Lake Conference Baseball 101: A Preview

The Lake Conference has an all new feel to it this season, and from a baseball perspective that should mean quality games all spring.

After conference re-alignment last summer, the Classic Lake Conference lost Robbinsdale Armstrong to the Northwest Suburban Conference and added Eden Prairie to form the new Lake Conference. The Eagles will join Wayzata, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Edina this spring.

“It’s one of the toughest conferences in the state,” Edina coach Mike Olson said. “You add Eden Prairie and it just becomes an unbelievable conference from top to bottom.”

So what does that mean for you baseball fans? Patch has broken down some of the key elements of this year’s baseball season.

Top teams

—Eden Prairie won the 12-team Lake Conference last year with a 26-1 record and took home the Class AAA title. They’ll be the odds-on favorite to win the conference this season. “Adding Eden Prairie definitely adds a new twist,” Wayzata coach Bobby DeWitt said. “In my opinion, they’re the team to beat. They’re the new factor, the new riddle to be solved.”

—Wayzata finished tied for second with Hopkins in the Classic Lake last year, and each will return a healthy group of seniors. Both finished one game behind Armstrong in the standings.

Players to watch

—Eden Prairie pitcher Lance Thornvold and second baseman Tony Skjefte will be the anchors of the Eagles squad in 2011. Both signed with the University of Minnesota. Minnetonka coach Paul Twenge said when Thornvold is pitching well, it will be hard to touch him.

—Hopkins third baseman Billy Gregg was an All-Conference selection a year ago and will be a factor in the field and on the mound.

—Wayzata junior Ryan Poppitz will likely play catcher for the Trojans this year, replacing Zack Trigstad. Trigstad batted .478 a year ago and now plays for the University of North Dakota.

Can’t miss matchups

—April 14: Burnsville @ Minnetonka, 4:15 p.m. It’s a non-conference game, but the Blaze lost to Eden Prairie in the state championship last spring. Good measuring stick for the Skippers.

—April 18: Wayzata @ Eden Prairie, 7 p.m. The Trojans visit the defending state champions for the first time under the lights

— April 29: Minnetonka @ Edina, 6:30 p.m. It’s always a treat when the Hornets and Skippers get together. This will be the final conference game of April for both teams.

—May 23: Hopkins @ Wayzata, 4:30 p.m. This matchup seems to always have conference implications, and it’s the last game of the regular season

Preseason Player of the Year

Eden Prairie’s Tony Skjefte: The future Gophers’ poise on the baseball field makes him a solid fielder at second base and helped him hit .380 as a junior. “He’s kind of a tough, hard-nosed guy,” Twenge said. “He’ll play well even when (the Eagles) aren’t playing well.”