SARTELL — Sartell standout third baseman Mateo Segura was tired of moving.
Segura, who will be a senior at
this fall, committed to play for St. Cloud State about two weeks ago. One of the big factors for him was he is tired of traveling from place to place with his dad a retired Marine.
“I’ve been traveling my whole life because my dad was in the military and I moved everywhere,” he said. “Honestly, (SCSU) was a good fit. The coaches had reached out to me since I was eligible to be contacted and I wanted to be close to home.”
Once Segura committed, St. Cloud State head coach Pat Dolan told him how much his family will appreciate him playing home games nearby.
Albany’s Connor Plumski (4) slips past as Sartell third baseman Mateo Segura (24) tries to make a catch in the sixth inning of their Section 8-3A playoff game on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Cloud Orthopedics Field in Sartell.
Kimm Anderson / For St. Cloud LIVE
“The night I verbally committed, he said, ‘Your parents are going to love that five-minute drive to Joe Faber Field,'” Segura said.
Segura is coming off a massive season as a junior. In 27 games, he hit .449 with 11 doubles, one triple, one homer, 31 RBI, eight stolen bases and 25 runs scored in 27 games. He walked 21 times, had four strikeouts and
was named to St. Cloud LIVE’s Starting Nine team.
“My offense has been improving significantly since my freshman year,” he said. “I learned a lot of good leadership skills from past players. As a player, my hitting is one of my strengths. I’m continuing to develop my skills though.”
Sartell head coach Jerome Nemanich is fully aware of where Segura thrives.
“Mateo can hit,” he said. “I think he hits higher level pitching really well. Sometimes, the guys that get him are the guys that are throwing junk at him. He really can get on a good fastball. I’m sure that’s something that Pat likes in him as a player.
“His best tool is he’s an elite hitter, can hit for power and beyond that, he really does have good patience at the plate. He doesn’t strike out a lot.”
In 50 varsity games over two seasons, Segura had 38 walks and 11 strikeouts and 139 career at-bats.
After starting at third base as a sophomore, Nemanich decided to begin last season with Segura as his starting second baseman.
Nemanich sees Segura as a versatile player.
“He’ll be either a corner infielder or an outfielder in college,” he said. “It’s just a matter of how Pat wants to get his bat in the lineup.”
Segura is excited that former Sartell teammate Brayden Simones was on the roster last spring for the Huskies.
Sartell third baseman Mateo Segura (44) makes a throw to first base after fielding a ground ball against Sauk Rapids during their Division I Sub-State 11 playoff game on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at St. Cloud Orthopedics Field in Sartell.
Andy Rennecke / St. Cloud LIVE
“I talked to a lot of players,” said Segura, who is planning on majoring in construction management. “(Simones) told me he really liked the program.”
While Segura is excited about his college future, he is also excited about what the Sabres have coming back next spring.
Sartell lost two starters, shortstop Brady Thompson and catcher Keaton Landowski, to graduation. The Sabres were 18-6 during the regular season in 2026, then went 1-2 in the Section 8-3A playoffs.
“We have a lot of seniors coming back,” Segura said. “We only lost two starters. They were definitely big players for us. But I think we can be better where we were this season.
Sartell’s Mateo Segura (24) celebrates his home run in the third inning with teammate Keaton Landowski (7) during their Section 8-3A playoff game against Albany on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Cloud Orthopedics Field in Sartell. His home run was enough to keep the Sabres ahead to win 2-1.
Kimm Anderson / For St. Cloud LIVE
“We have a lot of good younger talent, too.”
To that point, Nemanich was excited with what he saw out of his VFW teams during the summer.
“Willmar, Fergus and ROCORI were all good teams in our section,” Nemanich said. “Not only do we have those kids coming back, we’ve got some talented ninth- and 10th-graders who are going to challenge kids for playing time.”
Nemanich is also excited for Segura and what his future holds.
The St. Cloud Crush’s Gerad Hanle (1) arrives safely at third base as Sartell third baseman Mateo Segura (24) tries to get a glove on the ball in the fifth inning on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at St. Cloud Orthopedics Field in Sartell.
Kimm Anderson / For St. Cloud LIVE
“Mateo’s a great kid,” he said. “I’m glad that he has this opportunity. I think Pat’s getting a pretty good player.”
Segura played this summer for the Sartell Muskies amateur baseball team, which qualified for the Class A state tournament. The Muskies got a bye in the first round and beat Forest Lake 2-0 on Saturday, Aug. 29, in New Prague. Sartell next plays the St. Patrick Irish at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, in the state quarterfinals.
Segura said that he has been the Muskies’ designated hitter for most of the season. Nemanich also knows that Segura needs to continue to work on his fielding.
“He’s good and getting better, but he knows that’s the area he needs to work on to get better as he gets older,” Nemanich said. “I think he’s a great team player. He’s a very competitive kid. He works well with others and encourages others.”
Highest batting average — .410, 2nd
Highest on-base percentage — .527, 2nd
Doubles — 21, 2nd
Sacrifice flies — 5, tied for 3rd
Slugging percentage — .597, 4th
Most intentional walks — 2, 4th
RBI — 44, 6th
Runs scored — 46, 8th
Total bases — 83, tied for 13th
Hits — 57, tied for 14th
Segura’s single-season rankings
Doubles — 11, tied for 2nd, 2026
Walks — 21, tied for 2nd, 2026
Doubles — 10, tied for 5th, 2025
RBI — 31, 6th, 2026
Walks — 17, tied for 6th, 2025
On-base percentage — .547, 7th, 2026
Batting average — .449, 8th, 2026
Hits — 35, tied for 10th, 2026
Slugging percentage — .654, 14th, 2026
Total bases — 51, 14th, 2026
Slugging percentage — .654, 14th, 2026
Total bases — 51, 14th, 2026
On-base percentage — .500, 15th, 2025
Runs scored — 25, 15th, 2026