First Team

Johnathan Fleek,
Albert Lea, Sr., SS

Fleek, the Tribune’s All-Area baseball Player of the Year, led the area from the mound with a 5-2 record and a 1.63 earned-run average through 47 1/3 innings. He also led the area from the plate with 28 hits. On top of his statistics, Fleek was the Player of the Year because of his leadership. He was the Tigers’ only senior, and he led the team to the Subsection 2AA South title and a spot in the Section 2AA championship game. That was after Albert Lea lost 10 straight games before a win over NRHEG in the regular season finale. Fleek was a Big Nine All-Conference selection.

Click HERE to read a story about Fleek.

Trevor Stencel,
USC, So., P

In his first season at the varsity level, Stencel made an impact. He led the area with a .461 batting average, which included 24 hits, 11 doubles and two home runs. Stencel drove in 19 runs and only struck out four times. He was also a force on the mound with a record of 4-3. Through 51 innings, he walked 12 batters. Stencel was an Gopher All-Conference selection, and he was voted as the Rebels’ MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

Wyatt Paulsen,
Albert Lea, Jr., CF

When the season started, Albert Lea had a hole to fill in center field. Makael Lunning, the Tribune’s 2013 baseball Player of the Year, graduated, and Paulsen slid into the role from right field. Along with leading the outfield, Paulsen was fifth in the area with a batting average of .368. The Big Nine All-Conference honorable mention selection had an on-base percentage of .476 and a slugging percentage of .471. Paulsen drove in 15 runs, scored 15 runs and hit five doubles and a triple.

Walker Linde,
USC, Sr., SS

Linde moved from the Tribune’s All-Area Second Team last year to the First Team this year. The four-year starter at shortstop posted a batting average of .350 after hitting .305 last year. The mark was sixth in the Tribune’s four-team spring baseball coverage area. Linde also scored 14 runs. He was voted as the team’s Defensive Player of the Year and was Gopher All-Conference.

Dylan Herman,
USC, Sr., LF

After taking fourth place at the Class A state wrestling tournament in the winter, Herman took his talents to the diamond in the spring. His batting average was .395, which was third in the area. He struck out only three times in 48 at-bats and had an on-base percentage of .520. Herman was a Gopher All-Conference selection and was voted as the team’s Most Improved Player.

Riley Kloos, USC, Jr., C

For the first time in three years, United South Central had a gap to fill at catcher because of the graduation of Trey Allis, a First Team All-Area selection in 2013. Kloos not only helped out behind the dish, he also played in the outfield and had a 1-1 record on the mound with two saves. Kloos had a batting average of .380 and was a Gopher All-Conference selection.

Trevor Tracy,
NRHEG, Jr., SS

Tracy led the Panthers on the mound with a 2-3 record. He struck out 30 batters in 35 innings and gave up 37 hits, 21 earned runs and 18 walks. Tracy also found success at the plate. His batting average of .306 was fourth on the team. He also tied teammate Dakota Thiele with a team-high 15 hits. He had seven RBIs, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Parker Mullenbach, Albert Lea, So., 1B

Mullenbach’s 20 hits made him one of three players on Albert Lea’s roster and four players in the area to post 20 or more hits. Mullenbach drove in 12 runs, scored 10 runs and had an on-base percentage of .321 and a slugging percentage of .338. Through 12 1/3 innings on the mound, Mullenbach excelled with a 1.70 earned-run average and nine strikeouts.

Matt Jensen,
NRHEG, Jr., SS

Jensen and USC’s Trevor Stencel led the area with two home runs each. Along with Jensen’s batting average of .302, he had 13 hits, scored nine runs and drove in a team-high 14 baserunners. Jensen also had two stolen bases.

 

Second Team

Ashton Cain,
USC, Sr., RF

Cain had a batting average of .340 and was named Gopher All-Conference honorable mention. That average was 10th in the area, and he was one of four Rebels who batted over .300.

Chris Enderson,
Albert Lea, Jr., P/C

Enderson was the Tigers’ second-most utilized pitcher with an earned-run average of 2.37 through 38 1/3 innings. He struck out 25 batters and held opponents to a .178 batting average, which was the top mark for Albert Lea.

Tristin Muilenburg, Albert Lea, Jr., P

Muilenburg pitched 26 1/3 innings with an earned-run average of 3.72. After Faribault Academies took a 5-0 lead in the second inning against Albert Lea in the Subsection 2AA South Finals, Muilenburg entered the game in relief and guided the Tigers to an 8-6 win.

Wyatt Ladwig,
Alden-Conger, Jr., P

Ladwig led the Knights from the mound with a 3.73 earned-run average through 20 2/3 innings. He struck out 29 batters and walked nine. Ladwig’s pitching record was 1-2.

Parker Boyum,
Albert Lea, So., 3B/C

Boyum played behind the dish when Enderson pitched. He had a batting average of .281, an on-base percentage of .382 and a slugging percentage of .368. Boyum scored 15 runs, drove in 10 runs and hit five doubles.

Dillon Parpart,
NRHEG, Sr., OF

Parpart, the Tribune’s All-Area football Player of the Year last fall, led NRHEG with eight stolen bases and tied teammate Dakota Thiele with a team-high .341 batting average. Parpart had 14 hits, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored.

Dakota Thiele,
NRHEG, Jr., 2B

Thiele tied teammate Trevor Tracy with a team-high 15 hits and teammate Dillon Parpart with a batting average of .341. Thiele also had four RBIs, two stolen bases and 16 runs scored.

Jake Thompson,
Albert Lea, 10, IF

When Fleek was on the mound, Jake Thompson played well at shortstop. At the plate, the Big Nine All-Conference honorable mention selection scored 14 runs and was not picked off in six stolen base attempts.

Kole Smith,
Albert Lea, Jr., LF

Smith led the Tigers with 10 sacrifice bunts. He had an on-base percentage of .400 to go with a .224 batting average and a .245 slugging percentage. Smith drove in 12 runs, scored five runs and hit a double.

 

Honorable Mention

• Taylor Heavner,

Albert Lea, So., P

• Michael Thorson,

Alden-Conger, So., IF

• Brady Neel,

Alden-Conger, Jr., OF

• Noah Krell,

NRHEG, Sr., C

• Mason Hammer,

Albert Lea, So., OF

• E.J. Thomas,

Albert Lea, Jr., IF