Maple Grove at St. Michael-Albertville
4:30 p.m., Friday, April 8

Maple Grove continues through its loaded opening-week schedule with a matchup at St. Michael-Albertville on Thursday.

On the left side of the infield, the No. 7-4A Crimson return senior shortstop Isaac Collins, who committed to Creighton earlier this school year. Collins is a switch-hitter and potentially Maple Grove's best athlete, having played running back and defensive back on the football team that reached the state semifinals last year.

The No. 11-4A Knights return six players from a team that won a share of the Mississippi 8 Conference Blue Division title and earned a bid to the Class 3A state tournament for the first time in six years, including junior Travis Brown, who held eventual state champion Chanhassen to a single run in the quarterfinals.

Northwestern commit Jack Kelly will be behind the plate for the Knights as one of the Class of 2017’s best catchers.

Maple Grove won last year’s meeting 2-0 behind Charlie Horton's four-hit, 10-strikeout complete game performance.