In the seventh year of a three-class format, Paynesville Area in Class AA is the only school returning to defend its title. New Ulm Cathedral in Class A and Lakeville in Class AAA, who won titles last year, failed to qualify for this year's tournament. Three teams are making first appearances: Rochester John Marshall and Totino-Grace in Class AAA, and the Southwestern United Wildcats in Class A.

This year's tournament will be played Thursday and Friday, June 15 and 16. Class A games will be played at the Mini Met in Jordan and at Athletic Park in Chaska. Class AA games will be played at Dick Putz Field and at the adjacent Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud. Class AAA games will be played at Midway Stadium in St. Paul and at Dick Siebert Field at the University of Minnesota.

(Section 2) Sleepy Eye St. Mary's (23-4) vs. (Section 1) Chatfield (19-6) - 10 a.m. June 15 at Chaska Athletic Park. The Knights of Sleepy Eye St. Mary's are looking for their third title in their seventh appearance. The Knights made their last tournament appearance in 2004 and won that title, as well as the 2002 championship. Sleepy Eye St. Mary's hit .360 during the season and had a team ERA of 3.07. The Knights scored 229 runs while holding their opponents to 118. They also had 202 RBI on 266 hits. Senior Billy Cook had 40 RBI on 39 hits and has a .448 batting average. Senior Andrew Woitas bats .429 and also had the most victories as a pitcher. He went 9-0 on the mound and has a 1.62 ERA. Sophomore Briar Braulick had a .420 average during the regular season and added 35 RBI on 37 hits. The Knights credit their success to good defense behind their pitching. The Chatfield Gophers are returning after a two-year absence to make their fifth appearance. The Gophers hit .323 during the season and they had 166 RBI on 225 hits. The team ERA was 3.76, and the Gophers also had 74 stolen bases. Chatfield plays good defense, has timely hitting, and pitching depth. Junior Nic Obey has the best batting average for Chatfield (.449). He had three home runs during the regular season and had 28 RBI on 35 hits. Ninth-grader Ben Neis added a .408 batting average and 13 RBI on 31 hits. Senior Adam Bren went 7-1 on the mound during the regular season and threw 51 strikeouts in 52.3 innings. His ERA is 2.41. Neither team has faced any other Class A qualifiers.

The Eagles of Sacred Heart are making their second consecutive and overall appearance. They lost in the consolation semifinals in 2005. Sacred Heart scored 153 runs this season while holding their opponents to 98. The Eagles bat .316 and have a team ERA of 3.00. Senior Ben Pribula has a .559 batting average. He had 22 RBI on 38 hits. Sophomore Ross Cariveau went 6-1 on the mound and has a 1.42 ERA. Cariveau also has a .458 batting average and added 11 RBI on 27 hits. Sacred Heart has not faced any other qualifiers. The Southwestern United Wildcats are making their first appearance. The program is a co-op between Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster and Southwest Star Concept in Okabena. The Wildcats scored 165 runs on 187 hits. They bat .301 as a team, and have a team ERA of 3.57. Southwestern United depends on solid defense, strong pitching, and timely hitting. The Wildcats set multiple team and individual records this year. Junior Trevor Leopold set a new school record for most RBIs in a game (six). Southwestern United, which did not face any other qualifiers, did not provide individual statistics.

This game is a rematch of regular-season game that Upsala/Swanville won 7-2. The Bertha-Hewitt Bears are making their second appearance, but their first since 2000. The Bears had 173 RBI during the season and batted .372 as a team. The team ERA is 1.73. They also had 70 stolen bases during the regular season. Seniors Nathan Haase and Michael Riewer were the top pitchers for Bertha-Hewitt. Riewer has an 8-0 record and an ERA of 0.99. Haase went 8-1 and threw a team-high 56 strikeouts in 47 innings. His ERA is 1.34. Riewer and Haase also have batting averages of .539 and .523, respectively. Haase also led the team with 46 hits. Junior Carl Amundson has a batting average of .435 for the Bears, plus 30 RBI on 37 hits. The Upsala/Swanville Patriots scored 208 runs and had 161 RBI on 215 hits. The team's batting average is .346 and its ERA is 1.75. They also set a school record with 23 wins this season. Upsala/Swanville is making its second consecutive and overall appearance. The Patriots lost in the consolation semifinals last year. Senior Joe Binek, who set a school record with seven home runs this year, bats .377 for Upsala/Swanville. Junior Tim Johnson led the Patriots with a .418 batting average. John Fuchs, who bats .406, also went 10-0 on the mound for Upsala/Swanville. His ERA is 1.19 and he tossed 70 strikeouts in 66 innings during the regular season. Senior Justin Lampert was named Section 5A Player of the Year this year. He bats .348 and had 23 RBI on 24 hits.

The Nashwauk-Keewatin Spartans return after a one-year absence to make their third appearance. This season they hit .316 as a team. Their ERA was 1.89, and they had 105 RBI on 175 hits. The Spartans have good pitching depth and regularly rotate five pitchers. Senior Chris Bonderson pitched the most innings for Nashwauk-Keewatin. He had 52 strikeouts in 42 innings and his ERA is 0.83. His season record was 4-2. Senior Jake Sletten went 4-0 on the mound and had three shutouts during the regular season. He also had 32 strikeouts and has a 1.77 ERA. In addition to his pitching duties, he has a batting average of .364 and had 15 RBI on 24 hits. Senior Reid Velo had the best batting average for the Spartans. He hit .371 and had nine RBI on 23 hits. The Aggies of St. Agnes return for their second consecutive and fourth overall appearance. They lost in the consolation semifinals last year. They won a title in 2001. The Aggies have a team batting average of .328, and their team ERA is 2.07. They scored 198 runs to their opponents' 92, and also had 150 RBI on 200 hits. St. Agnes also stole 125 bases during the regular season. Senior Tim Ryan and junior Mike Plamann both had .431 batting averages this year. Ryan had 15 RBI on 31 hits, and Plamann added 25 RBI on 27 hits. Plamann and senior Tim Semlak also handled the majority of the pitching duties. Plamann went 5-1 with a 1.55 ERA, and Semlak finished at 7-1 with an ERA of 1.96. Semlak also led the team with 35 strikeouts in 53.6 innings pitched. Neither team has faced any other qualifiers.

Note: None of the Class AA participants played each other during the regular season.

(Section 3) Pipestone Area (17-7) vs. (Section 1) Winona Cotter (24-3) - 10 a.m. June 15 at Dick Putz Field, St. Cloud. The Arrows of Pipestone Area are making their second consecutive and fifth overall appearance. They are hoping to improve on last year's runner-up finish. This season the Arrows batted .303 as a team and scored 143 runs. They also had 120 RBI on 211 hits. The team ERA is 1.76. Senior Jared Thies had the best pitching record for Pipestone Area. He went 8-2 during the regular season and threw 96 strikeouts in 69.1 innings. His ERA is 1.16. Senior Wade Newgard had the highest batting average (.407) for the Arrows. Senior Matt Paulsen bats .392 and had 21 RBI on 33 hits. The Winona Cotter Ramblers are making their third overall appearance and their first since 1984. This season the Ramblers had 217 hits and 166 RBI. Their team batting average is .317 and their ERA is 3.38. Winona Cotter plays great defense and also has good team speed. Sophomore Thomas O'Brien led the team with 28 RBI on 26 hits. His batting average is a team-high .388. He's also the top pitcher for the Ramblers. His season record was 10-0 and his ERA is 1.50. He threw 39 strikeouts during the regular season. Junior Jake Wanek and senior Chris Wolfe bat .363 and .349, respectively, for Winona Cotter. Mathias O'Brien, Thomas' older brother, is in his first year as head coach at Winona Cotter.

The Roseau Rams return for their seventh appearance. Their last was in 1987. Roseau did not provide team or individual statistics. The St. Anthony Village Huskies hit .361 during the season, and the hurlers have a combined 1.24 ERA. The Huskies had 174 RBI on 243 hits, and also scored 199 runs. They also set a school record for most wins in a season this year. This is the second overall appearance for the Huskies, who return after a three-year absence. Senior Dan Halstengard, who will play baseball for Northwestern University in Roseville next year, led the team with a .463 batting average. He had 18 RBI on 31 hits during the regular season. Senior Chad Peterson added 32 hits and 22 RBI. His batting average is .451. Peterson will play baseball for St. Scholastica next year. Sophomore Chris Peterson handled the majority of the pitching duties for St. Anthony Village. His season record was 10-0 and he tossed 78 strikeouts in 54.6 innings. His ERA is 0.77.

(Section 7) Mora (15-8-1) vs. (Section 5) Paynesville Area (19-4) - 12:30 p.m. June 15 at Dick Putz Field, St. Cloud. The Mora Mustangs are making their second appearance and their first since 2001. The Mustangs had 103 RBI on 149 hits during the regular season. They also had 74 stolen bases. The team's batting average is .267 and its ERA is 3.02. Senior Ben Besser led the offense with a .375 batting average. He had 11 RBI on 21 hits during the regular season. Junior Justin Krie shouldered most of the pitching responsibilities. His ERA was 1.18 behind an 8-2 record. He also threw a team-leading 82 strikeouts in 65.3 innings. Senior Dan Hall's 32 hits tied him for second place in school history. His 88 at-bats is a school record. Hall's batting average is .364. Junior Keith Ahlgren set a school record for most runs scored in a single season (32). Mora's 8-8 tie game with Proctor on April 28 was called after eight innings due to darkness. The Paynesville Area Bulldogs, who return as the defending champions, are making their second consecutive and third overall appearance. The Bulldogs have a team batting average of .296 and an ERA of 2.65. They also have 138 RBI on 181 hits. Paynesville Area has two outstanding pitchers this season: senior Jamie Paul and John Hemingson. Paul's season record is 9-1 and his ERA is 3.28. Hemingson went 8-1 and threw a team-high 77 strikeouts in 61.6 innings. His ERA is 0.38. Hemingson also boasts the best batting average for Paynesville Area (.492). He had 25 RBI on 32 hits. Paul has an average of .383 and junior Alex Naujokas bats .328.

The Tigers of Morris Area are making their fifth appearance, but their first since 1990. Morris Area has a team batting average of .225 and a team ERA of 2.24. The Tigers have 58 RBI on 78 hits and also scored 78 runs. They also had 70 stolen bases. Morris Area credits its success to good pitching and sound fielding. Senior Chase Rambow set a school record with 28 walks during the regular season. Rambow also had a 6-2 record on the mound and his ERA is 0.91. Junior Josh Griffith had the best batting average for the Tigers. He hit .375 and had 24 hits in 23 games. Senior Andy Lembcke led Morris Area with 16 RBI on 21 hits. The Eagles of Maple River return after a two-year hiatus to make their second appearance. The Eagles scored 222 runs on 213 hits during the regular season. They bat .327 and have a team ERA of 1.96. Maple River also set a school record with 18 home runs this season. Senior Bob Olson led the offensive charge for Maple River. He has a .415 batting average and scored 24 RBI on 27 hits. He was also one of the top pitchers for the Eagles. His season record was 7-0 and his ERA is 1.88. Senior Brian Malakowsky went 6-2 on the mound for Morris Area and his ERA is 1.81. Malakowsky also led the team with 70 strikeouts. Olson and junior Dan Dewitz both tied the school record for most home runs in a single season with five apiece.

The Fighting Saints of St. Francis are making their third appearance and first since 2002. St. Francis lost 5-0 to qualifier Totino-Grace this season. The Fighting Saints have a team batting average of .298 and an ERA of 2.49. They also have 127 RBI on 227 hits. Their trademark is strong pitching and quality defense. Senior Chad Urista wields the heaviest bat for St. Francis. He is the school's all-time leader in both hits and doubles. He had 40 hits and 11 doubles this season. His batting average is .426. Senior Steve Harvey is the No. 1 pitcher for the Fighting Saints. He went 5-0 during the regular season and has a 1.49 ERA. Juniors Andrew Fryer and Mike Stimart bat .361 and .313, respectively, for St. Francis. The Rockets of Rochester John Marshall are making their first tournament appearance. They did not face any other Class AAA qualifiers during the regular season. The Rockets have 181 RBI on 284 hits. Their team batting average is .366 and their ERA is 2.70. Junior Eric Knutson led the offense for John Marshall during the regular season. His batting average is .480 and he had 26 RBI on 47 hits. Senior John Magee, who has a .433 batting average, added 33 RBI on 29 hits. Magee also went 9-1 on the mound for the Rockets. His ERA is 1.8 and he threw 53 strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Brady Spencer has a 2.4 ERA and threw 75 strikeouts.

The Rocori Spartans are returning for the fourth time, but it is their first appearance since 1992, the year in which they won their only title. Senior Aaron Traut has the best batting average (.453) on the Rocori squad. He also had 22 RBI on 29 hits. Senior Chad Willenbring pitched his way to a season record of 8-1. His ERA is 2.07 and he threw 49 strikeouts in 54 innings. Junior Brad Olsen bats .435 for the Spartans. The Apple Valley Eagles are making their third appearance. Their last appearance was alsoin 1992. The Eagles outscored their opponents 135-106. They have a team batting average of .288 and an ERA of 2.49. Seniors Chris Quam and Brian Pohl pitched the majority of games. Quam went 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA and Pohl finished at 5-1 with a 1.64 ERA. Junior Steve McGuiggan and Quam had the best batting averages. McGuiggan's average is .398 and he has 13 RBI on 29 hits. Quam added 16 RBI on 22 hits and his average is .349. Neither team faced any other qualifiers during the regular season.

The Falcons of Robbinsdale Armstrong return to the tournament after a one-year hiatus, making their second appearance. The Falcons scored 114 runs to their opponents' 121. They have 92 RBI on 164 hits and their team batting average is .255. Their ERA is 2.95. Armstrong also had 77 stolen bases in 90 attempts. Senior Matt Schuld led the Falcons on the mound. He has a season record of 8-3, threw 93 strikeouts in 72 innings, and has an ERA of 0.68. Junior Ryan Bailey had 17 RBI on 18 hits and his batting average is .307. Ninth-grader Mike Jantscher and junior Doug Molden bat .360 and .323, respectively, for Robbinsdale Armstrong. The Raiders of Cretin-Derham Hall are making their 18th appearance, but their first since 2003. They are in the hunt for their 11th title. They won previously in 1981, '82, '86, '89, '90, '92, '96, '97, '98, and 2001. They scored 178 runs during the regular season and bat .348. They had 170 RBI on 245 hits. Senior Joe Bonfe led the team with 46 RBI on 38 hits. He also had 11 home runs during the season and his batting average is .494. He's also one of the team's top pitchers. He went 6-4 and threw a team-high 49 strikeouts in 49 innings. Bonfe will play baseball for Creighton next season. Senior Corvin Kieger has the team's second-best batting average of .463. Senior Robbie Punch also pitches well for Cretin-Derham Hall. His season record was 5-1. Neither the Falcons nor the Raiders faced any other qualifiers during the regular season.

The Totino-Grace Eagles are making their first tournament appearance. They defeated St. Francis 5-0 earlier this season. The Eagles have 162 RBI on 286 hits. The team batting average is a school-record .361 and the team ERA is 1.86. The team credits its success to role players coming through in tight situations. Senior Mark Schroeder set a school pitching record this year with his 10-2 season record. He had 79 strikeouts during the season and his ERA is 1.05. Two seniors lead Totino-Grace with stellar batting averages. Scott Sorenson bats .446 and had 24 RBI on 37 hits. Joe Bennek has a .410 average and added 11 RBI on 25 hits. The Tigers of Hutchinson are making their second appearance and their first since 1960. They did not face any other qualifiers this year. Hutchinson has a .351 batting average and a 2.70 team ERA. The Tigers also have 133 RBI on 233 hits. Senior Evan Kohli led the team with a .529 batting average and 23 RBI on 36 hits. Kohli was also the top pitcher for Hutchinson. His season record was 10-1 and his ERA is 1.18. He also threw a team-high 75 strikeouts in 71.3 innings. Seniors Brooks Albrecht and Brad Bennin had the next highest batting averages. Albrecht went .506 and has 19 RBI on 45 hits. Bennin added 20 RBI on 27 hits and his average is .397.