The 2026 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement is present throughout South Dakota. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across South Dakota.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Sioux Falls or Brooking at the SDHSBA Class A and B State championship games, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to shine a spotlight on all teams across the state as we preview individual teams across South Dakota.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state.

Each week we will be releasing our Diamond Notes, covering all the bases across the state of South Dakota.

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BRANDON VALLEY: TEAM PREVIEW

High School: Brandon Valley
Head Coach: Jeremy VanHeel
Class: Class A
2025 Record (Finish): 22-14 (Class A State Champions)

UPCOMING DAKOTAS EVENTS

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION
South Dakota Preseason ID	02/21/2026	Avera Dome, Sioux Falls, SD
South Dakota Rising Stars ID	02/21/2026	Avera Dome, Sioux Falls, SD
North Dakota Preseason ID	03/07/2026	Rustad Center, West Fargo, ND
North Dakota Rising Stars ID	03/07/2026	Rustad Center, West Fargo, ND

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ Bryce Plucker - Valley City State Commit

+ Grady Gindorff - Concordia University (NE) Commit

+ Brayden Knutson - Sioux Falls Commit

+ Max Peters - Northwestern (IA) Commit

+ Cooper Ness

+ Bryton Stroh

+ Christopher Joseph

+ Luke Felderman

+ Mason Veld

+ Taylor Melby

+ Caleb Severin

+ Jack Blomgren

+ Will VanLeur

+ Ryan Fenton

+ Tristan Culp

+ Matthew Henkelman

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

+ Hudson Melby

+ Jacob Halseth

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ALUMNI IN COLLEGE

+ Aiden Zerr - University of Notre Dame

+ Carter LaBrie - Mesa Community College

+ Ryland Carroll - Dakota State University

+ Colton Padgett - Dakota Wesleyan University

+ Daniel Buteyn - Dordt University

+ Cole Frisbie - Southwest Minnesota State

+ Trey Sejnoha - Dartmouth

+ Nate Meyers - Dakota Wesleyan University

+ Austin Reiter - Northern State University

+ Matt Brown - Augustana University

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TEAM OUTLOOK

“While we lost a few key pieces, we return a very experienced group. We have excellent depth and a large senior class with many players capable of making meaningful contributions. If we rely on our strengths and consistently play our game, this team has the potential to be special. If we are ALL IN, we can put ourselves in position to make a strong run late in the season, much like we did in 2025.” – Jeremy VanHeel, head coach

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Find more information on the 2026 Brandon Valley program below:

+ Follow them on X: BVLynxBaseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Dakotas, 2026 HS Team Previews

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FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL DAKOTAS THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Dakotas on X
+ Prep Baseball Dakotas on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Dakotas on Facebook

 

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