MSHSL Class AA Baseball, Guaranteed New Champion

Three of the four classes of baseball in Minnesota have teams returning to state in hopes of repeating.  The only class where that is not the case is Class AA.

Defending State Champion and Section One Champion Pine Island was supplanted by the Winona Cotter/Hope Lutheran Ramblers.

The Ramblers received the #5 seed and face a familiar foe in the Cannon Falls Bombers.  The #4 seed Bombers were moved from Section One to Section Two this season.

Cannon Falls (20-6) is not only blessed with a future University of Minnesota pitcher with a fastball reportedly clocked at 90 miles per hour (Ryan Hjellming), but three other very effective pitchers in Tyler Meyers, Abram Tennesen and Jacob Kiffmeyer.

Cotter did not lose in the double-elimination Section One Tournament and only lost to one Class AA Minnesota school (Lake City) during the regular season.  Their other losses came against Lacrosse (Wi.) Aquinas and Class AAA Holy Family Catholic.

Cannon Falls lost one game in the Section 2AA Tournament 2-1 to LeSueur-Henderson and then swept the Giants in the Championship round by scores of 6-3 in nine innings and 9-1.

Hjellming has not only been laser focused during the post season on the hill but attacked the ball at the plate with three of his seven home runs coming  in the playoffs.

Winning the Hiawatha Valley League Conference is not easy with some very good class 3A teams in Kasson-Mantorville and Byron.

The numbers indicate this is truly a flip-of-the-coin type game with Cotter losing to a Lake City team that Cannon Falls defeated twice and Cotter defeating a Pine Island team the Bombers split with during the regular season.

The Cannon Falls opener at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 2026 at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud will be broadcast on KDHL Radio, 9320 AM, 97.9 FM and worldwide on the FREE to download KDHL app with veteran broadcaster Paul Shea on the call.  Coverage will start approximately 5:45 p.m. fi the game is on time.  There are three games prior to that contest.

Check out the remainder of Class AA field.

• Top seed, #1 QRF St. Cloud Cathedral 22-2 vs #8 Minnehaha Academy 16-8, #23QRF  3:30 p.m.
• #2 seed, #2 QRF Perham Yellowjackets 23-4  vs. #7 Windom Area 21-5, #13 QRF 10:00 a.m.
• #3 seed. #4 QRF, Glencoe-Silver Lake 21-4 vs. #6 Aitkin 23-2, #4 QRF 12:30 p.m.