MARSHALL — The Marshall Tigers led the 2025 Independent All-Area baseball team, announced on Saturday, with five selections, while Murray County Central and Minneota each earned another four.

Marshall and MCC were the only teams with multiple first-team honorees. For Marshall, Liam Kruse led qualified area pitchers with a 0.32 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP over 43 1/3 innings, and a 1.024 OPS as a batter. Corner Infielder Josh Kraft also hit three home runs with a 1.007 OPS. Kruse and Kraft also were at the top of the area in RBIs, with Kruse’s 30 ranking second only to Minneota first-teamer Carson Javers and Kraft ranking fourth with 30.

For MCC, Teague Meyer had a productive two-way season with an area-leading 1.377 OPS at the plate and a 3.28 ERA over 32 innings. He also struck out 35 strikeouts while walking just three batters. Teammate Dylan Kluis was also productive on both sides of the plate with a 1.278 OPS and a 2.90 ERA. Kluis’ 89 strikeouts also led the area. 

Dugan Kluis was also a third-team selection for the Rebels, while Krew Schneider earned second-team honors.

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton was represented on the first team by Tyler Wichmann, as well as second-teamer Brayden Chandler and third-teamer Eli Determan, after the Knights made their state tournament debut this season. Wichmann hit three homers on the season, tying Kraft, Javers and Grayson Olson for an area-high, with a team-leading 1.137 OPS, and his 43 1/3 innings were second on the team only to Determan’s 49. Wichmann threw for a 3.55 ERA while Determan compiled a 3.14 ERA.

Chandler, meanwhile, had a 1.75 ERA over 28 innings.

Dawson-Boyd’s Nathan Hansen led all-area selections with 18 stolen bases on the season, followed by third-team selection Kameron Sather’s 15. Hansen also had a 2.37 ERA for the Blackjacks and hit 17 RBIs at the plate.

The Blackjacks also had Tygan Long and Olson selected to the second team.

Trevor Smith had a .911 OPS and a 2.44 ERA with 79 strikeouts on 13 walks to make the first team for TMB, while RRC/WWG’s Hudsen Jenniges rounded out the lineup with a 1.89 ERA over 45 2/3 innings and a 1.046 OPS.

Marshall also had Chase Alcorn and Owen Kesteloot make the second team, as well as Andrew Stelter on the third team, while Minneota had Ryan Meagher on the second team and Mason Javers and Eli Gruenes on the third team.

Section 3A runner-up Yellow Medicine East had freshman Gunnar Fagen and Braden Nelson get second- and third-team nods. Lakeview’s Logan Herrick rounds out the second team while RRC/WWG’s Austin Imker and Wabasso’s Jayden Remiger made the third team.

The Independent will announce its Baseball Player of the Year in Saturday, July 12th sports section.

FIRST TEAM

Nathan Hansen, Dawson-Boyd, SS/P, Jr.

85 PA, .367/.412/.443, 17 RBI, 18 SB

41.1 IP, 7-2, 2.37 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 44 SO, 27 BB

Carson Javers, Minneota, SS/P, Jr.

93 PA, .446/.549/.662, 3 HR, 34 RBI

31.2 IP, 4-1, 2 SV, 3.79 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 33 SO, 21 BB

Hudsen Jenniges, RRC/WWG, OF/P, Sr.

67 PA, .417/.463/.583, 12 RBI, 13 SB

45.2 IP, 5-2, 1 SV, 1.89 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 73 SO, 19 BB

Dylan Kluis, MCC, OF/P, Sr.

74 PA, .500/.595/.683, 22 RBI, 5 SB

48.1 IP, 8-1, 2.90 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 89 SO, 39 BB

Josh Kraft, Marshall, 3B/P, Sr.

76 PA, .328/.413/.594, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB

10.1 IP, 2-0, 1 SV, 0.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 17 SO, 8 BB

Liam Kruse, Marshall, OF/P, Sr.

88 PA, .328/.477/.547, 30 RBI, 3 SB

43.1 IP, 8-1, 0.32 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 51 SO, 8 BB

Teague Meyer, MCC, SS/P, Jr.

77 PA, .580/.623/.754, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 16 SB

32 IP, 3-0, 3.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 35 SO, 3 BB

Trevor Smith, TMB, IF/P, Sr.

78 PA, .338/.449/.462, 14 RBI, 7 SB

51.2 IP, 4-3, 2.44 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 79 SO, 13 BB

Tyler Wichmann, RTR, IF/P, Sr.

107 PA, .392/.542/.595, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 8 SB

43.1 IP, 1-3, 3 SV, 3.55 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 59 SO, 19 BB

SECOND TEAM

(Players listed in alphabetical order)

Chase Alcorn, Marshall, OF/P, Jr.

67 PA, .462/.561/.712, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 4 SB

1 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 BB

Brayden Chandler, RTR, 3B/P, So.

114 PA, .402/.465/.559, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 5 SB

28 IP, 6-0, 1.75 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 34 SO, 25 BB

Gunnar Fagen, YME, OF/IF/P, Fr.

77 PA, .388/.468/.552, 23 RBI, 10 SB

50 IP, 5-2, 2.94 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 33 SO, 19 BB

Logan Herrick, Lakeview, OF, So.

49 PA, .500/.531/.696, 12 RBI, 7 SB

2.1 IP, 0-1, 39.00 ERA, 6.00 WHIP, 2 SO, 2 BB

Owen Kesteloot, Marshall, 3B/P, Sr.

34.2 IP, 5-1, 1 SV, 1.82 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 49 SO, 16 BB

14 PA, 6-2, .083/.214/.083, 2 RBI, 1 SB

Tygan Long, Dawson-Boyd, 3B/P, Sr.

86 PA, .303/.452/.364, 21 RBI, 14 SB

34 IP, 2.47 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 36 SO 14 BB

Ryan Meagher, Minneota, P/C, Sr.

98 PA, .520/.617/.587, 14 RBI

9.2 IP, 3-0, 6.21 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, 12 SO, 11 BB

Grayson Olson, Dawson-Boyd, P/C, Sr.

83 PA, .290/.387/.522, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 11 SB

14.1 IP, 3-0, 0.98 ERA, 1.12 WHIP17 SO, 8 BB

Krew Schneider, MCC, 1B, So.

70 PA, .491/.551/.755, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 2 SB

THIRD TEAM

Eli Determan, RTR, OF/P, Sr.

112 PA, .354/.446/.573, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 16 SB

49 IP, 5-2, 1 SV, 3.14 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 59 SO, 26 BB

Eli Gruenes, Minneota, OF, Sr.

94 PA, .434/.495/.554, 14 RBI

Austin Imker, RRC/WWG, 1B/P, Jr.

72 PA, .294/.500/.373, 12 RBI, 3 SB

42.3 IP, 4-2, 3 SV, 2.21 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 79 SO, 23 BB

Mason Javers, Minneota, P/C, Fr.

37 PA, .321/.472/..464, 1 HR, 3 RBI

18.3 IP, 1-0, 6 SV, 2.95 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 31 SO, 7 BB

Dugan Kluis, MCC, P/C, So.

74 PA, .412/.568/.451, 17 RBI, 8 SB

22.2 IP, 3-2, 3.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 33 SO, 7 BB

Braden Nelson, YME, IF/P, Sr.

80 PA, .373/.468/.552, 23 RBI, 8 SB

27.2 IP, 3-0, 2.02 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 25 SO, 8 BB

Jayden Remiger, Wabasso, IF, Jr.

65 PA, .377/.484/.604, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Kameron Sather, Dawson-Boyd, OF/P Jr.

88 PA, .242/.432/.470, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 25 SB

17.1 IP, 2-0, 2.02 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 21 SO, 7 BB

Andrew Stelter, Marshall, SS, Jr.

96 PA, .329/.463/.421, 15 RBI, 15 SB