Photo by Jake Olson: Back Row: L-R Blake Rathman, John Carr, Elliott Flohrs, Reagan Emmert, Griffin Studer, Bowan Sill: Front Row: L-R Talin Thate, Carter Werner, Jonah Moeller, Landon Schneider. Not Pictured: Lane Kruse, William Rossow, Cash Becker, Wyatt Jaskulke

TRUMAN – Last season’s final record didn’t tell the whole story for head coach Jordan Petschke and the Granada Huntley East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther baseball team.

Out of the 13 Jaguar losses, five came from three runs or fewer. Whether it was a handful of untimely errors or shortcomings with runners in scoring position, GHEC/T/ML’s season came down to magnified mistakes more than anything.

“We just lost too many close games,” Petschke said. “The 6-5’s, the 3-2’s, where we more often than not shot ourselves in the foot. Whether it was bad base running or an errant throw, it cost us the win. Could have been in the fifth [inning], could have been in the third, it was just that one mistake.”

Petschke hopes to make up for these losses with a returning group of experienced individuals this spring, despite the departures of four impactful seniors – Braeden Shell, Carson Hasted, Isaac Taplin, and Carter Langford. Petschke called Shell and Hasted his pitching “workhorses.”

“They [Braeden and Carson] were three-year guys for me, sophomore and up. Braeden [played on varsity], from a freshman on up,” Petschke said.

Griffin Studer highlights the Jaguars’ senior class, which is versatile enough to play anywhere on the field. The 2025 All-Sentinel Baseball recipient finished last season with a .345 batting average and .425 On-Base percentage, racking up 17 RBIs and four home runs in the process. He also gave the Jaguars 21 innings on the rubber, which will only increase this year.

“He will be a guy we definitely have to lean on at the plate, in the field and throwing for us,” Petschke said. ” But he will be that guy that’s sort of an overall leader, along with the other seniors, to keep us in it.”

Reagan Emmert brings back the fourth most innings pitched for Petschke, and will jump up to one of the top spots in the rotation along with Studer. Both Emmert and Studer have started on varsity the past two seasons.

Lane Kruse is poised to add some solid catching experience behind the plate, calling balls and strikes, while Elliott Flohrs will see a bump in the lineup after earning rotation minutes last season.

“[I want them to] keep the dugout where it should be,” Petschke said of his senior class. “In years past, the ’23 and ’24 class, we were always top 6. We’d always see June and Mankato in those playoffs. …We need those seniors to know what the status quo is, that we are expecting to get to June and one of the last teams in our section.”