With the first of seven Class B district tournaments starting today, I’ve decided to come back for Year 2 of making my state tournament field predictions. 

For reference, I correctly predicted 24 of the 32-team field last season (Including all seven district champions), but I’d like to think I can do a little better this year.

Like last season, I will point out which team I think wins its respective district championship, with the rest of the representatives listed in no particular order. The 2025 Class B state amateur baseball tournament is Aug. 6-17 at First National Bank Field at Aspen Park in Brandon.

District 1B - Eastern Dakota League

Castlewood Ravens (Champion) – The Ravens have been playing extremely well in the 2025 season. After last season's heartbreaking round of 16 loss to Dimock/Emery, Castlewood has lost to just one SD amateur team in 2025. With three players batting over .400 and a team ERA of just 2.07, the Ravens shouldn’t have any trouble earning a ticket to Brandon.

Milbank Firechiefs – As long as Dom Boerger keeps doing what he’s doing on the mound, it’s hard to go against the Firechiefs in the postseason. In fact, Boerger and his 117 strikeouts this season was the catalyst to handing Castlewood its only loss of the year, a 3-2 win on July 13. But as a team, the Firechiefs pitching staff is nothing short of elite, allowing just 22 earned runs in 14 games, while the offense and its .316 team batting average, has taken that next step as well.

Lake Norden Lakers – The Lakers are always a consistent lock into the state tournament. Earning the No. 3 seed in the EDL district tournament this year, the Lakers should be a safe bet for Brandon, especially with athletes such as Jackson Noem, Kale Stevenson and Cameron Thue. The Lakers pitching staff has been streaky at times with a few 15+ strikeout games, and will need some big time performances this weekend to return to the Class B tournament.

Elkton Snappers – I’ve been really impressed with the Snappers this season and is a team I think could make a statement in August. Elkton has beaten Milbank earlier this season, and has played each of the three prior teams extremely well in league play. Aidan Stewart and Dylan Gillespie have been two of the strongest hitters in the state this season, combining for 11 homers and 54 RBIs.

Clark Traders – It was a toss up between Clark and Volga, but ultimately I’m giving the Traders the nod. I think what Clark lacks in pitching is made up for by its potent offense. With a team batting average of .291 with Grayson Florey, Jack Heesch and Zach Toben all batting above .390, the Trader offense will power a state tournament push.

District 2B – Northern Plains League

Redfield Dairy Queen (Champion) – DQ has yet to give me a reason to go against them in the NPL. With one last league game against Aberdeen, Redfield will go undefeated against Class B teams in league play and cruise to the another NPL championship. DQ also has one of the best lineups in the state, bolstering a .346 team batting average.

Northville Merchants – Despite losing to Redfield four times in the regular season (a non-league doubleheader on July 6), Northville still makes a strong case to be the other representative out of the NPL. The Merchants have swept both Faulkton and Groton with four dominant wins, with offense relying heavily on Greg Heyne and his .556 batting average.

District 3B – Pony Hills League

Kimball/White Lake Nationals (Champion) – In my opinion, it’s the Nationals district championship to lose in the Pony Hills. KWL has arguably the best pitching duo in the state with Ethan and Mitchell Price allowing just 11 earned runs in over 68 innings, adding 121 strikeouts in the process. But the Nationals lineup is just as dangerous, scoring 10 or more runs in eight of its 15 games, with Jaxon Christensen and Dylanger Pierson launching four homers apiece.

Four Corners – Four Corners is such a scary place to play that the last two games at the priceless pasture were forfeited by their opponent (most likely not the real reason). Even without the forfeits, 4C has won 11 of its last 12 games, including a win over top-seeded Kimball/White Lake. With four hitters batting .400 or higher, and Jack Van Camp anchoring the pitching staff with a 1.82 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 29.2 innings, 4C will be a tough out this postseason.

Burke Bombers – One of my most prized picks from last season was picking the newly formed Bombers to make the state tourney its inaugural season. I was right then, so I’m going with them again. Despite getting swept to both KWL and 4C, Burke is an easy pick to make it to Brandon. The bats will have to get going, but between the pitching trio of JJ Farner, Brogan Glover and Hunter Van Niewenhuyse, the Bombers should find a way to play baseball in August.

Chamberlain Mallards – Earning last year’s final spot out of the Pony Hills League, the Mallards will find a way once again. Dakota Munger is and has been a gamechanger for Chamberlain, whether it’s his .581 batting average with two triples and four homers, or his 1.93 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 40 innings. The Mallards have found ways to stay in games, including a 3-2 nail-biting loss to top-seeded KWL on July 20, and will need to continue that trend heading into late July.

Plankinton F&M Bankers – While the Bankers have lost three of their last four, I still think this lineup can find a spark in the Pony Hills district tournament. The Bankers are 7-1 when scoring five or more runs this season, adding a .342 team batting average in those eight games as well. Hunter Pranger, Thomas Stange and Devin Mehlhaff have powered the Bankers lineup, each batting over .360 on the year.

District 4B – Cornbelt League

Canova Gang (Champion) – I think the Cornbelt League championship will be a coin toss between Canova and Dell Rapids PBR (Especially when they split the head-to-head matchups with a Sunday doubleheader), but I’ll ride with my vote for the top team in Class B as Cornbelt champs. The 2023 Class B champs are riding a six-game winning streak and are spear-headed by a pitching staff allowing just under two earned runs a game.

Dell Rapids PBR – I don’t want to make this bulletin board material for the defending Class B champs, but it will most likely look like it. PBR has certainly made their case to be the Cornbelt champs and will definitely be a favorite in the state tournament. Drew Sweeter has been one of the best amateur baseball players in the state with a .444 batting average, four doubles and 22 RBIs. Trey Randel and Brett Mogen anchor a pitching staff allowing just 2.93 earned runs a game.

Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks – The first team of a four-way tie for third in the Cornbelt, the Gamecocks have been a threat in District 4B for the past few years now. H/H’s pitching has dipped slightly this year, but the hitting has continued to shine with a .299 team batting average. Joe Hanisch is batting .459 in 17 games this season, adding eight doubles and 19 RBIs to lead the Gamecocks offense that’s launched 11 homers and 42 doubles in 19 games this season.

Flandreau Cardinals – The Cardinals have had trouble building a strong win streak this year but ended the season winning three of its last four games, including a two-run loss to PBR on July 10. With three hitters batting over .400, and Bret Severtson’s 1.88 ERA leading the pitching, the Cardinals are an easy pick for the short trip to Brandon.

Madison Dairy Queen Broncos – Madison will enter the district tournament this season with the same exact record as last year (11-8) and will look to avoid the early exit the Broncos faced at last year's district tournament. The addition of JD Kirchner will make the Broncos that much more difficult to face, leading the team in innings pitched (52.0), strikeouts (73), and an ERA of 1.75. Matt Burpee and Dawson Bakker bolster the batting order with both hitting over a .400 clip.

Dell Rapids Mudcats – The Mudcats will make the state tournament but it will be with a vastly different lineup than last season. With multiple players from last year’s squad moving to the Class A level in Harrisburg, the Mudcats have still mustered an impressive 10-8 record in one of the toughest districts in the state. One key returner, Ty Hoglund, is batting .348 with two triples and two RBIs. On the mound, Nolan Burchill is leading the team in innings pitched, but watch out for Jake Goble and his 0.7 ERA in 20 innings of work, adding strikeouts as well.

Flandreau Blue Teal – It’s been a rough second half to the 2025 season for the Blue Teal, but I think they sneak into one of the last spots in the district tourney. Emmot Nathan has been a great addition this year with a team-leading .448 batting average and 38 innings pitched this season (second on team). Kolby Peters is also one of the top sluggers in the state with eight doubles and 24 RBIs.

District 5B – Sunshine League

Winner/Colome Pheasants (Champions) – The Pheasants will enter districts as the No. 1 seed for the fourth consecutive season, so not much thought for this pick. WC has lost two of its last three games, but I’m going to blame that on the poll jinx. Patrick Starr, Derek Graesser and Connor Hopkins anchor the pitching staff with a 2.46 team ERA, while Reed Harter, Graesser, Dillon Lambley and Chandler Bakley are all hitting over a .350 pace.

Alexandria Angels – Alexandria could win the Class B state championship and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. They’ve made some excellent additions to the pitching staff with Dakota State’s Alex Ferrin and University of Sioux Falls’ Jack Gray. Ferrin currently holds a 1. 43 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 50.1 innings, while Gray has added 17.2 innings, allowing four earned runs and tossing 28 strikeouts. And if there was a Most Improved Player award in SD amateur baseball, Jackson Jarding would most likely earn that honor, nearly doubling his .280 batting average from last season (.456), adding eight doubles, six homers and 32 RBIs.

Platte Killer Tomatoes – Platte has certainly built off of last season’s state championship appearance with an 11-6 record, and is capable of making another run this season. The Killer Tomatoes have won six of its last eight games, powered by Preston Nedved and his .406 batting average, with four doubles, three triples, five homers and 22 RBIs. Grant Doom is once again doing Grant Doom things, tossing 66 strikeouts in 41.1 innings, bolstering a 2.83 ERA.

Parkston Devil Rays – After winning six league games in its first two years combined, the Rays have put together an 11-5 record in Sunshine League play this season, and will look for its first state tourney appearance in program history. Legion players Carter Sommer and James Deckert, as well as newly acquired Caden Donahue have been key players in the Rays’ success, with all three batting .340 or higher. On the mound the Rays have four different players with 28 or more innings, including Jake Helleloid’s 0.71 ERA in 49.2 innings, adding 86 strikeouts as well.

Dimock/Emery Raptors – If you only look at records, Dimock/Emery would be a shocker to make it out of District 5B, but I think the gap between them and the rest of the Sunshine League is much closer than records show. Of the Raptors’ 11 league losses, four have been by three or less runs, including two, one-run losses to Platte and Corsica. The ageless Cole Knippling, having only played in 11 games, has made a huge difference in the Raptors lineup with a .472 batting average, four doubles, four homers and 20 RBIs. In the pitching staff, the Raptors have essentially six guys they could go to, all with over 20 innings of work on the season.

District 6B – South Central League

Tabor Bluebirds (Champions) – If you take away the Class A losses to Yankton, the Bluebirds have lost one game to the rest of the Class B district field. On top of that, Tabor has won 10 of its 11 league games by four or more runs, and I think that trend continues in the district tournament. Easton Mudder (.435) and Landon Schmidt (.357) have been excellent young pieces for the Bluebirds lineup, while Joey Slama and Hunter Hallock are both hitting over .400 this season. Bryce Sczienski and Chase Kortan have held it down on the mound with 28 innings apiece, each bolstering a sub-4.00 ERA.

Wynot (Neb.) Expos – Wynot is one of those teams that will have to rely on the pitching staff to earn a spot in Brandon. The Expos have just four players batting above .290, but each of the top five in innings pitched have a sub-3.5 ERA. The ace for the Expos, Jackson Sudbeck, has a 2.63 ERA in 37.1 innings, striking out 36 batters.

Freeman Blacksox – Freeman missed out on the state tournament last season, but I think the young group, including multiple Legion players, could make a big difference in this season’s outcome. Bailey Sage is hitting out of his mind at a .444 pace, including seven doubles, two homers and 18 RBIs. Jackson Fiegen leads the team in innings pitched with 42.1, adding 41 strikeouts.

Lesterville Broncs – While it’s been a tough season for the Broncs, I think Lesterville is a pretty safe bet considering their recent success in the postseason, with a 2023 state championship appearance. The Broncs recently ended a seven-game losing streak with a 7-5 win over Wynot on July 14, but when they put it all together, it’s a dangerous team to play. Ethan Wishon is batting .444 in 15 games this year, adding eight doubles and two homers, while Michael Drotzmann has hit four homers at a .373 pace. Alex Wagner leads the team in innings pitched (29.1), strikeouts (43), and ERA (2.86).

District 7B – State Line League

Garretson Blue Jays (Champions) – It’s been smooth sailing for the Blue Jays after last season’s semifinal appearance. The Blue Jays have lost just one game to a Class B district opponent, and that was over a month ago. Even after losing Aaron LaBrie to the Harrisburg Woodies, the top half of the pitching staff has been dominant. Sam Siegel has yet to allow an earned run in 11 innings of work, while Dustin Steckler has a 2.455 ERA in 11 innings as well. Siegel is also batting .500 in six games, while Nick Bonte is hitting at a .440 pace with three doubles in eight games.

Larchwood (Iowa) Diamonds – Larchwood continues to be a threat in late July and August with a quarterfinal finish last year. The Diamonds also feature last season’s state tournament batting champion, Keaton Grevengoed. Cody Groskruetz leads the team in batting average at a .477 pace, including 10 doubles, five homers and 25 RBIs. Brian Wede, Isaac Horigan and Kyle Jensen hold down the pitching for a staff allowing just two earned runs a game.

Lennox/Chancellor/Worthing Dirt Devils – I’ve been impressed with how the Dirty Devils have played in July. LCW is 5-1 in July including a 9-8 win over Larchwood in extra innings. Peyton Garbers comes over from the Clark Traders and has made a difference at the plate with a .389 average, adding five doubles and three homers. Isaac Bambas is holding down the mound with a 3.32 ERA in 38 innings, fanning 32 batters as well.