Star Tribune's All-Metro baseball teams: Eight first-teamers going Division I; one too young to know

2023 BASEBALL ALL-METRO SELECTIONS

First team

Drew Rogers, Mounds View, junior, catcher/pitcher

The Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year is a Division I-level catcher with a laser arm who doubles as a pitcher. He is hitting .417 with three home runs and 23 RBI, and many teams pitch around him (17 walks). "His numbers speak for themselves," Mustangs coach Nik Anderson said. "They're ridiculous for a guy that is still just a junior." College: Georgia Tech

JD Dobis, St. Thomas Academy, junior, pitcher/outfielder

The ace of the Cadets pitching staff is 5-0 this season with a 0.66 ERA. He struck out 53 in 42⅔ innings while yielding only four earned runs. Dobis added two home runs and 19 RBI at the plate and scored 19 runs. College: Northwestern

Josh Och, Chanhassen, senior, pitcher/shortstop

In two section starts, Och threw two shutouts, a no-hitter and a one-hitter, with 30 strikeouts. "Josh is also a phenomenal competitor and big-game player," Storm coach Ross VanHauen said. "In big moments, under pressure, he performs the best." College: Southern Mississippi

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Adam Puder, Blaine, senior, shortstop/pitcher

He has great range and a strong arm to go with an excellent baseball mind. "He is the best defensive shortstop I have seen at the high school level," Bengals coach Ted Erickson said. Puder hit .403 with two home runs. College: St. Thomas

Andrew Rakow, Champlin Park, senior, pitcher/first baseman

"He steps up in the biggest moments and is one of the toughest competitors around," Champlin Park coach Ryan Thom said. "He's been one of the top pitchers in the state and a huge bat." College: Creighton

Luke Ryerse, East Ridge, sophomore, pitcher/third baseman/outfielder

Ryerse has been solid on the mound and at the plate. He is 5-1 with one save and has 55 strikeouts in 38 innings. He is a .377 hitter with five home runs and 30 RBI. College: uncommitted

Jack Taxdahl, Cretin-Derham Hall, senior, catcher/pitcher

"A true quarterback on the field, Jack controls the game and the pitching staff better than any high school catcher I have seen. He is an elite receiver and is a very advanced blocker and thrower," Gophers assistant coach Mike Kvasnicka said. College: Minnesota

Ben Trucke, Watertown-Mayer, senior, third baseman/pitcher

He hit .441 with 14 extra-base hits, including five home runs. A solid fielder, he's capable of playing multiple positions, and he went 3-0 on the mound. College: St. Thomas

Will Whelan, Centennial, senior, pitcher/first baseman

The Cougars were a much different team when Whelan pitched. "His competitiveness and confidence on the mound has led to great success," Centennial coach Robert Lynch said. Whelan went 6-1 with 83 strikeouts in 46⅓ innings. College: Minnesota

Second team

Jordan Dahlof, Roseville, senior, shortstop/pitcher: "Jordan has a calm, consistent, lead-by-example style that is contagious," Roseville coach Greg Setterlund said. He hit .443 with four home runs. College: St. Thomas

Will Haas, Rockford, sophomore, pitcher/outfielder: Haas has been nearly unhittable, striking out 98 and allowing only 16 hits in 48 innings. He went 6-1 with one save and an ERA of 0.88. College: uncommitted

Louis Hertling, Anoka, senior, pitcher/third baseman: Hertling closed fast in propelling his team to state, hitting .529 over his past 10 games and .359 for the season. The team leader in RBI with 22, he also went 4-2 with one save and a 0.86 ERA as a pitcher. College: uncommitted

Paul Jones II, Cretin-Derham Hall, junior, first baseman/pitcher: Packs a powerful punch. Jones batted .403 with a team-leading six home runs and 28 RBI while walking 17 times. College: Maryland

Caleb Koskie, Benilde-St. Margaret's, junior, outfielder/pitcher: Koskie consistently affects the outcome of games, whether at bat or on the mound. He is a .515 hitter and 4-1 as a pitcher. College: Indiana

Evan Kueppers, Minnetonka, junior, pitcher: A closer extraordinaire, Kueppers is 2-0 with 10 saves for the state-bound Skippers. He has allowed eight hits and two runs with 31 strikeouts in 22 innings. College: uncommitted

Riley Leatherman, Wayzata, junior, pitcher/infielder: The Trojans' ace went 5-1, limiting opposing hitters to a .164 batting average. He allowed 27 hits while fanning 61 in 46⅓ innings. College: North Carolina

Jake Lundquist, New Prague, senior, catcher: He belted five home runs and drove in 25 runs. He's an athletic catcher, showing that with 15 runs scored and six stolen bases. College: Augustana

Alex Mezzetti, East Ridge, junior, third baseman: Mezzetti enters the state tournament swinging a hot bat. He is hitting .397 with six home runs among his 20 extra-base hits, and he has 33 RBI. College: uncommitted

Mason McCurdy, Stillwater, senior, catcher: The best catcher in Stillwater history was on the receiving end of 50 victories in his career. He batted .436 in his final season. College: Creighton

Carter Theisen, Rosemount, senior, pitcher/infielder: The 6-5 Theisen is imposing on the mound and enters the state tournament with a 6-1 record and 1.11 ERA. Opponents are hitting .185 against him. College: Augustana

Jack Thompson, Rosemount, senior, pitcher/outfielder: He's the back half of coach Chris Swansson's outstanding tandem. "The bigger the game, the better for Jack," Swansson said of Thompson, we went 5-0. College: Valparaiso

How the teams were chosen

The All-Metro teams and Metro Player of the Year were chosen based on nominations from metro-area coaches, conversations with coaches and staff observations.

Past Metro Players of the Year

2022: Kris Hokenson, St. Louis Park

2021: Will Rogers, Mounds View

2020: No season

2019: Drew Gilbert, Stillwater

2018: Nick Juaire, Lakeville North

2017: Sam Carlson, Burnsville

2016: Nick Hanson, Prior Lake

2015: Eddie Estrada, Litchfield

2014: Sam Hentges, Mounds View

2013: Logan Shore, Coon Rapids; Max Knutson, Mounds View

2012: Shore

2011: Ryan Busch, Roseville

2010: Tom Windle, Osseo

2009: Ryan Abrahamson, Tartan

2008: Brad Hand, Chaska

2007: Danny Miller, Eden Prairie

2006: Jed Hanson, Forest Lake

2005: Dan Leslie, Henry Sibley

2004: Tim Radmacher, Rosemount

2003: Aaron Jenkins, Champlin Park

2002: Marcus McKenzie, Minnetonka

2001: Joe Mauer, Cretin-Derham Hall

2000: T.J. Prunty, St. Paul Academy

1999: Luke Appert, Park of Cottage Grove

1998: Ryan Klocksein, Minnetonka

1997: Mark Pedersen, Mounds View

1996: Ben Birk, Cretin-Derham Hall

1995: Justin Dudinsky, Brooklyn Center

1994: Jake Schaffer, Holy Angels

1993: Chris Schwab, Cretin-Derham Hall

1992: Dave Lance, Irondale

1991: Ryan Kjos, Hopkins

1990: Tom Nevers, Edina

1989: Nevers