COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Seven incoming Saint John's University baseball student-athletes participated in the 45th Annual Play Ball MN! All-Star Series June 28-29 in Chaska.

Outfielder Luke McElroy (St. Paul Central) played for the Metro East team; pitcher/outfielder Jack Haring (Blaine) and utility player Alex Otto (Monticello) played for Metro North; pitcher/first baseman Cade Marsolek (Burnsville) and catcher Zach Selchow (Eastview) played for Metro South; outfielder Lukas Theisen (St. Cloud Apollo) played for the North squad; and pitcher Brady Kraling (Rochester Lourdes) played for the South. Selchow was named his team's Most Valuable Player.

Four 16-player teams were selected by the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association for the Twin Cities metro area (Metro East, Metro North, Metro South and Metro West). Two, 20-player teams were created for the out-state North and South.  

Each team played three games across the two days and the North defeated Metro East 4-2 in the championship game Saturday evening. 

Haring (AAAA), Kraling (AA), Otto (AAA) and Theisen (AAA) were also named to the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches' Association (MSHSBCA) All-State teams. Haring earned Minneapolis Star Tribune All-Metro first-team honors, while Otto was named to the second team.

Another incoming freshman, pitcher Max Nyrop, earned All-State honors as a junior in 2018 at Alameda (Calif.) High School. He finished his junior season with 55 consecutive scoreless innings pitched and the streak ended this spring at 57.1, the third-best in California high school history.

Two coaches with ties to SJU also participated in the All-Star Series. Cole Deibele '04, an All-MIAC honoree for the Johnnies in both baseball and football, coached the Metro North team. He is the head coach at Monticello High School, where he led the Magic to their first state-tournament appearance last month and finished fourth in Class AAA.

Brian Gruber, the father of rising senior shortstop Michael Gruber (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area), served as co-coach of the champion North team.

The seven All-Stars join seven current Johnnies who also earned the honor: Gruber, sophomore infielder Tyler Bautch (St. Cloud Cathedral), sophomore pitcher Nathan Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.), senior infielder Taylor Fourre (Albany, Minn.), sophomore catcher Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake), senior third baseman Jack Schramel (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) and sophomore pitcher Teddy Tauer (Red Wing, Minn.). 

SJU ended the 2019 season with a 32-14 record and tied for second in the MIAC by one game with a 13-7 mark. The Johnnies made their 10th consecutive appearance in the MIAC Tournament and won their fourth playoff title in the last eight seasons with a 4-1 record. SJU advanced to the NCAA Concordia Chicago Regional but went 0-2, including an opening-round, 5-4 loss in 10 innings.