12 years after starting the Minnesota Icemen, another special chapter comes to an end. The 2027s went out the only way that felt right. Champions. 🏆🥶 I’ll remember the late nights at the facility, road trips, poker nights, mini golf battles and, most of all, how much these boys loved to compete. They made me a better coach and mentor. It’s been an honor watching them grow from kids into young men ready for college baseball. Once an Icemen, always an Icemen.

Tomorrow is a day many sophomores have been waiting on for a long time. Before you go to bed tonight, put your phone on silent. Get a good night’s sleep. Wake up excited and ready to enjoy the start of your recruiting journey. A few things to remember: • Fit over hype. Does the school fit your academic goals, baseball development, and the type of college experience you want? • Opportunity. Every coach will tell you that you’ll have a chance to compete. That’s true, but do your homework. Look at the last 5 years: • How many true freshmen at your position actually started? • Where do they typically recruit transfers from the portal? • Are they consistently filling your position through the portal or developing high school players? If they haven’t played a true freshman at your position in years, ask why. • Relationships matter. Pay attention to the coaches who genuinely want to know you as a person, not just your exit velocity or fastball velocity. • Don’t chase logos. The best school is the one where you’ll develop, compete, earn a degree, and enjoy your experience. • Stay humble. Whether your phone rings 20 times or not at all, tomorrow does not define your future. Recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the process. Ask great questions. Be yourself. Good luck to the Class of 2028 tomorrow. Your journey is just beginning.

Just the tip of the iceberg regarding serious concerns with @MSHSL governance and decision-making. Under the leadership of Bob Madison, the League is facing growing scrutiny over actions and public statements that raise legitimate questions about professionalism, transparency, and conflicts of interest—including oversight of eligibility matters while having a son competing at Mounds View High School. Most concerning is the League’s recent position on homeschool athlete eligibility, despite: • Eligibility determinations already affirmed by district attorneys • Clear authority of the Minnesota Department of Education • Guidance from the HBEA • Minnesota state statutes protecting homeschool families At what point does @MSHSL stop overreaching beyond its scope and start focusing on its actual responsibility—serving student-athletes? Two immediate areas that demand action: 1️⃣ Player safety: Adopt and enforce the Pitch Smart model statewide. Allowing pitchers to exceed 200+ pitches over a few days (which occurred last season) is unacceptable. 2️⃣ Competitive integrity: Enforce residency rules consistently and crack down on fraudulent addresses used to stack “super teams” across all sports. Student-athletes deserve leadership focused on fairness, safety, and development—not politics or selective enforcement. @MSHSBCA @StarTribune @KSTP @kare11 @WCCO @FOX9 @AlphaNews