Sabers Baseball Home Opener Slated for Thursday at Joe Schleper Stadium
By Bill Schleper
The 2025 Shakopee Sabers varsity baseball team, under second-year head coach Eric Schmitz, knows they are in a tough conference but remain cautiously optimistic about their chances this season. Much will depend on the weather — which can pose a challenge for a consistent pitching rotation. However, a competitive core group of seniors and juniors will return to the lineup for the 2025 season, which has Coach Schmitz leaning more on the “cautiously optimistic” side as the spring sports season gets underway. Last season was a solid one, with the Sabers going 14-4 in the always-tough South Suburban Conference, with a solid 15-8 overall record.
When asked what makes the coaching staff be optimistic, Schmitz says, “Pitching will be our greatest strength this season. We have a few arms coming back who logged a lot of innings that season. We will have senior leadership on the mound and will count on them to lead the way for us.”
The numbers don’t lie:
Top Returning Pitchers:
Nick Johnson, Sr., LHP — 3-1 record, 0.708 ERA. According to Coach Schmitz: “Nick has posted great numbers for 2 seasons while running him out against the top teams in the state. His only loss last season came from Farmington in a 1-0 game. He threw 29 innings while only giving up 3 ER with 35 strikeouts.” Johnson is highly regarded as one of the top left-handed pitchers in the state and will be counted on during the big games again this season.
Carson Schroeder, Sr., RHP — 1-1 record with 2 saves, 1.59 ERA. According to Schmitz: “Carson threw 22 innings while striking out 29. He has put in great work this offseason and we expect great things from Carson in his senior season!” Schroeder can be an overpowering closer for the Sabers, with good location and a top-notch arm.
Tanner Heller, Sr., LHP — 6-0 record, 1.69 ERA. Tanner threw 33 innings with 33 strikeouts last season and was perhaps the surprise of the season for the Sabers’ pitching staff. For those old enough to remember past Shakopee teams, his performances were reminiscent of his record-setting southpaw uncle, Bill Heller, who frustrated batters to no end back in the early 1980s. Go back even further to the late 1950s, and you would have seen Tanner’s grandfather, Howie Heller, do much of the same for past Shakopee teams. Howie toed the rubber and helped the Shakopee (Indians) Town Team win the Minnesota Amateur Baseball State Championship back in 1959. Howie and Bill, along with Tanner’s father (Greg) and uncles Dan and Mark, are all former pitchers/ballplayers for Shakopee High School and the Shakopee Town Team — so Tanner has it in his blood! Not to mention family support, as nearly the entire Heller clan — three generations worth — can be heard cheering on the southpaw from the bleachers at nearly every game. A remarkable Shakopee baseball family stretching back nearly 75 years!
Key Returning Position Players:
Ryder Peace, Sr., CF — Peace comes from a strong baseball background — and much like his father, Jason, who played catcher throughout an extended playing career into adulthood, Ryder has a smooth swing at the plate. Coach Schmitz reports, “Ryder had a great fall, along with a great offseason. He is healthy and strong with a great looking swing. We are excited for Ryder to have a great senior season!”
Logan Krosch, Jr., SS — Schmitz adds, “Logan has transformed his body this offseason and got a little faster. He hit .250 with 3 2B, 3 3B, and 10 RBI as a sophomore while anchoring the middle of the infield.”
Top Newcomers/Prospects:
Kyser Boran, Jr., OF — According to Schmitz: “Kyser played some for us in the outfield as a sophomore. He has good speed and got stronger this offseason. He will be an important part of our success this season.”
Keegan Hutson, Jr., C/P/INF — Schmitz tells us, “Keegan will be a valuable asset to our team this spring. He has a great feel for the game and will be able to manage our guys from behind the plate as well as on the mound.”
Ethan Krosch, Fr., C/P/INF — Although he’s just a freshman this year, Ethan will have some opportunities this season to help the Sabers at a few different spots. “He’s a young player who understands the game very well for his age,” stated Coach Schmitz. Ethan impressed the coaching staff this spring with a good arm along with good speed. Schmitz says, “It will be fun to watch Ethan develop as a player!” The Krosch brothers (Ethan and big brother Logan) may even have a good chance to play together in the middle of the infield — which will certainly be fun to watch!
Overall Team Outlook:
Strengths:
Pitching will be the greatest strength for the Sabers this season. “We have a few arms coming back who logged a lot of innings last season. We will have senior leadership on the mound and will count on them to lead the way for us,” according to Schmitz.
Defense will be another strength, as the Sabers return a few important positions this year.
Coach’s Season Expectations:
“We feel we can and will compete with anyone in our conference/section. We will face many good teams day in and day out, but our pitching and defense should give us a chance every time we step on the field,” boasts Schmitz.
Schmitz adds, “Our conference will be very competitive again this season. Farmington, Prior Lake, Lakeville South will all be very solid. A couple others will also be very competitive. No one can show up and just expect to win. We feel we will finish towards the top of the conference come end of the season. We want to be playing our best ball at the end of May, along with being healthy and strong to make a big playoff push.”
Season Opener!
The Sabers will take on the Lakers from Prior Lake (at Memorial Park in Prior Lake) on Wednesday, April 9 to open up the season. First home game will be on Thursday, April 10 at Joe Schleper Baseball Stadium in Shakopee, vs. Lakeville North. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Could this be the season the Sabers get over the hump and make it back to the MSHSL State Tournament? Let’s just take it one game at a time and see where this team ends up! This writer, like the coaching staff, is going on the record as “cautiously optimistic!”
2025 Sabers Baseball Schedule: https://shakopeesabersathletics.com/teams/4430313/baseball/varsity/schedule
