Senior first baseman/pitcher Will Brian has been a key member of the 10-7 (4-3 in Section 1-3A) Bears all season and looks to make a difference in the postseason. Brian is batting .433 through 60 at-bats with 26 hits, one home run, one triple, eight doubles, 12 RBIs, 17 runs scored and one stolen base. He will play college baseball at the Division III level for Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.
Senior infielder/outfielder/pitcher Jayce Klug is 3-1 on the mound for the Tigers, who are 7-11 overall. Klug boasts a 1.94 ERA with 36 strikeouts through 39â…” innings. The Division II Upper Iowa University commit was one of eight seniors from southeastern Minnesota recently selected for the Minnesota Play Ball! Senior All-Star Series, taking place at the end of June.
Lourdes’ pitcher Brayden Kottschade (25) fails to tag out Stewartville’s Jayce Klug (3) on first during a baseball game on Friday, April 19, 2024, at Mayo Field in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin file photo
Sam Graunke, Kasson-Mantorville
Senior third baseman/pitcher Sam Graunke is batting .449 with 22 hits, one homer, four doubles, 17 singles, 18 RBIs, and 13 runs through 17 appearances for Kasson-Manorville. Graunke has pitched 27 innings, going 2-2 with 32 strikeouts for the 9-9 (5-3 in Section 1-3A) KoMets. Graunke will play for D-III University of Wisconsin-Stout after high school.
Red Wing senior shortstop Juju Koehler averages .369 with a .875 OPS. Koehler has helped the Wingers to a 9-10 regular season record (7-2 in Section 1-3A) and has put up 14 RBIs and 10 runs.
Junior pitcher/outfielder Noah Dunlap holds a 1.56 ERA with 66 strikeouts and a 0-1 record in 36 innings pitched for the Packers, who are 6-11 on the year. As a batter, Dunlap averages .390, recording 23 hits, seven doubles, 16 singles, eight RBIs, and eight runs with a .937 OPS.
Senior catcher Jack Ryan is batting .349 for Mayo with 22 hits, six home runs, six doubles, 10 singles, 22 RBIs, and nine runs scored. Ryan is committed to D-II junior college Dakota County Technical College, and he was selected to play in the state’s Senior All-Star Series.
Mayo junior shortstop/pitcher Kyle Leopold holds a .386 average across 57 at-bats, tallying 22 hits, three doubles, 19 singles, nine RBIs, and 14 runs scored. As a pitcher, Leopold is a solid 4-0 through 24â…” innings with 32 strikeouts, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.892 WHIP. The Spartans sit at 14-6 overall entering the postseason with an 8-0 record in Section 1-4A.
Mayo’s Hayden Mathern (21) practices his swing while Kyle Leopold (14) bats during a baseball game against John Marshall on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Mayo Field in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin file photo
Senior second baseman Aiden Yochim is hitting an impressive .421 for the Panthers, who are 9-11 overall going into the playoffs. Yochim has recorded five home runs and four doubles with 21 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Century’s Aiden Yochim (1) eyes home as he runs towards third during a Big Nine Conference baseball game against Austin on Friday, April 25, 2025, at Mayo Field in Rochester. Century won 4-1.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin file photo
Senior center fielder Owen Kelly has a .403 average with nine doubles, three triples, and 21 runs for Century so far this season. After graduation, Kelly will play college baseball for Division III Bethel University near St. Paul.
Senior pitcher Mike Ruff is 3-1 on the mound for Century, allowing 11 earned runs and putting up 42 strikeouts through 33â…” innings. Ruff, a D-II Winona State University commit, was picked for the Senior All-Star Series along with Klug and Ryan.
Century’s Mike Ruff (4) pitches during a Big Nine Conference baseball game against Mayo on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Mayo Field in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
Madeline Warren is a sports reporter for the Post Bulletin. A midwesterner through and through, Madeline grew up in Lansing, Mich. She is a proud graduate of Michigan State University, where she earned her journalism degree in 2023. Readers can reach Madeline at 507-285-7724 or mwarren@postbulletin.com.