Sports
Hopkins Baseball Returns Experienced Team In 2011
The Royals hope that their senior-laden team will compete in a strong Lake Conference field this spring
2010 record: 10-12
Conference record: 6-6
Section 6AAA tournament: def. Richfield 7-2, lost to Holy Angels 6-5
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With almost all its letterwinners returning for another season, many coaches in the conference are looking for the baseball team to top the new-look Lake Conference. Royals coach Neil Lerner said the competition will only get tougher with the addition of defending state champion Eden Prairie.
“We’re really optimistic about the year,” Lerner said. “Add a team like Eden Prairie in the conference and it gets tough, but we’re optimistic.”
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Key losses
Pitcher Kendrick Paulsen led the team in appearances last season, and he now plays for St. Olaf College in Northfield.
Key returning players
With much of their roster returning next year, including seven starters, the Royals have a more experienced squad than year’s past. They will also return a talented core in third baseman and pitcher Billy Gregg, second baseman Kyle Dalton and pitcher Tim Shannon, all of whom were All-Conference honorees.
With a young squad last season, some players had to learn how to play at the varsity level quickly, including a group of five sophomores that played regularly. Lerner hopes that the experience gained from last season made an impression on his players.
“We’re just hoping that these kids have developed,” Lerner said. “A lot of these kids have worked hard in the offseason to become faster and stronger. Hopefully that carries over to the baseball field.”
Conference outlook
The general sentiment among the coaches around the conference is that no team has an advantage over the others. That becomes especially true with addition of defending state champions Eden Prairie to the conference.
Lerner said Minnetonka is well coached, while Edina is always difficult for his team to beat. The even distribution of talent was evident last season, when no team won fewer than five conference games and Robbinsdale Armstrong won the conference with eight wins.
“Every conference game is a really tough game,” Lerner said.
