Hill-Murray at Mahtomedi
4:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 15

Two programs that will see plenty of each other this spring renew acquaintances Wednesday night, when Hill-Murray visits No. 7-3A Mahtomedi. The two programs do battle in the Metro East Conference and are also in Class 3A, Section 4.

Hill-Murray is looking for redemption after suffering an upset loss to 10th-seeded Tartan in the first round of last year’s section playoffs. The Pioneers return a veteran lineup with great senior leadership under second-year coach Charlie Cicalello. Seniors Charlie Hilger (.373) and multi-sport athlete Zach Mills (.443) will anchor the Pioneers’ offense.

Meanwhile, Mahtomedi buzzed through the regular season and section playoffs with only one loss, then dropped both games at state. The Zephyrs are in a self-proclaimed rebuilding year after losing 10 seniors. But they do have one of the top batteries in the state in catcher Sean Noel and ace Sean Hjelle, which was enough to get a top-10 ranking in the preseason polls. Hjelle, committed to the University of Kentucky, is an imposing figure on the mound, standing nearly 7-feet tall. Last year, he went 7-1 with a 0.58 ERA in 48 innings.