The fourth-annual American Legion Baseball Prospects Series will be bigger than ever in 2024, according to director of player selection Bruce Barron, the former Edina Legion coach.
“Interest in the series has exploded,” Barron said last week. “We had 328 nominations representing 76 different communities.”
The series will be played at two sites Friday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 11. Senior Division All-Stars will play at Northwestern University in Roseville while Junior Division All-Stars will compete at Bethel University in Arden Hills.
“We are fortunate to have two excellent college facilities, both with artificial turf,” All-Star Series commissioner and founder Mike Perry said. “The facilities are in close proximity, which makes it more convenient for fans to watch games at both sites. Last year we had Northwestern and the other site was in Eagan.”
All-Star personnel for 2024 includes six Senior Division teams and five Junior Division teams. Each Senior team is limited to 14 players. Each Junior team has 13 or 14 on the roster. In theory, that roster construction will give everyone a chance for more playing time. During the season, Legion rosters may include up to 18 players.
One of the tasks for Perry and Barron is recruiting quality coaches for each team. The coaches come from the college, high school, Legion and Junior Legion ranks.
“All of the players in the series will still be in high school this fall,” Perry said. “Forty-one coaches from 25 colleges came to watch players in last year’s series. Coaches who cannot attend still have access to our player data. Our goal is to have a fun weekend with top coaches and provide recognition for some of the state’s top baseball prospects.”
Senior players
Edina has two selections for the Senior all-stars — catcher Reid LaFrenz and center fielder Ben Molitor. Outfielder Ethan Sawatzky of Hopkins Legion is one of the prominent selections among the Senior Division stars. Wes Byer a pitcher and outfielder from St. Michael, is joined by teammate James Fry, who plays second base. Excelsior’s selections are first baseman and pitcher Gus Berger and catcher Lincoln Heitkamp.
Osseo’s two Senior Legion prospects come to the series after leading their team to the Sub-State 10 title — outfielder Gavyn Krzoska and pitcher Jack McHugo. Luke Weisjahn and Will Hoffrogge represent Westphal Armstrong Legion.
Junior players
Among the top players in the Junior Division are several Lake Conference standouts, led by pitcher Nick Carlson of Eden Prairie. First baseman Braylon Reynolds and shortstop and pitcher Liam Dalle represent Hopkins. Also selected are Brady Anderson of Eden Prairie, Nolan Ihrke of Edina and the Excelsior trio of Daschle Duwe, Henry Cheatham and Carter Storts. Troy Anderson of Wayzata has been chosen as a lefthanded pitcher.
Other southwest metro Junior prospects are Hunter Gess of Bloomington, Carter Carson of Richfield and Charlie Johnson of Chanhassen.
Three players from St. Michael represent the north metro area. They are Braylon Bohm, Trey Gustafson and Orion Walker-Kuklock. Osseo is represented by Quincy Standal.
For further information on the series, including game times, visit mnlegionprospects.com .
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