May 17—Section 1, Class 1A and Class 2A high school baseball playoffs are set to begin May 18 and May 20, and the Section 1, Class 3A and Class 4A tournaments will follow, starting May 23 and May 25. Here are some local players to keep an eye on during the race to the state tournament.
The senior pitcher and University of Minnesota commit holds a 2-1 record and a 1.30 ERA, allowing 16 hits, 11 runs (five earned), with 11 walks and 35 strikeouts through 27 innings pitched. He will continue to be an asset to Cannon Falls on both sides of the ball with a whopping .469 average. Hjellming has tallied 23 hits, three home runs, two doubles, one triple, 15 runs scored and 15 RBIs in 49 at-bats this spring.
The senior first baseman/right fielder/designated hitter is batting .440, recording 22 hits, four doubles and one triple paired with eight runs scored and 17 RBIs across 50 at-bats. Meyers will be an asset to the Bombers, who are 12-4 overall (9-3 in Hiawatha Valley League, 3-1 in Section 1-2A) as of May 13.
The senior centerfielder and 2027 University of Minnesota commit is one of Lourdes' biggest offensive weapons. Rolih held a .380 average, with 19 hits, two doubles and one triple, alongside 15 runs scored and eight RBIs across 50 at-bats for the Eagles, who are 10-8 overall as of May 13 (6-4 HVL, 5-7 Section 1-2A).
The senior pitcher/outfielder is 3-2 on the mound with a 2.258 ERA, 28 strikeouts and just three walks through 31 innings pitched. At the plate, Gasner is batting .333 with 17 hits, two doubles and 10 RBIs in 51 at-bats.
May 12 was a memorable day for the junior shortstop who hit his first career home run, going 5-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBIs in a 10-6 win over Stewartville. Hartzell is sure to be a big help in the section tournament for the defending Class 2A state champions with a 1.929 ERA and 22 strikeouts across 32 2/3 innings as of May 14. At the plate, Hartzell is averaging .343 and has 24 hits, one home run, eight doubles, 12 RBIs and 19 runs scored through 70 at-bats.
The senior is hitting an impressive .403 with 25 hits, seven doubles, 10 RBIs, 18 runs and 14 steals through 62 at-bats and 17 games for the 11-6 Tigers as of May 13. Lake City holds a 9-1 Section 1-2A and a 6-5 HVL record. As a pitcher, Hegge has a 4-1 win-loss record and a 2.70 ERA, scattering 31 hits, 27 runs (14 earned), 20 walks and 57 strikeouts across 36 1/3 innings.
As one of the area's top pitchers, the senior pitcher/outfielder will play college baseball for the University of Minnesota. Through 25 innings pitched, Ohm held a 4-0 record with a 1.40 ERA, tallying 52 strikeouts and just 11 walks. At the plate, he was batting .383 with 17 hits, including two home runs and three triples, contributing 14 runs scored and eight RBIs for Z-M. The Cougars are 9-8 on the season as of May 13 (6-4 in Section 1-2A).
The junior outfielder/pitcher holds a .409 average with 27 hits, eight doubles, three steals, 15 runs and 15 RBIs across 20 games for the Ramblers, who are 17-3 overall (13-1 Section 1-2A, 14-0 Three Rivers Conference) as of May 13. Cotter sits atop the TRC.
The senior third baseman/shortstop is a go-to player for the Lancers on offense. Tomten has recorded two home runs this season, most recently on May 2 against Winona Cotter. LC-H is 11-8 on the season (9-5 in Section 1-2A, 10-4 in TRC) as of May 13.
A senior catcher/pitcher for the Awesome Blossoms, Ingvalson is committed to play NJCAA D-III baseball for Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wis. Last season, he broke the Blooming Prairie school record for stolen bases with 32. Ingvalson is sure to make an impact in the postseason for the 13-5 Blossoms.
A senior for the Vikings, Steele boasts a .440 average, notching 22 hits, eight doubles, two triples, one homer, 18 RBIs and 19 runs through 50 at-bats. Steele is 3-2 as a pitcher, with a 2.00 ERA, limiting opponents to 17 hits, 13 runs and 16 walks with 41 strikeouts in 28 innings. As of May 13, the defending Section 1-1A champs are 12-7 overall.
The sophomore recently pitched a shutout over Schaeffer Academy on May 5 for the Athletics, who are 14-5 overall (11-5 in Section 1-1A, 9-2 Southeast Conference) as of May 13. Meyer recorded two hits, an RBI, three runs scored and one steal in a 12-2 win over Mabel-Canton back on May 6.
The freshman is a key player on both sides of the ball for the Rebels, who were last season's Section 1-1A runners-up. Southland is 10-3 this spring as of May 13 (8-3 Section 1-1A, 8-1 Southeast Conference).
As of May 12, Werneburg held a 5-3 record on the mound with a 1.94 ERA and 31 strikeouts through 36 innings. As a batter, the senior pitcher/first baseman/outfielder averages .345 with 19 hits, two home runs, four doubles, 20 RBIs, 15 runs scored and five steals for the Spartans, who are 9-11 overall as of May 13.
The senior pitcher/shortstop who will play Division I college for Butler University is having an outstanding final season with the KoMets. Through 11 games, Babcock had recorded 18 hits, eight doubles, two homers, nine RBIs, 19 runs and 10 steals. K-M, last year's Section 1-3A runner-up, is 10-7 on the season as of May 13 (5-1 in Section 1-3A, 7-5 in the HVL).
