Class A rankings: Miesville shoots for third straight title

By Nick Gerhardt
nickgerhardt@mnbaseball.org

The Class A landscape has shifted once again after the news of several prominent teams folding ahead of the 2026 season. Chanhassen, Eagan, Hopkins and the St. Paul Capitals have all folded. Meanwhile, Class A saw the addition of new teams Lakeville Loonatics and Burnsville Badgers. Plus, Dilworth, Hinckley, New Ulm and the Sartell Stone Poneys have joined the ranks of Class A.

What remains the same is Miesville atop the rankings to start the season as the two-time defending state champion. The Mudhens staged stunning comeback wins, including the championship game where they rallied from a 9-3 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Champlin Park on a walk-off home run from Joey Werner.

You might expect to find those LoGators in the No. 2 slot to start the season, but manager Matt Marek didn’t deem his team worthy of the spot and they slid to No. 3 to start the year. Mac’s Industrial Warriors, who also nearly knocked off Miesville in a 9-8, 10-inning semifinal game, will start the season ranked No. 2. The Warriors, formerly known as the Minneapolis Warriors and even more formerly known as Lyon’s Pub Warriors, have a new sponsor this year in Mac’s Industrial Sports Bar, though the industrial part conjures up thoughts of Kruger’s Industrial Smoothing.

A young Chaska squad gave Champlin Park all it could handle in the semifinals in a 12-8 game. The Cubs have added nine new players this season, including four former Division I players and a Division II product.

Air Freight always remains a contender with Graham Laubscher on the mound and starts the season ranked No. 5. After that comes the Burnsville Bobcats, who picked up pitcher Blake Tritch to bolster their rotation. The Dundas Dukes grabbed the No. 7 ranking as they continue to find a way to the state tournament nearly every year.

Then we’ve got a log jam for the No. 8 spot with Minnetonka, St. Patrick, Stockmen’s Irish and the Shakopee Indians all tallying the same amount of votes. Stockmen’s appeared poised to contend last season after adding former St. Louis Park ace Andy Davis, before a roster infraction prevented them from participating in the postseason.

How it will all shake out remains to be seen, but here’s what our experts think of the field.

Jon Sands — Victoria Vics
1. Miesville Mudhens
2. Champlin Park LoGators
3. Mac’s Industrial Warriors
4. Chaska Cubs
5. Air Freight Unlimited
6. Dundas Dukes
7. Burnsville Bobcats
8. Waconia Lakers
9. Minnetonka Monarchs
10. North St. Paul Snowmen

Jeff Amann — Sartell Stone Poneys

1. Miesville Mudhens – Back‑to‑back state champs and chasing history. No Class A team has three‑peated since Chanhassen’s dynasty. The Mudhens have the roster to make it interesting.
2. Champlin LoGators — Forever the bridesmaid … is this finally the summer they walk down the aisle? The pieces are there, the window is open.
3. Chaska Cubs — The Cubbies are absolutely loaded and built for a deep 2026 run. Depth everywhere, expectations sky‑high.
4. Mac’s Industrial Warriors — New name, same Warriors mentality. They hit, they pitch, they grind. Don’t sleep on them.
5. St. Patrick Irish — Missing the tournament last year didn’t sit well. The Irish are on a full‑blown revenge tour.
6. Moorhead Mudcats — Survived a brutal Section 8 (now 5) last season. It’s even tougher this year, but the Cats are built for the grind.
7. St. Anthony Hogs — The Hogs headline a revamped Section 6. On paper, they start the season as the team to beat.
8. Baseball 365 — Always dangerous, always competitive, and always climbing. Expect them to rise quickly.
9. Monticello Polecats — Adding depth every year. New to the Metro Minny and absolutely capable of causing headaches.
10. Moorhead Brewers — Fell just short in Section 8 (now 5), but adding Jonah DeJong, who hits baseballs into orbit, changes the equation.

Jordan Wiggins — St. Anthony Hogs

1. Miesville Mudhens — 2025 Champions in magical fashion to go back-to-back. If they lose a few games in a tough league/section throughout the year, someone remind me how nearly impossible they are to beat in August if they start to slip down my rankings!
2. Champlin Park LoGators — 2025 runner-up and had Miesville dead in their sights through eight innings in the championship. I’m sure the LoGators will be hungry to win it all in 2026.
3. Mac’s Industrial Warriors — Always very strong in the Park National and are a tough out in the tournament. I see they signed St. John’s University alum Wyatt Ulrich to add to an already good lineup.
4. Air Freight Unlimited — The question always is “how will they perform when Laubscher isn’t on the mound?” I’m sure Air Freight is loaded again but they’ll need to be able to put consecutive games together against the best teams down the road.
5. Stockmen’s Irish — A silly administrative error kept them from the 2025 tournament and I’m sure it’ll be the revenge season for the Irish. Little birdie mentioned Donny Blunt has jumped on board after they grabbed former St. Louis Park Pirate, Andy Davis, last year. The Irish will be all systems go, per usual.
6. Chaska Cubs — Rogers brothers brought some tensions from opposing fans but also gave them some additional pop last year, and it paid dividends. Great teams, beautiful park, baby blue uniforms: what’s not to love about the Cubbies?
7. Dundas Dukes — An impressive run through a tough road in the 2025 tournament, eventually ending in a 4-3 loss to Champlin. The Dukes know how to ball when it matters.
8. Burnsville Bobcats — Tough league and they always stack wins. I haven’t seen them in a few years but we play them next week and I’ll see what all the recent hype is about.
9. St. Paul Mudhens — The Mudhens have become a power house in the last few years but it’s always a question as to who will be back and who will be around in August. Richie Podvin should have this young ball club back at it in 2026.
10. Forest Lake Brewers — Two tournament wins in 2025 and a close, 4-2 loss to Miesville to kick off the final weekend. The Brewers know how to play baseball and can win games in different ways. One of my favorite teams every year.

Matt Marek – Champlin Park LoGators

1. Miesville Mudhens
2. Chaska Cubs
3. Macs Industrial Warriors
4. Air Freight Unlimited
5. Shakopee Indians
6. Burnsville Bobcats
7. Minnetonka Monarchs
8. Champlin Park LoGators
9. North St. Paul Snowmen
10. Coon Rapids Redbirds

Class A rankings (As of May 13)(Pts)

1. Miesville Mudhens (40)
2. Mac’s Industrial Warriors (31)
3. Champlin Park LoGators (30)
4. Chaska Cubs (29)
5. Air Freight Unlimited (20)
6. Burnsville Bobcats (12)
7. Dundas Dukes (9)
8. Minnetonka Monarchs (6)
9. St. Patrick Irish (6)
10. Stockmen’s Irish (6)
11. Shakopee Indians (6)

Also receiving votes: Waconia Lakers, North St. Paul Snowmen, Moorhead Mudcats, St. Anthony Hogs, Baseball 365, Monticello Polecats, Moorhead Brewers, St. Paul Mudhens, Forest Lake Brewers and Coon Rapids Redbirds.