Belle Plaine at Fairmont
5:30 p.m, Tuesday, Apr. 4

Belle Plaine and Fairmont converge for an early-season rematch of the Class 2A, Section 2 final from last spring that the Tigers won 6-5. The game on Tuesday will look much different with both teams retooling after the graduation of last year's keystones.

Belle Plaine alumnus and the 2016 Minnesota River Valley MVP, Aiden Ladd, now plays for Augustana University. The Tigers lost five other starters and three of its all-conference selections, but return Brody Curtiss, who had a 0.97 ERA in 64 innings of work last season, while slugging .593 from behind the plate.

The Cardinals' three offensive engines from last year, Tyler Tennyson, Jack Waletich and Nate Gillis, departed after providing 40 percent of the team's on-base total last season. However, like Belle Plaine, Fairmont returns its top hurler, Sam Schwieger (1.25 ERA in 28 IP last season), setting up a likely duel between the aces.