“[I’m proud of] how they stayed together, and trusted each other and their abilities. When you have the same common goal, you all work hard and then you achieve it, I just think it’s a season that you dream of,” Counter said. “They made it all come true by their hard work and dedication.”

Everything about MCC this season was dominant. From its hitting and pitching depth, to its defense and the clear brotherhood shared amongst the players and coaches, everything was perfectly in line for the Rebels to have an opportunity to make it far.

Under Counter’s leadership, MCC has been quickly on the rise the last three seasons. The team went 14-6 in his first year and jumped up to 16-3 last season, before sticking together and growing another year older for its 23-2 run this season.

“We had a few different goals [this season]. Our ultimate goal was to make the state tournament. Back in 2024 my first year, a lot of the guys on the team this year had roles on that team. We had a small senior class, and we had a surprisingly solid season back then, but our inexperience and our youth caught up with us back then when it got to the playoffs,” Counter said. “Going into last year, we had high expectations, because we had a majority of our team back. We had a great regular season, we just had a tough couple games in the playoffs and ended a lot earlier than expected. It was disappointing at the time, but we also had a lot to be proud of back then with what we did.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Murray County Central head coach Paul Counter gives a signal to his batter during the Section 3A semifinals on May 30 at the Irish Yard in Milroy.

And, channeling last season’s early exit in the Section 3A Tournament and making it personal to not allow the situation to repeat, is exactly what Counter made sure the Rebels did. MCC had the top seed in last year’s tournament, but fell to Yellow Medicine East in the quarterfinals then to Minneota in the elimination bracket on a walk-off.

MCC took it upon themselves to seek revenge this time around, and did so in an all-controlling fashion.

“Coming into this year, we had all of our starters back but one. I thought the guys just stuck together really well last summer and had a good summer of baseball,” Counter said. “[I’m] just super proud of how they gelled and stood hungry this year. They went through a lot to achieve their goal.”

Again earning the top seed and first-round bye in the South subsection, the Rebels only allowed one single run the entire section tournament en route to the 3A title and a state tournament appearance for the first time in over two decades, and second time in program history. The last time MCC was at state was 2001, while Slayton High School made it in 1992.

But, to get to its postseason dominance, the Rebels made their reputation known early in the season and never lost sight of their long-term goals.

Photo by Samantha Davis: The Murray County Central baseball team splashes water on head coach Paul Counter after the Rebels won the Section 3A championship on June 4 at the Irish Yard in Milroy.

Of MCC’s 23 wins this year, 13 of them were shutouts. Additionally, the Rebels went 17-1 in the regular season and allowed just 19 total runs. Six of which came to last year’s section champion Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in a 6-5 walk-off loss, which was MCC’s lone regular-season loss.

“In the middle of May, we went up to Dawson-Boyd and played them, and they had a good team as well. It was a Monday, and was kind of a long drive up there for us. I just remember that nothing really went right that day for us,” Counter said regarding a specific game this season where the team realized they had what it took to go far. “But, we found a way to tie it up in the seventh, and then in the ninth, Krew [Schneider] hit that go-ahead home run to eventually win it. I remember on that long bus ride home, something just felt different about this group.”

Schneider also recalled that game as a turning point for the Rebels.

“I think the game we realized that we could go a ways, is Dawson in the regular season. We battled through, and got through the hard times to take it and to win the game,” Schneider said.

The good times just kept on rolling for MCC from there. Following the section championship win, Counter presented each player and staff member of the team with the first-place medals and was eventually showered in center field of the Irish Yard in Milroy by his team with a cooler of water.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Murray County Central head coach Paul Counter shakes hands with Dugan Kluis and awards him a first-place medal after the Rebels won the Section 3A championship on June 4 at the Irish Yard in Milroy.

The team spent plenty of time in the outfield sharing hugs and laughs while taking numerous photos to remember the moment.

“They are just good kids. Every day, they have this calmness about them … Once it was time to practice, once it was time to play, they were always ready and they always did it together,” Counter said about what made this team special. “When we won the section, it was just a relief. I felt like we had a good chance, but to finally be able to clinch it, it meant everything to the guys, and it just makes you super proud as a coach.”

Yet, MCC still had plenty more to give as they traveled to St. Cloud and opened the Class A State Tournament with an exhilarating comeback walk-off quarterfinal 9-8 win in extra innings against Ogilvie.

“The state tournament, it’s a big deal. It’s the first time we got there in 25 years, and a long couple of days, but I thought our community gave us a great send-off that morning, and it was something that I will remember forever,” Counter said. “It was just a cool field and cool atmosphere. That first game [the quarterfinals] we had was up-and-down, but to tie it in the seventh, and then to win it in extra innings, it was a crazy and exciting game. I think our community, our players and our coaches are going to remember that for the rest of their life … It had probably every emotion possible, and I was just glad we were on the right side of it.”

MCC went on to bring home some hardware after winning third place with a 5-4 defeat over South Ridge. The Rebels fell to Madelia, the eventual state champions, in the semifinals to move to the third-place game.

Submitted photo: Murray County Central head coach Paul Counter stands with his family and the Section 3A championship trophy on June 4 at the Irish Yard in Milroy.

“Just looking back at it, it’s the best finish we’ve had in MCC baseball history at the state tournament,” Counter said. “I’m just super proud of the guys, super proud of my seniors, and just so thankful for my assistant coaches, they are second to none. They do so much for the kids and so much for me. Just super grateful for it all.”

James Wajer, Tarry Boelter and Matt Ackerman are MCC’s assistant coaches, and the team’s senior group consisted of Gabe Tentinger, Carter Hanson, Cayden Veldhuisen and Teague Meyer.

“Cayden Veldhuisen and Teague Meyer are both three-year starters for me, and Carter Hanson and Gabe Tentinger are both two-year starters. They’ve been around a lot and they’ve had a lot of success,” Counter said. “Looking back at their records their junior and senior years, it’s just mind blowing. We’re going to miss them here. We’re super thankful for everything they did for MCC baseball.”

MCC’s biggest advantage this season was its experience, which led to a lot of depth. The Rebels’ pitching staff was among the best in the area, led by Schneider’s area-best campaign of a .215 ERA, 83 strikeouts and an 11-0 pitching record. Meyer also had 69 strikeouts on a 1.67 ERA, as did Dugan Kluis with 51 strikeouts and a .553 ERA.

“They [pitchers] were just so much more efficient this year than they were in the year past, and I just think the confidence they had in the defense behind them, it just makes pitching so much easier,” Counter said. “Out catcher, Dugan Kluis, when he is not on the mound, he does such a good job of calling the game from back there. Anytime you get that from behind the plate, I just think as a pitcher, you have a lot more confidence.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Murray County Central head coach Paul Counter meets with Cayden Veldhuisen (6) and Gabe Tentinger (2) at third base to study a pitching change during the Section 3A semifinals on May 30 at the Irish Yard in Milroy.

The Rebels’ offensive power was also notable, with any batter in the lineup capable of connecting at the plate and making big plays. Counter credited the team’s offseason work and dedication to one another to the Rebels’ all-around talent.

“He [Counter] means a lot to us. He’s a great guy, he’s always there and he’s never mad,” Schneider said of Counter’s leadership. “He’s just [always] calming us down and trying to make us do the best we can. We couldn’t ask for anything more out of him.”

Counter noted that he’s excited about the future of MCC baseball to continue making strides, stating that the youth program has a lot of upcoming talent and thanked the volunteers and coaches for the time they invest.

While the Rebels have high expectations to do it all again next season, Counter has been able to take a step back and reflect on what everything this season meant to him, the program, the school and community. As there are more goals to be met and more success to chase, MCC’s 2026 season is one that will be remembered as a year of passion, grit, brotherhood, and making history.

“It was a dream come true,” Counter said. “We have had a lot of success, and I’m super grateful for that. But, this one’s going to be hard to forget.”

Submitted photo: Murray County Central head coach Paul Counter (center) stands with assistant coaches James Wajer (left) and Matt Ackerman (right) after winning third place at the Class A State Tournament at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud on June 12.