Sports
Woodbury, SoWashCo Grads Star In ‘Play Ball!’ Baseball Showcase Series
The series' Metro East team included seven players from high schools in the South Washington County Schools system.
WOODBURY, MN — Several recent Woodbury-area graduates were among the state’s top players who competed over the weekend in the “Play Ball!” Minnesota High School Baseball All-Star Series.
The Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association created the series in 1975 to recognize the state’s best players and showcase their talents.
The 47th annual series June 23-25 in Chaska featured more than 100 high school seniors from across the state, including seven from the South Washington County Schools system.
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Three Woodbury High School graduates — Nolan Drossel, Cole Erickson and Pierce Gritzmaker — starred for the series’ Metro East team alongside East Ridge High School players T.J. Swidorski and Caden Wildman.
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Will Smoot and Jackson Tessman from Park High School in Cottage Grove also played on the Metro East team, which finished the series with a 2-1 record.
The Metro East team also included players from Stillwater, Roseville, Mounds View, Mahtomedi, Hastings and Concordia Academy.
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Stillwater’s Brayden Hellum was named the team’s most-valuable player after the series. Hellum was also a key player in Stillwater Area High School’s Class AAAA state-title win several weeks ago.
Erickson won the series' home-run derby, according to the MSHSBCA.
Metro East was coached by Mahtomedi’s Rob Garry and retired Park High School coach John McGowan.
The North team earned its second-straight championship at the series, after also winning the 2021 event. The MSHSBCA’s 48th annual “Play Ball!” Minnesota All Star Series is scheduled for June 22-24, 2023.
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