Little Falls at St. Cloud Cathedral
7 p.m., Tuesday, April 5

Little Falls finished last year second in the Granite Ridge Conference standings after being swept by league champion St. Cloud Cathedral.

Despite graduating nine seniors, Little Falls looks to challenge the Crusaders in the conference again as the No. 12-3A Flyers return three of five starting pitchers, a rotation anchored by senior Justin Jenks and junior Mitchell Boros.

Jenks also delivers at the plate, where he posted a .345 batting average last year. He was second on the team behind senior Dan Marod, who posted a .435 batting average.

A juggernaut in Class 2A, St. Cloud Cathedral has won 50 consecutive games over the past two seasons. The Crusaders are coming off a perfect 25-0 season en route to their second consecutive state title and justly enter this season with the top ranking in the preseason poll.

How long St. Cloud Cathedral remains atop ranks remains to be seen. The Crusaders are an inexperienced team searching for their brand of play after graduating seven starters.

Bob Karn, who in his 46th season as head coach, said he cannot recall the last time the program has had so many holes to fill in its lineup. 

St. Cloud Cathedral’s only returning starters are senior shortstop Jack Schramel and senior catcher Zach Sufka, and playing well defensively could be key for the Crusaders, who begin the year with a young pitching staff. Sam Hanson has emerged as a top pitching prospect, and the 6-foot-4 sophomore will look to carve out a starting role this season.