Hornets continue to sting the baseball during winning streak

Momentum is building for the Edina High baseball team after three straight Lake Conference wins last week.

Before the winning streak began, Edina played St. Louis Park April 22 and lost 4-1 to Oriole pitching ace Miles Jungroth. The Hornets managed only four hits - two by Michael Simonson and one each by Jack McCoy and Owen Hatch. Chase Bjorgaard and Robby Azar pitched for Edina.

Coach Nevers sent Spencer Yeaman to the mound to face Minnetonka April 23 at Braemar Park. Yeaman pitched well before handing the ball off to reliever Jack Emerson, who was credited with the 5-3 win. It wasn’t a great offensive night for either team. Simonson, Peter Sullivan, Kaden Sparano and Reid LaFrenz had Edina’s four hits while Will Koeppen and Nate Wheeler each had two of Minnetonka’s four hits.

One of the keys to beating Minnetonka was Edina’s errorless defense. “We have had zero defensive issues this year,” coach Nevers said. “Chase Bjorgaard is our new starter in left field. George McIntyre moved from the outfield to third base. We opened the season with Jack McCoy at second base and he played well there.”

With Nevers’ son Jackson returning from Junior hockey in Waterloo last week, the Hornet coach plans to play Jackson and short, move Sullivan from short to second and send McCoy to center field. Those moves could make the Hornets even better defensively.

“I have an easy lineup to write,” coach Nevers said. “We have a lot of experience and guys who have worked hard to make themselves better baseball players. Our job as coaches is to make the game easier for them and help them have great moments playing.”

Edina’s second win of the week came April 25 at Hopkins’ expense with a final score of 11-1.

Senior pitching ace Kaden Chrysler held the Royals to two hits in four innings before handing the ball to reliever Blake Schultz, who pitched two scoreless innings.

“Kade is our hardest thrower and has a nasty curveball,” coach Nevers said. “He’ll play a big role on our pitching staff.”

Edina had its best hitting day of the season in the win over Hopkins. Dylan Curme led the way, going two-for-two with two runs scored and one RBI. Sullivan was two-for-three with two runs scored and one RBI. Jackson Nevers had a hit and two RBIs. Simonson and McCoy had hits for RBIs. Bjorgaard hit a triple and Reid LaFrenz added a base hit.

The Hornet week concluded April 25 in a hard-earned 9-5 win over St. Michael-Albertville.

Four hitters stood out for Edina. Simonson went three-for-three with two doubles and an RBI. He scored three times. McIntyre was two-for-two with three runs scored and two RBIs. Jackson Nevers was in a good groove with a two-for-three day and three RBIs. Jack McCoy’s contribution to the win was a two-run homer.

LaFrenz also had a base hit.

Lefthander Charlie Moore pitched the first four innings to earn the win and Elliott Cooper was solid in relief over the last three innings. “It was a great game for Charlie,” coach Nevers said. In his only other start this season, Moore had taken a line shot off the bat of Wayzata’s Kieran Leatherman that knocked him out of the game.

Looking at the remainder of the regular season, coach Nevers hopes the winning streak started last week is only the tip of the iceberg. Last season, the Hornets got hot in the playoffs and tied for third place in the State Class AAAA Tournament.

“I feel good about our pitching depth,” Nevers said. “And we’re strong in the center of the diamond with Hatch catching, Jackson and Peter Sullivan in the middle of the infield and J-Mack [McCoy] in center field.”