Prep Championship Series features four baseball title games

For Immediate Release

Prep Championship Series features four baseball title games

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. --- The Minnesota State High School League’s Baseball Prep Championship Series is scheduled for Friday, June 18 at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. In the event of inclement weather, the makeup date is Saturday, June 19, also at Target Field.

Here is a look at the series:

Schedule

·       Class A: No. 1 Hayfield (25-0) vs. No. 2 New York Mills (23-2), 10 a.m.

·       Class AA: No. 1 Glencoe-Silver Lake (25-3) vs. Belle Plaine (20-4), 1 p.m.

·       Class AAA: No. 5 Grand Rapids (19-7) vs. No. 3 Mahtomedi (19-5), 4 p.m.

·       Class AAAA: No. 5 Farmington (20-5) vs. No. 2 Park (22-7), 7 p.m.

 Gates open:

·       9 a.m.

 Tickets

·       All tickets must be purchased online. There are no cash sales at the gate. Please see the following link for more information:  

https://www.mlb.com/twins/community/mshsl-baseball-championships

Streaming

·       All games will be streamed live by School Space Media. Find the stream at www.prepspotlight.tv

Game information

·       Results, statistics, LiveStats are available on the League’s website at www.mshsl.org

Media

·       A media credential is required to cover this event.

·       Media must enter at Gate 29. Please have photo ID prepared for admittance and to receive credential.

·       Target Field and Major League Baseball require a health screening for admittance

·       There is no press box access

·       Media accommodations will be in the Delta Club

·       See League Staff for photo locations

·       Postgame interviews are available. Please see onsite media steward for further instructions.

Social Media

·       Follow the Prep Championship Series on the League’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @MSHSL and @MSHSLJohn

Championship Game matchups

Class A: Hayfield vs. New York Mills

Hayfield Vikings

·       Head coach: Kasey Krekling

·       State tournament appearances: 2

·       Championship game appearances: 1

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated Adrian/Ellsworth 16-1 in the quarterfinals; def. No. 5 Springfield 16-0 in the semifinals.

·       Did you know?  Hayfield has scored in double digits in 19 of its 25 games this season.

 New York Mills Eagles

·       Head coach: Dustin Geiser

·       State tournament appearances: 8

·       Championship game appearances: 3; runner-up in 2019 and 2014

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated Sebeka 11-4 in the quarterfinals; def. No. 3 Randolph 9-8 in 15 innings in the semifinals.

·       Did you know? In the 15-inning marathon victory over Randolph, senior pitcher/infielder Derin Gaudette and senior outfielder Cade Rudolph each had eight official plate appearances.

 Class AA: Glencoe-Silver Lake vs. Belle Plaine

Glencoe-Silver Lake Panthers

·       Head coach: Dean Schwintz

·       State tournament appearances: 7, 5 preceding trips at Glencoe High School

·       Championship game appearances: 3; runner-up in 2007 and 1947.

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated St. Agnes 13-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated No. 5 Plainview-Elgin-Millville 13-3 in the semifinals.

·       Did you know? Glencoe played in the first baseball championship game in League history, losing to St. Cloud Tech, 6-3, in 1947.

 Belle Plaine Tigers

·       Head coach: Pat Schultz

·       State tournament appearances: 3

·       Championship game appearances: 2; runner-up in 2016.

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated No. 3 Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 2-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Aitkin 4-2 in the semifinals.

·       Did you know? Junior pitcher Jackson Kruger has 101 strikeouts in 56 innings of work and a 0.25 earned-run average.

 Class AAA: Grand Rapids vs. Mahtomedi

 Grand Rapids Thunderhawks

·       Head coach: Bill Kinnunen

·       State tournament appearances: 19

·       Championship game appearances: 5; won championships in 1978 and 1984, both in Class AA; runner-up in 1988 (AA) and 2005 (AAA)

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated No. 4 Marshall 6-2 in the quarterfinals; def. St. Thomas Academy 4-3 in the semifinals.

·       Did you know? Grand Rapids ranks second all-time in consecutive state tournament appearances with eight from 1977-84. Austin ranks first with 10 from 1951-60.

 Mahtomedi Zephyrs

·       Head coach: Rob Garry

·       State tournament appearances: 6

·       Championship game appearances: 3; runner-up in 2016, champion in 2018.

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated Sauk Rapids-Rice 2-0 in the quarterfinals; def. No. 2 Sartell 7-0 in the semifinals.

·       Did you know? Mahtomedi has two alums currently playing in professional baseball: Mike Baumann (Baltimore) and Sean Hjelle (San Francisco).

Class AAAA: Farmington vs. Park

 Farmington Tigers

·       Head coach: Jon Graff

·       State tournament appearances: 2

·       Championship game appearances: 1

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated No. 4 Mounds View 1-0 in the quarterfinals; def. Minnetonka 3-2 in the semifinals.  

·       Did you know? Farmington’s only other state tournament trip was in 1977.

Park Wolfpack

         Head coach: John McGowan

·       State tournament appearances: 4

·       Championship game appearances: 1

·       Road to the Championship Game: Defeated Rogers 4-0 in the semifinals; def. No. 3 Andover 5-4 in the semifinals.

·       Did you know? After losing to Eagan 15-0 in the second round of the Section 3AAAA tournament, the Wolfpack stormed back to defeat Eagan twice by a combined score of 14-3 in capturing the section crown and a state tournament appearance for the first time since 1993.