These programs were atop the Metro West Conference standings a season ago with Chanhassen finishing a game in front of Benilde-St. Margaret’s after the Storm stuck the Red Knights with a pair of defeats.
There’s no reason these teams can’t be in the mix to compete for the conference title again, though they both struggled offensively their first game of the season and took losses as a result.
Coming off a dispirited 12-0 defeat to Edina on April 9, Benilde-St. Margaret’s (0-1, 0-0) has had a week to prepare for the Storm in what will be the league opener for both teams.
After averaging 6.2 runs per game a season ago, the Red Knights should have no problem bouncing back from a shutout loss with its seasoned roster. Evan Brown and Michael Schmidt — two of the team’s top hitters last season — are back for their senior year. Brown had a .377 BA in the 2018 regular season, while Schmidt hit .320.
Chanhassen (0-1, 0-0) took a 5-0 loss April 9 against New Prague to open its season, but the Storm bats shouldn’t stay quiet for long. Chanhassen features experienced hitters in seniors Carson Hake, a North Dakota State commit, and Cade Plath. They both hit over .300 last season.
In their doubleheader last May, Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Chanhassen combined to score 28 runs.