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By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
A new head coach is in place for the NRHEG High School baseball team in 2024, but he's no stranger to the Panthers.
Shawn Larson, longtime assistant baseball coach and the varsity wrestling coach, will lead NRHEG on the diamond last spring.
While the Panthers have no seniors on their roster, a number of key players are back from last spring's team that finished 10-2 for second in the Gopher Conference and 11-5 overall.
Larson looks for good things from juniors Alden Dobberstein (P/SS/2B), Carter Martens (P/3B) and Jace Ihrke (P/C), and sophomore Jared Lee (P/1B/OF).
The other juniors are Aaden Hanna (P/OF), Mayson Patten (3B), Aidan Schlaak (P/IF), Seth Staloch (SS/2B) and Brock Ziemke (1B).
Varsity sophomores includ Isaac Bauleke (OF), Jordan Brouwers (OF/3B, Wyatt Larson (P/C/3B), Deven Parpart (P/IF/OF) and Owen Wayne (P/2B/SS).
"It is unkown at this time if we will be using any freshmen," said Coach Larson. "Alden Dobberstein, Carter Martens, Jace Ihrke and Jared Lee are all varsity returning players who we expect to stand out on our team this season."
As for new player impact, Larson looks forward to contributions from everyone.
"We have a cast of players that are capable of good things," said Larson. "Look for players like Aidan Schlaak, Wyatt Larson, Owen Wayne, Jordan Brouwers, and Deven Parpart to have good seasons and really help out the Panthers in the 2024 season."
Larson looks for wide-open races for both the Gopher Conference and section championships, and he believes the Panthers can contend.
"We have potential to be competing for both the section and conference title," said Larson. "Our section has several teams that will be contenders for the title. If I had to pick a favorite, I would have to pick Belle Plaine to be the top contender for the section. Our conference is extremely talented this season. United South Central, Maple River, Hayfield, Randolph, and Kenyon-Wanamingo are all teams that can win. Based of of last season, I would say that USC is probably the preseason favorite."
Larson, who replaces Mark Lee as head coach, will be assisted by first-year coach Marcus Fischer and former NRHEG head coach Jeff Reese.
“We have a plan as a team to use people in as many was as possible, so being able to know every role and help everybody else know every role is very important, because we don’t have a lot of guys,” said Dobberstein. “We need multiple people to do multiple things. I think the most important thing is building a family within the team.”
Lee, a sophomore, said he feels no pressure this season, but the lack of outside practice could be a challenge for the Panthers.
“We haven’t had a lot of outside time, so if we can get started on a hot streak, fix things as soon as possible rather than letting them build on each other,” said Lee. “Because it’s going to be hard not being outside, getting right into the games.”
So who’s going to pitch for the 2024 Panthers?
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NRHEG grad Camerer takes over
By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
A new head coach takes over for the NRHEG softball team this spring and, like her Panther counterpart in baseball, she's no stranger to the system.
NRHEG graduate Kayley Camerer, who not long ago was hitting home runs for the Panthers, is now in charge of the program, assisted by 18th-year coach Nate Jensen and third-year coach Cloie Arndt, another former Panther.
Last year's squad, the final season for longtime NRHEG coach Wendy Schultz, finished 9-8 overall and 6-6 for fifth in the Gopher Conference. They lost their sub-section opener.
The Panthers graduated three players off that squad in Sydney Schultz, Bree Ihrke and Trinity Smith-Vulcan.
Schultz, daughter of Wendy Schultz, was all-conference, all-section and honorable mention all-state. She and Ihrke were the captains.
Plenty of players return including seniors Payton Bunn (OF), Faith Nielsen (P/IF), Preslie Nielsen (IF), Erin Peterson (utility), Tayler Schmidt (IF) and Isabel Stadheim (OF), juniors Aryana Howe (U) and Aspyn Stenzel (IF), sophomores Kyera Eustice (OF), Adalyn Stadheim (C/IF), Chloe Stork (U), Tatum Thibodeau (U), Sam Possin (U) and Claire Robran (OF), and freshmen infielders Olivia Berg, Izley Boerner and Faith Phillips.
Coach Camerer expects a big season from the Panthers' sister tandems, Faith and Preslie Nielsen and Izzy and Addy Stadheim. Peterson or Berg could also have a breakthrough season.
"We hope to keep improving and getting better throughout the entire season, and be playing our best softball around playoff time," said Camerer. "Our team strengths include being hard workers with a great team chemistry, great attitudes, and our speed. One thing we need to work on is getting experience and growing confidence levels for players who are stepping into starting varsity spots."
Returning state entrants Randolph and Bethlehem Academy are the preseason favorites in the Gopher Conference.
The top teams in Section 2A, according to Camerer, are New Ulm, Belle Plaine and returning state entrant LeSueur-Henderson.
NRHEG 2024 Softball Schedule
April 2 at Blue Earth Area, 5 p.m.
April 4 at Randolph, 4:30
April 5 at Austin Packer Dome, 7 p.m.
April 8 vs. Southland, 4:30
April 11 at United South Central, 4:30
April 12 vs. Blooming Prairie, 4:30
April 15 at Granada-H-EC/ML, 4:30
April 18 vs. Bethlehem Academy, 4:30
April 19 vs. Waseca, 4:30
April 22 at Blooming Prairie, 4:30
April 25 vs. Hayfield, 4:30
April 26 at Caswell Park, TBD
April 27 at Caswell Park, TBD
April 29 at JWP, 4:30
May 2 vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo, 4:30
May 7 vs. United South Central, 4:30
May 9 at Maple River, 4:30
May 10 vs. Tri-City United, 4:30
May 13 vs. Medford, 4:30
May 16 vs. WEM, 4:30
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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
A remarkable feature of the NRHEG cheer team’s season was the “second-ever” trip to national-level competition both for these athletes and for NRHEG schools. They concluded their season with an eighth-place finish at nationals the week of February 7-10.
NRHEG coach Joni Churchill started off her group’s portion of the night congratulating and thanking everyone involved in winter sports.
“You all have a lot to be proud of and we had so much fun cheering you on,” Churchill said.
“Thank you to all of the coaches for letting us come along on this fun ride. Thank you to Dan Stork, Mr. Meihak and Mr. Berg, and everybody in the office for everything they do to make this possible, Mr Domeier for being the soundtrack to our crazy. Thank you to Mr Schaefer and the pep band for always killing it; we’re so lucky to get to partner with such a great group.”
Churchill thanked the cheer parents for their continued support of their children’s endeavors.
“We couldn’t do this without you.”
Winter cheerleaders were recognized: Ariel Anhalt, Autumn Baseman, Maddy Bogue, Addy Buenger, Payton Bunn, Julia Churchill, Orianna Degen, Sierra Misgen, Avary Riskedahl, Brenna Sommer, Isabel Stadheim, Tru Thao, and Malonna Wilson.
“Not only are these guys on the sidelines of every home game, they are all athletes in their own right,” Churchill said.
The competition team earned a Regional Academic Honors award for academics, as well as earning the highest cumulative GPA in the state, both for the second straight year with a 3.79 cumulative GPA.
Two cheerleaders were named All-State: Payton Bunn and Isabel Stadheim.
Four seniors were named to the Honors Team of Excellence for having a GPA of 3.5 or higher: Bunn, Julia Churchill, Brenna Sommer, and Stadheim. All four of them were invited to apply for scholarships, which they received. This is the most athletes from any school in the 30-year history of the Minnesota Cheer Coaches Association to receive scholarships in the same year.
“We are so proud to represent NRHEG,” Churchill concluded. “Congratulations ladies.”