The 2026 season for the Prior Lake Lakers baseball team came to a close on June 12 at the Minnesota State High School Baseball Tournament, but not before the program reached a milestone no previous Lakers team had accomplished.

The week prior, the Lakers captured the program’s first section championship to earn the first state tournament berth in school history. That accomplishment gave Prior Lake the opportunity to represent the community on the state’s biggest stage during the Class AAAA State Tournament.

The experience began on June 11 with a team breakfast at Charlie’s on Prior before players returned to Prior Lake High School for a community sendoff. As the team boarded a coach bus bound for CHS Field in St. Paul, family members, friends, classmates and supporters lined the sidewalk in front of the school, cheering, waving signs and wishing the Lakers good luck.

Upon arriving at CHS Field, the Lakers warmed up in the batting cages beneath the stadium before taking the field for the first state tournament game in program history. During the game, the team also had the opportunity to use the same dugouts, bullpens and playing surface as the St. Paul Saints. It was also special to see so many members of the Prior Lake community in attendance, including former players, coaches, families and many future generations of Lakers who made the trip to support the team.

Prior Lake opened the Class AAAA State Tournament on June 11 with a state quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Farmington. The Tigers took advantage of a pair of big innings and defeated the Lakers 10-1. Jaymin Eischens, Ryan Block, Miles Olson, Vineel Kandi and Tyler Carlson each collected hits for Prior Lake, while Colten Gunderson struck out five batters over three innings.

Although the loss ended the Lakers’ championship hopes, the season wasn’t over just yet. Prior Lake returned to the field on June 12 for a consolation game against Monticello at Palm Field on the campus of St. Anthony Village High School. Drew Brinkman drove in the tying run as the Lakers battled back to even the score at 2-2 before Monticello scored the eventual game-winning run in the fifth inning to earn a 3-2 victory. Miles Olson turned in a strong effort on the mound as Prior Lake’s memorable season came to a close.

The results at state may not have gone the way Prior Lake had hoped, but they did not take away from what this team accomplished. The 2026 Prior Lake Lakers baseball team became the first in program history to win a section championship and qualify for the state tournament while advancing further than any team before it.

The support from the Prior Lake community was evident throughout the postseason. From packed crowds during the section championship round at Veterans Field at Memorial Park to the sendoff at Prior Lake High School and the large turnout at CHS Field, the excitement surrounding the program’s run was impossible to miss.