Waconia at South St. Paul
2 p.m., Saturday, Apr. 8


South St. Paul was one run from the state tournament last season, losing to eventual Class 3A champion Henry Sibley in the Class 3A, Section 3 final. Three Metro East all-conference selections, as well as all-state pitcher and current Golden Gopher Sam Bridges, graduated in 2016--but there is still top-notch talent on the Packers. 

Prep Baseball Report's number-two ranked player in the state, Ryan Duffy, a University of Minnesota recruit, returns after striking out 93 batters and posting a 1.60 ERA in 57 innings last year. He starts this season against a Waconia team that notched 112 runs in 20 regular season games and graduated just two everyday players from last season's roster. 

This year's Wildcats squad features six seniors and includes only one underclassman, sophomore Ethan Swanson, a pitcher.