Lakeville's Panther Baseball Team Has High Hopes for 2011 Season

Tony Market is used to projects. In each of the past two seasons, the Lakeville North baseball coach has had to replace 10 players due to graduation. He’ll do it again for the 2011 season as the Panthers look to be contenders both in the new South Suburban Conference and Section 6AAA. In five seasons as a head coach, Market has a 77-42 record and won the Lake Conference in 2008 and 2009. With five key starters back, Market is hoping his team can go bigger places in 2011.

Lakeville North Baseball

Last season: 12-9 overall
Conference record: 9-7 (Lake Conference)
Section 3AAA Playoffs: First round loss to Eagan

Key Losses

Market must replace 10 players to graduation, including three that made the biggest impact on the team in 2010. Outfielder Ben Skelly, an Augustane signee, hit .465 and led the team in hits, runs and stolen bases. He was also second in RBI. Outfielder Tim Kuzniar hit .405, scored 17 runs had 18 RBI and will play this spring at the University of St. Thomas. Catcher Zach Braun hit .319 with two homers and 11 RBI. As a team, the Panthers hit .330 last year and had 2.93 ERA.

Key Returners

Lakeville North has a core of five returning players that will be the team’s nucleus in 2011. Leading the bunch will be senior pitcher Tyler Brekke, who went 5-2 on the mound with a 2.37 ERA in 42-plus innings last season. He had 24 strikeouts and 11 walks last year. First baseman Travis Evanson is expected to be one of the team’s top offensive players. He hit .319 with four homers and 21 RBI. A.J. Moore is expected to be another top pitcher. He nearly hit 90 on the radar gun at last year’s American Legion State Tournament. Moore went 3-0 during the school season and struck out 21 batters in 23 innings pitched.  Third baseman Gordon Kappers led the Panthers in walks last year and hit .273. Austin Streit was called up to play late last season and went 8-for-16 at the plate with a double, a homerun and five RBI in five games.

Conference Outlook

Something will have to give as many of the state’s toughest teams are going to trade punches in this year’s newly-formed South Suburban Conference. Eden Prairie, Chaska and Chanhassen are gone, and Prior Lake has been added. In the past seven seasons, seven different conference  schools have made state tournament appearances. A former Lake Conference team has appeared in six state championship games and four have won titles. Lakeville North last won it in 2005. Lakeville North’s toughest match-ups this year will include Burnsville, last year’s state runner-up, Eastview, Rosemount, Eagan and Apple Valley.