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FIRST TEAM
Jakob Nachreiner, Sr., P/C/IF, Springfield
Hitting leadoff and serving as the ace of the Class A Champion Tigers, Nachreiner was the Tomahawk Conference Baseball Player of the Year this season, and it's easy to see why. Through the state tournament, Nachreiner hit .390 with a .540 OBP, recording 32 hits, nine doubles, four triples, 22 RBIs, 30 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. He did all this while striking out 141 batters in 78 2/3 innings with a 0.71 ERA. Nachreiner allowed 35 hits and eight earned runs in total, going 11-1 as a starter including two wins in the state playoffs. Nachreiner is a four-time All-Conference and All-Section player as a senior.
Austin Uecker, Sr.,
OF, Sleepy Eye
Uecker had the second-highest batting average in school history this season, hitting .520 with 39 hits (sixth in school history), six doubles, two triples, 13 RBIs and 27 runs scored. Uecker also stole 18 bases and only struck out four times, providing consistent value at the top of the Indians' lineup. Uecker was an All-Conference and All-Section player this season. For his career, Uecker hit .400 with 99 hits, 46 RBIs, 89 runs scored and 49 stolen bases.
Tate Becker, So.,
P/SS/OF, Madelia
The Blackhawks' ace and cleanup hitter this season, Becker hit .359 at the plate with 28 hits while striking out 80 on the mound with a 1.42 ERA. Becker helped lead the Blackhawks to a third-place finish at the Section 2A Baseball Tournament and struck out 14 against the eventual section champions in Springfield. Becker earned All-Conference and All-Section honors for his play this season.
Winsten Nienhaus, Sr.,
P/IF/OF, Sleepy Eye
A Swiss Army Knife for Sleepy Eye, Nienhaus played every position this season aside from catcher and first base. Nienhaus improved his batting average by .304 at the plate this season, shooting up to a .475 average, second on the team. Nienhaus recorded 28 hits, four doubles, a home run, 16 RBIs and 23 runs scored with 18 stolen bases. On the mound, Nienhaus was equally effective, going 4-3 and striking out 39 batters with a 2.05 ERA in 41 innings pitched.
Joe Liebl, Sr.,
P/1B/OF, Wabasso
Liebl was the leader for the Rabbits this season, both at the plate and on the mound. Offensively, Liebl hit .431 with 25 hits, five doubles, two triples and one home run, along with adding 11 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. On the mound, Liebl struck out 86 batters in 56 2/3 innings, recording a 1.48 ERA. Liebl was an All-Conference and All-State player this season.
Mark Anderson, Sr.,
P/IF, St. Mary's
In his second All-Conference season this year, Anderson went 5-2 as a starter with 75 strikeouts and a 1.22 ERA. Anderson also found success at the plate, hitting .308 with 24 hits, 19 RBIs, three doubles and 19 runs scored. Anderson was selected to play at the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coach's Association All-Star Game this year and also earned the Inaugural Joe Mauer Award.
Levi Franta, Sr.,
OF/P, Cathedral
An All-Conference and All-Section player for the second year in a row, Franta has been a valuable member of the New Ulm Cathedral baseball team for the past three years. At the plate, Franta hit .329 with 28 hits, nine doubles, three triples and a home run with 32 RBIs. On the mound, Franta went 6-2 with 2.79 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings pitched. Franta helped lead Cathedral to a Section 2A Championship appearance this season.
Kade Nachreiner, Jr., P/3B/2B, Springfield
Called an outstanding pitcher and hitter by head coach Brandon Wilhelmi, Nachreiner hit the three spot with a .329 batting average with 26 hits, eight doubles, a triple, 28 RBIs (most on the team) and 19 runs scored. On the mound, Nachreiner was 6-1 as a starter, striking out 37 batters with a 1.59 ERA in 44 innings pitched. Nachreiner was an All-Conference and All-Section player this season.
Tanner Backer, Fr.,
P, New Ulm
Backer burst onto the scene for New Ulm to become one of its top players on the mound and at the plate. Backer hit .378 at the plate while going 3-2 on the mound, striking out 34 batters in 29 innings. Backer had a 3.00 ERA and held opposing batters to a .200 batting average.
SECOND TEAM
Jon Petermann, Sr.,
CF, St. Mary's
Petermann hit leadoff for St. Mary's this year and produced from there, hitting .410 to lead the team with 34 hits, four doubles, three triples, a home run and 17 RBIs with a team-leading 28 runs scored and 23 bases stolen. Petermann took home an All-Conference selection this year.
Noah Neperman, Jr., P/1B, Springfield
Neperman made an All-Conference and All-Section team in his first year pitching varsity. Neperman excelled in his role, striking out 44 batters in 32 innings with a 0.438 ERA and a 6-0 record. Neperman also contributed from the middle of Springfield's lineup, hitting .321 with 26 hits, four doubles, two triples, 23 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
Brandon Schmitz, Sr.,
P/IF, St. Mary's
A three-year starter for the Knights, Schmitz achieved career highs in batting average (.295), stolen bases (13), and hits (23) at the plate, while also improving his pitching numbers, striking out 71 batters with a 1.27 ERA in 60 2/3 innings pitched. Schmitz went 8-1 as a starter on his way to his second All-Conference selection.
Zach Riederer, Sr.,
P/IF, MVL
A four-year player for the Chargers, Riederer went 4-3 on the mound this season with 41 strikeouts and a 1.09 ERA in 32 innings pitched. At the plate, Riederer batted .375 with 24 hits, five doubles, two triples, 10 RBIs and 17 runs scored with 12 stolen bases. Riederer earned an All-Section selection this year.
Tony Zaleski, So.,
P/1B, Madelia
Zaleski put together a strong sophomore campaign for the Blackhawks, posting a team-best .397 batting average to go with an OBP of .462. He had 31 hits on the year, including a go-ahead home run against Sleepy Eye in the Section 2A playoffs. In that section tournament, Zaleski hit .389 with five RBIs and helped the Blackhawks finish third in the section. On the mound, Zaleski pitched 19 2/3 innings with a 4-0 record, allowing seven earned runs for a 2.49 ERA while striking out 40.
Aiden Moriarty, Fr., 3B/1B/P, Springfield
A solid hitter and fielder for the Tigers, Moriarty was first on the team in batting average with a .403. Moriarty had 31 hits, second on the team, along with three doubles, four triples, 27 RBIs and 21 runs scored. Moriarty also pitched 8 1/3 innings for Springfield, striking out 11 batters with a 1.68 ERA.
Kaden Peterson, Jr.,
C, MVL
A team captain and All-Conference player, Peterson hit .412 with 28 hits, two doubles, four triples, a home run, 14 RBIs and 17 runs scored with 11 stolen bases for the Chargers. Peterson showed his leadership and flexibility in his junior season, batting both cleanup and leadoff for MVL at times.
Colin Anderson, Jr.,
IF/OF/P, Cathedral
Able to contribute from all over the field defensively, Anderson also led the Greyhounds in batting average, hitting .379. Anderson added 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored and 18 stolen bases with three doubles and a home run on 33 hits. As a pitcher, Anderson went 6-2 with 51 strikeouts and a 4.38 ERA in 40 innings pitched. Head coach Alan Woitas said Anderson took a big step forward from his sophomore year on both the mound and at the plate. Anderson took home an All-Conference selection for his play.
Bradyn Kube, Sr.,
P/IF, MVL
Leading his team in both RBIs and pitching wins, Kube proved to be an excellent two-way player for the Chargers this year. On the mound, Kube went 5-2 with 36 strikeouts and a 1.16 ERA in 36 innings. At the plate, Kube hit .338 with 22 hits, four doubles, a triple, a home run and 19 RBIs, tacking on 14 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Kube earned an All-Conference selection this season.
Honorable Mention
Jake Finstad, Jr., SS/P, Cathedral (33 Ks, 1.52 ERA.; 243 BA)
Talan Helget, Jr., P/OF/IF, St. Mary's (.385 BA, 22 RBI, 18 SB; 30 Ks, 4.07 ERA)
Dominic Rose, Sr., UT/P, GFW (.303 BA, 11 RBI; 57 Ks, 3.59 ERA)
Cody Schultz, Jr., P/OF, Sleepy Eye (.344 BA, 2 HR, 22 RBI; 25 Ks, 0.96 ERA)
Brecken Heiling, So., OF, Springfield (.373 BA, 10 RBI, .500 OBP)
*EDITOR'S NOTE: Only players nominated by coaches were eligible for All-Journal honors. There were 36 players nominated this season.