Photo courtesy of Brian Jeremiason: The 2026 Minneota baseball team consists of Beckham Gaalswyk, Beckham Norby, Carson Javers, Carter Pesch, Creed Stassen, Derek Fier, Eli Faris, Ian Myhre, Kaden Christensen, Landon Esping, Lane Shoultz, Logan Esping, Logan Pohlen, Mason Christensen, Mason Javers, Sawyer Bradley, Seth Paluch and Simon Gruenes.

MINNEOTA — Entering the 2026 season after graduating a core group of seniors last year, yet still returning a handful of varsity experience, the Minneota baseball team looks to fill the gaps in hopes to embark on another winning season.

The Vikings finished last season 15-9 overall and had depth of talent in both their pitching staff and at the plate. The graduating group included Ryan Meagher, Adam Dalager, Destin Fier, Eli Gruenes, Brody Larson and Kyler Lozinski.

Head coach Keven Larson noted that while the team graduated a few key guys last season and are working through replacing different spots, the Vikings are learning early-on and growing through each game.

“We’re just trying to stay healthy, and just keep playing quality [baseball],” coach Larson said. “Not beating ourselves, every once in a while [a team will] beat themselves, but [we are] trying to take care of the mistakes that we can control.”

Particularly on the pitching front, Brody Larson, Kellen Bradley and Carson Javers shared the most time on the mound last season. Javers is a key returner for the Vikings this season and will look to be a leading force at the plate and on the mound. Bradley isn’t playing this season, along with Larson’s graduation last year.

Larson led the team with 32 innings pitched last year and 26 strikeouts on a 10.31 ERA and 2.094 WHIP. Bradley followed with 31 innings, 17 strikeouts, a 5.43 ERA and 1.851 WHIP, while Dalager had 16 strikeouts, a 4.86 ERA and 1.500 WHIP.

But, Javers also had a good season and he looks to do the same this year as the Vikings’ primary pitcher.

Last season, Javers also pitched for 31 innings and had 24 strikeouts with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.768 WHIP. Through Minneota’s first seven games of this year, he has seen a team-high 20 innings and 22 strikeouts while holding a 2.754 ERA and 1.230 WHIP.

Creed Stassen is taking on a bigger and new role this season, serving as a backup pitcher who didn’t see mound time last year, and is also having early success. Through his 10 innings in the early season, he has 20 strikeouts with a 1.355 ERA and 1.355 WHIP.

Mason Javers also was a backup pitcher last season, who is another big returner this year.

On the hitting end, Minneota also has lost some talent, but again has a handful of returning varsity experience to make the adjustments.

Of the returners, Carson and Mason Javers were significant contributors on offense. Carson had 33 hits on a .446 batting average with a team-high 34 RBIs and three homeruns. Mason had nine hits with a .321 average with three RBIs.

Meagher, Gruenes and Dalager were big pieces to the Vikings’ offense last season that the team will look to replace. Meagher had a team-high 39 hits and .520 batting average with 14 RBIs.

Gruenes followed with 21 hits, a .434 average and 14 RBIs, while Dalager finished with 26 hits, a .356 average and 16 RBIs.

In the Vikings first seven games this season, Mason and Carson Javers alongside Landon Esping have had a strong start at the plate. The Vikings are also seeing good production from the rest of the lineup as the early year continues to progress as well.

Carson and Mason Javers have 11 and 9 hits, respectively, to lead the team in the early start to the season, and Esping has eight. Mason Javers and Stassen each have a homer already as well.

Minneota had dealt with some early adversity, starting the 2026 season with four consecutive losses, but have also had the response by winning its next three straight to start with a 3-4 record.

“As far as throwing errors, or swinging at bad pitches, swinging at pitches out of the zone, those types of things. Other than that, we just have to grow as we go,” coach Larson said regarding additional goals this season. “We have a lot of new faces. They’re starting to come around, and they’re starting to see their spots in the lineup, what they can do and can’t do, what parts of the lineup, and that’s where we are at right now.”

Of the Vikings three wins, two have come by a 10-run mercy-rule, while the other was taken by four runs, as the team’s offense begins to click.

Minneota will look to continue building as the season continues and again have some success in the postseason. The Vikings fell to Dawson-Boyd in the Section 3A elimination semifinal last year, after coming away with a 9-8 extra-inning thriller over Murray County Central in the quarterfinals.