Kenyon-Wanamingo Baseball is Top Seed in West Subsection

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights are riding an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and got the top seed in the wild, wild West Subsection.

The first round is do or die at the high seed and then the West Subsection heads to the Riverland Community College baseball complex. The East Subsection is playing in Chatfield and the Sections are in Rochester.

Kenyon-Wanamingo will face a young and improving Goodhue Wildcat team that gave state-ranked Hayfield all they could handle in Friday's regular season finale. Goodhue fell 3-1. K-W has a luxury not many high school teams have, four strong pitchers. Seniors Drew Sathrum and Connor Sviggum, junior Ethan Benda and sophomore Gavin Roosen all have earned run averages under 2.50. The Knights have been getting steadily better at the plate and now can hit from anywhere in the batting order. The outfield is capable of chasing down a lot of balls and the infield has also had its share of fantastic plays this season.

Head Coach Randy Hockinson says Monday's first HVL championship game for his team should be a good tuneup for the playoffs, which begin Thursday. The Knights are at Rochester Mayo Field to face the undefeated Rochester Lourdes Eagles at 7PM and admission will be charged.

Goodhue will be traveling to Wanamingo's Memorial Field on Thursday and, yes, you can enjoy a Morrie burger! The other seeds are: No. 2 Hayfield hosts No. 7 Blooming Prairie, No. 3 Medford entertains No. 6 Southland and No. 4 Randolph will see No. 5 Lyle/Pacelli at Murray Field on Thursday.

The second round is 10AM Saturday in Austin, with the loser's bracket games played in the afternoon and the winners heading to Memorial Day afternoon.

Chatfield is the top seed in the East Subsection and hosts Houston. The other seeds: No. 2 Wabasha-Kellogg entertains Mabel-Canton, No. 3 Lewiston-Altura hosts Schaeffer Academy and No. 4 Rushford-Peterson has No. 5 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro come to their diamond.