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The Pipestone A’s amateur baseball team will embark on the 2025 season with a single game set for Wednesday, May 7.
The A’s will tangle with the Flandreau Blue Teal, with the first pitch set for 7 p.m. at A’s City Field.
Pipestone A’s amateur baseball player Mitchel Carson, shown here from 2024, will provide depth as part of the team’s pitching rotation during the upcoming 2025 season. (Star file photo by Eric Viccaro)
“We’re getting close, and I’m excited,” A’s head coach Avery Ploeger said. Ploeger has been with the A’s for the past 13 years.
The Blue Teal is a second-year program based in Flandreau, S.D., roughly a 20-minute drive west of Pipestone.
There are two squads in Flandreau, and both play in the Cornbelt League. This will be the Blue Teal’s second game of the season — also scheduled to play Lennox at 6:30 p.m. this Friday.
The Flandreau Blue Teal is in its second year of operation. (Contributed logo from the Blue Teal’s X site)
Admission is free. The concession stand will be in operation, with a few new offerings. Jordan Karels will serve as the public address announcer.
Ploeger reported there will be 22 players on the A’s squad.
There seems to be a commitment toward practice, with 14 attending a session during the middle of April. This allowed the A’s to conduct both live hitting and pitching.
Players were able to loosen up after nine months of dormancy.
Three players could see time as the A’s starting catcher, Mark Abrahamson, Landon Quist and newcomer Zayne Zollner.
There are several players who will be a part of either the starting rotation or in the bullpen. Those pitchers are: Carson Frank, Mitchell Biever, Mitchel Carson, Riley Bosma, Kolby Louwagie, Weston Reinhard and Keegan O’Brien.
Reinhard recently pitched 6-2/3 innings en route to a victory in an April 15 Big South Conference game as Pipestone Area downed Windom Area. Louwagie plays for Russell-Tyler-Ruthton.
Ploeger said he’s pleased with Pipestone’s infield depth this season with Greg Quist, Merrick Heidebrink, Chris Dougherty, Luka Quist, Landon Quist, Brandon Moeller, Colin Moeller, Reinhard, Louwagie and Biever.
Jaymes Zollner will help anchor the outfield along with Nohel Vivanco, Maddox Biever, Walker Kor, Justin Nepp, Jackson Melcher, Mitchel Carson and Carson Frank.
“We have young depth, which is completely fine,” Ploeger said. “We had some younger guys who wanted to play, and we’ll get a spot for them.”
Reinhard, Louwagie, Zayne Zollner, Luka Quist are the newcomers. Abrahamson returns after most recently being on the Dell Rapids Mudcats roster; he played at NCAA Division II Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D.
One of Ploeger’s goals this season is developing younger players to carry on the A’s tradition.
Expect defense to be one of Pipestone’s strengths this summer, along with having a solid four-pitcher starting rotation. Offense is the biggest worry.
“If you can’t hit, you can’t score runs and win games,” Ploeger said.
Pipestone will have a better chance at playoff success with both Luverne and Fairmont moving up from Class C to Class B — per a Minnesota Baseball Association points-based system.
“I would love to see us go .500 or better,” the coach commented. “With a winning record, we could be a top-four or top-five seed, and that would mean hosting in the first round (of the playoffs).”
The MBA state tournament will take place in Gaylord, Brownton, Hutchinson and Glencoe from Aug. 15-17, Aug. 22-24 and Aug. 29-Sept. 1.
The Courtland Cubs are ranked No. 1 in the preseason MBA Class C poll, with Waterville second, Sauk Centre third, Le Sueur fourth and Litchfield fifth.
Notable regional teams receiving votes are: Hadley, Windom, Jackson, Milroy (Yankees), Marshall A’s and Minneota.
Pipestone A’s. (Contributed logo from the club)
INFORMATION
AMATEUR BASEBALL
Pipestone A’s
2025 Schedule
May
7, FLANDREAU, 7 p.m.; 11, at Luverne, 2 p.m.; 18, at Fairmont, 2 p.m.; 18, at Fox Lake, 5 p.m.; 21, MARSHALL, 7:30 p.m.; 25, JACKSON, 2 p.m.; 28, at Worthington, 7:30 p.m.
June
1, HERON LAKE, 2 p.m.; 6-8, PEPSI TOURNAMENT; 6, LENNOX-CHANCELLOR-WORTHING, 7 p.m.; 7, WABASSO, 11 a.m.; 15, at Hadley; 18, MILROY, 7:30 p.m.; 22, WORTHINGTON, 2 p.m.; 25, at Windom, 7:30 p.m.; 27, LAKEFIELD, 7:30 p.m. (Kids Night); 29, LUVERNE, 2 p.m.
July
2, HADLEY, 7:30 p.m. (Moeller Brothers Night); 13, at Milroy
Playoff Schedule
July 16-Aug. 10, Region Tournament
Aug. 15-Sept. 1, State Tournament (four locations: Brownton, Hutchinson, Gaylord and Glencoe)
Editor’s Note: All home games in ALL CAPS, and played at the PAS tennis courts.