anoka Ramsey commit allowed just 2 hits, walking 4 and striking out 7.  Stoll's fastball sat 78-82 mph, curveball was 67-69 mph, and flashed a change-up at 76-77 mph.  A good mix through his start kept hitters off balance

April 28th

Coon Rapids - 0 vs. Holy Angels - 13

4:30pm @ Donaldson Park in Richfield

+ The #1 ranked player in Minnesota's 2022 class Logan Olson toed the rubber for Holy Angels.  The 6-foot-4, 170-pound lanky lefty had a fastball sit 86-89 mph with arm side run through his 4 innings of work.  His curveball shows a bigger 1/7 break with average depth. At times he struggled with command having 4 walks, but finished with 11 strikeouts and allowed only 1 hit. Olson looks to take his pitching to the next level where he has committed to the Oregon Ducks.

 

 

+ Michigan commit Joe Longo had a nice afternoon at the plate. Longo a right-handed hitting shortstop was 2 for 2 with a double and a walk that resulted in 3 runs scored and 1 RBI.  An athletic frame with strength throughout that measures at 6-foot-1, 215-pounds.  Consistent swing that's short to ball and explosive through the zone. Longo shows versatility with the ability to play multiple positions on the field.

 

 

+ Uncommitted left-handed hitting third baseman, Troy Lynch, crushed a solo homerun and also had a single. Lynch is currently ranked 103rd overall in the 2022 class, with a bigger and strong frame that shows power to middle of the field. Lynch made solid contact throughout the game in each of his at bats, finishing with 2 hits, 2 runs scored and an RBI. 

 

 

April 24th

Duluth East - 3 vs. Eden Prairie - 10

2:30pm @ Eden Prairie High School

 After exchanging zeros for two-and-a-half innings, Eden Prairie got on the board in the third and then the Eagles’ offense applied pressure for the remainder of the game, topping the Greyhounds 10-3. 

+ Jake Luloff (2022, uncommitted), Eden Prairie’s leadoff hitter, finished the day 2-for-3 with a pair of triples, driving in two, and scoring three of his own. The 5-foot-10 centerfielder’s short, level swing peppered deep fly balls into the middle of the field twice and he showed off his 6.72 60-yard speed to motor around the bases.

 

 

+ Starter Nick Parker worked in and out of traffic in 4 innings for Eden Prairie. In the first it appeared that the Eagles might be headed for trouble as Duluth East loaded the bases with one out. But Parker coaxed a ground ball from East’s Charlie Sutherland and third baseman Griffin Streed made the force at home. Parker then ended the inning with a strikeout of catcher Ryan Carlson, keeping the Greyhounds from scoring. The 6-foot-1 senior mixed a 80 mph fastball and a good 11-5 curveball to keep hitters off-balanced, scattering five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in four innings.

 

+ University of St Thomas commit Joe Vos (2021) started the game on the mound for Duluth East, throwing two clean innings before Eden Prairie scratched across three in the third inning. The left-hander used a sinking fastball that reached up to 84 but sat around 81-82. He paired it with a sharp 75 mph slider and a 77 mph changeup. On the balmy afternoon, allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks in three innings of work. Vos was 0-for-4 at the plate.

 

 

+ Ethan Cole struck out 6 in three innings of relief. The 6-foot-1 UMD commit flashed an 85 mile per hour fastball, one that he used at the top of the zone to get a number of swinging strikes. He also demonstrated above average feel for locating his curveball in the zone.

 

 

+ College of St. Scholastica commit Garrett Johnson, a 6-foot-6 left-handed hitting first baseman, had a pair of singles and drove in one of the three Duluth East runs on the day. Bo Brown led the Greyhounds’ with four hits, going 4-for-4 and scoring on Johnson’s RBI single in the fifth inning.

 

 

April 23rd

Minnetonka - 1 vs. Wayzata - 4

6:30pm @ Wayzata High School

+ 2021 uncommitted Charlie Hemer, led the way offensively for Minnetonka, as the Skippers had a total only 3 hits in the nightcap, The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Hemer delivered two of them with a with double and single. The left-handed hitting first baseman uses a middle of the field approach, flashes bat speed; on both swings he made solid barrel contact with good velocity.  Short stop Zack Zaetta had the other hit for Minnetonka. 

 

 

+ NIACC commit Fritz Meyer started on the bump for the Skippers.  Even though he labored through 2 and 2/3 innings, he showed increased arm strength with higher velocity in his fastball.  The big righty's fastball mainly sat 82-85 mph but he ran it up to 87-89 mph. The breaking ball flashed a good 11/5 break at times with inconsistent command at 76-78 mph. His change-up sat around 77-78 mph. On a cold and misty evening, Meyer allowed 2 hits and had 5 strikeouts.

 

 

+ 6-foot-5, 210-pound RHP Nick Argento toed the rubber for Wayzata in the Lake Conference showdown. Argento who will be headed to North Carolina in the fall, went 6 innings allowing 3 hits and 9 strikeouts. His fastball sat 88-91 mph with arm side run proved to have some swing and miss. The Trojan ace throws both a curveball at 75-76 with 11/5 break and a slider at 77-78 mph with late bite in zone. 

 

 

+ 1B/RHP Logan Fragomeni came in and shut down the door in the 7th. The fastball sat 82-85 mph with heavy action. Fragomeni had 2 strikeouts in his inning of work.  The 2021 grad will be heading to Montana State University - Billings in the fall.

 

 

+ Wayzata tallied 3 hits on the evening seniors Maverick Lawin and Bredan Dieleman and junior Joey Grochala each had hits for Wayzata.

 

April 22nd

Spring Lake Park - 2 vs. Champlin Park - 4

7:00pm @ Champlin Park High School

+ Right fielder Isaac Morton enjoyed a nice day at the plate. Morton a 2023 grad, and a Future Games participant last summer has an athletic and lean body at 6-foot-2 and 164-pounds. The right-handed hitting 3-hole hitter went 3 for 4 with a double on the day. In the box, he shows a short compact swing to ball with solid extension. Morton is currently ranked 408th overall in PBRs 2023 National Rankings 

 

 

+ Another 2023 in the game was Andrew Rakow. The two-way player is left handed hitting 1B/LHP for Champlin Park. Rakow, who was 2-2 at the plate displayed power by driving a double and adding a single to go along with 3 RBIs on the day. Showed middle field approach that went well with his quick and powerful swing. The lefty came in relief and pitched the final 3 innings for the Rebels. His fastball sat 81-84 mph with arm side run and an average curveball at 64-66 mph. He allowed 1 hit and had 4 strikeouts.

 

 

+ A couple of notables- 2021 and St. John's University commit Sam Berg was 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Uncommitted 2021 short stop Tanner Thompson also added two hits and two runs scored for Champlin Park

 

 

April 21st

Burnsville - 0 vs. Prior Lake - 1

4:30pm @ Memorial Park in Prior Lake

+ Another cool afternoon that brought us another strong pitching performances from Ethan Voss and Connor Wietgrefe down in the South Suburban conference last night.  RHP Voss a University of Arizona commit started on the mound for the Blaze. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound arm went 5 innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 5 hitters.  Voss' fastball was a tick down from his usual low 90s coming in at 86-89 mph; but his ball showed life up in the zone and had good downward tilt to the bottom of the zone.  The breaking ball was at 73-74 mph for strikes and was consistently in the zone with two pitches through his outing.

 

 

+ NIACC commit and LHP Wietgrefe was the counter part and ended up going a complete game, allowing 3 hits and also striking out 5 for the win.  The Laker captain had a good mix between his fastball and breaking ball as well as flashing a change-up at times.  The fastball was 83-85 mph and showed his ability to throw in on hitters. His breaking ball was solid with good spin and depth thrown at 72-74 mph.  Wietgrefe worked ahead early in counts for most of the game keeping the Blaze hitters off balance.

 

 

April 16th

 Irondale - 1 vs. Mounds View - 2

4:30pm @ Mounds View High School

+ In a game that saw a total of 6 hits leadoff hitter Mason Dean was on base 3 times. The Texas A & M commit started the game with a single through the right side, added 2 walks, a stolen base as well as a run scored. A tall and projectable frame left-handed hitter, Dean showed patient at the plate and a balanced approach. 

 

 

+ Will Rogers took the ball for the Mustangs in the contest.  Rogers had a fastball early that was 86-88 mph topping at 91 mph and showed a balanced 2 pitch mix with a curveball at 75-78 mph with good spin and shape.  The Arizona State commit went 5 innings allowing 1 run on 1 hit and striking out 13 batters. The 3-hole hitter also was on base twice with a RBI single up the middle and a walk. The 66th overall player in PBRs 2021 class will be one to keep eyes on come June.

 

 

+ Irondale's 2022 Andrew Howard competed well for 4 and 2/3s innings.  The right-hander kept hitters off balance through his outing mixing speeds and pitching backwards at times to the Mustang lineup.  A fastball  at 75-76 mph topping at 78 mph with slight run that went along nicely with a 64-65 mph curveball.  Howard's outing was a bright spot in a day where the team's offense was quiet.

 

 

April 16th

Hopkins - 4 vs. Edina - 7 

6:00pm @ Braemar

+ Edina's RHP Tanner Hopkins started the Lake Conference slate. Hopkins a '21 Gustavus Commit showed good command of all pitches. The 6-foot-3 righty went 6 innings allowing 3 hits and striking out 6 batters. The fastball sat 81-84 mph with arm side run and a good combination with the breaking ball that showed 11/5 break with depth.

 

 

+ A big right-handed bat for Edina was Jackson Cooke. The uncommitted 2022 catcher went 1-2 with a walk and a 2-run shot to left. Cooke showed pull side power with the homerun and in the past have seen him use the middle of the field well. In the box, we saw patients at the plate, a short to contact swing, and defensively was good behind the dish.

+ 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-handed hitting outfielder Kamden Chrysler also had a nice game for the Hornets. Another uncommitted 2022 that went 1-3 with a double in the contest. Chrysler showed a middle field approach with the double as well as a line out to right center. Big body who runs a 6.94 60 and covers ground well in the outfield. 

 

 

+ Hopkins started 2021 NIACC commit Ryan McGie. The two-way player went 5.2 innings allowing 2 earned runs, 4 hits, and striking out 7 batters. A fastball that sat 79-83 mph with little run, paired a curveball  that flashed tight 10/4 break at times, and showed an average change-up.  The LHH has a middle to pull approach who also hit a homerun in the game. McGie was 1-2 on the evening with 2 RBIs that came via the homerun. 

 

 

+ 2021 RHP/C Jake Perry came in relief for Hopkins. The Minnesota commit who is known more for the bat, saw a fastball sit 87-89 mph, curveball at 74-75 mph with command and flashed a 73-74 mph change-up. A clean arm action and strength, Perry struck out the only batter he faced.  He also went 1-3 at the plate

 

 

April 14th

East Ridge - 0 vs. Park - 1 

4:30pm @ Park High School 

+ '21 Tucker Novotny a LHP started on the mound for Park. The Minnesota commit was consistently 87-89 mph throughout the game, touching as high as 91 mph in the 1st inning, with flashes of arm-side run. The breaking ball was 77-79 mph and the changeup was 76-79 mph; using both sparingly in the outing, with average action on a cold early spring day. Larger frame with fluid arm action and the fastball is easy out of his hand. Tallied 13 K’s through 6 2/3 innings. 

 

 

+ '24 LHP Max Arlich started on the mound for East Ridge. The young lefty had a fastball that sat 81-83 mph with good run. His curveball showed 1/7 break and flashed solid spin throughout the game. Alrich battled well and went toe to toe with Novotny. Arlich throws from a 3/4 slot, the arm action is clean and easy, with above average command; gathering plenty of swings and misses throughout the game.

 

+ Defense and pitching proved to be tough in the East Ridge and Park HS game, only producing 4 hits collectively.  2024 Alex Mezzetti , was a highlight defensively helping keep the game within reach for East Ridge, making a diving grab on a line drive at third that resulted in a double play.