With five Bemidji boys teams making it to the state tournament this year, the Lumberjack baseball team has high expectations as they look to continue that success. With 20 state appearances to the program’s name, but none since 2012, the Jacks are hard at work looking to build a winning team.

Gone are offensive stalwarts like Matt Fitzgerald, who hit .427 last year, and Otto Grimm, who is playing for the Gophers, but the Jacks feel they have a more balanced lineup than in years past.

Expect the team to excel on the mound this year, with their top two pitchers in innings pitched returning, Cole Tatro and Steven Peterson, and a number of young arms ready to see increased roles.

The team has made it to the section championship game two of the past three years, but Bemidji is looking to clean up costly mistakes that have hurt them in order to make it back to state.

By — AJ Feldman