Photo courtesy of PhotoWorks: The 2026 Marshall baseball team includes Eli Alcorn, Chase Alcorn, Andrew Lee, Ethan Boeck, Levi Maeyaert, Ethan Weedman, Trae Bailey, Jackson Sirovy, Keynan Coequyt, Logan Phillippe, Eli Weedman, Clayton Jones, JR Vierstraete, Cannon Craigmile, Noah Frazee, Andrew Stelter, Tyler Kraft, Kael Frana and Noah Pieper. The team is coached by Chace Pollock with assistant coaches Mitch Maxwell, Paul Blanchard, Michael Weiss, Brad Bahlmann and Blake Schwartz.

MARSHALL — Year-in, year-out, the Marshall baseball team has consistently found ways to win. The Tigers haven’t been back to the state tournament since their 2021 appearance, but they’ve consistently been right around where they need to be at the end of the season, and expectations for the team are high once again despite a number of key losses.

“There are going to be some guys that are going to have to step up for us this year that are going to be new to varsity, and we’re going to return some guys that have been around as well,” Marshall manager Chace Pollock said. “We’re going to be looking for guys to step up, and we’re going to need everybody to kind of carry their weight.”

The Tigers suffered a number of key losses after last season, particularly in terms of their pitching staff. The team’s three leading pitchers from last season in terms of innings pitched — Liam Kruse, Owen Kesteloot and Ashton Blomberg — all graduated. Kruse and Kesteloot posted a 0.32 and 1.82 ERA, respectively, with Kruse also hitting for a 1.024 OPS and earning an Independent Player of the Year nod last year.

Marshall also lost junior Cannon Craigmile to a torn labrum that he sustained during football season, taking away another key arm for the team after he finished junior legion season last summer with a 1.29 ERA on a team-leading 43 1/3 innings.

Still, the Tigers aren’t without the talent to step up on the mound. Senior Eli Alcorn was a key part of the team’s rotation last time around, posting a 3.54 ERA over 31 1/3 innings. Chase Alcorn is also expected to take on an increased role, as are players like sophomore Noah Pieper and junior Andrew Lee.

Marshall finished last season with an 18-6 record. The Tigers entered last year’s section tournament as the No. 3 seed, falling to No. 2 Mankato West in the semifinals and No. 5 Albert Lea in the elimination bracket. The Tigers were also a win away from advancing to the section championship game a year prior, falling to top-seeded Mankato West in the consolation final.

“[We’re aiming for] a season that we’re competitive in our section. We feel like we can string some wins together in the section tournament and hopefully advance on to the state tournament,” Pollock said. “That would be great, but our section is very competitive. There are six teams probably in there that could win the thing, so you’re going to have to play really good baseball when it matters most.”

Chase Alcorn was productive as a hitter for the Tigers last season, leading all qualified returners with a 1.272 OPS, as well as three triples, a homer and 19 RBIs in 67 plate appearances.

Marshall also brings back a defensive centerpiece at shortstop in Andrew Stelter — who finished last season with 15 stolen bases and an .884 OPS — and Eli Weedman is poised to take on a major role for Marshall at second base after seeing just eight plate appearances last time around.

The Tigers’ recent success has made it hard for many of the players to crack the lineup in past years, but being around that winning wasn’t for nothing. As a member of the team, even if not on the field, the players were able to see what’s expected of them in big moments and learn from what their team’s opponents did to beat them, Pollock said.

The Tigers’ core of seniors this season includes the Alcorns, Stelter, Weedman, Levi Maeyaert, Logan Phillippe, JR Vierstrate and Clayton Jones. Even if they weren’t able to get a ton of varsity innings last season, all of the seniors have at least contributed to winning at the junior legion level for Marshall.

“Those guys are great leaders that we can lean on there to help us when we need it,” Pollock said.

The Tigers got off to a hot start last season with six consecutive wins, and they’ve been on the same pace through the first six games of this season. Stelter and Vierstraete have been particularly effective at the plate, hitting for a 1.652 and 1.333 OPS through their first 15 plate appearances. As the season progresses, the Tigers aim to continue building on that momentum.

“We’re just excited to get out and play, and just figure out who we are,” Pollock said. “That’s the best part about this thing is you can think about it all you want, but until you get out there and play, you don’t know. We’re just excited to get out and see what we’ve got.”