Team: Winona State Warriors
Conference: NSIC
College Level: NCAA D2
2021 Overall Record: 22-20
Location: Winona, MN
Head Coach: Kyle Poock
Assistant Coaches: Patrick Reilly
Key Returning Position Players
Derek Baumgartner is a high energy catcher who has really improved not only as a player, but a leader during his time at Winona. We expect him to lead our pitching staff from behind the plate this spring.
Carter Brinkman has really turned himself into a great baseball player. He hit the weight room hard and his offensive numbers show that.
Nick Herbst continues to get better in centerfield and at the plate over time. We expect him to lead our offense from the top of the order.
Key Returning Pitchers
Dillon Whittaker is Mr. Consistent in everything he does. He has a very team first attitude and we expect him to continue to throw big innings for us.
Nick Herold is coming off an All-Star season in the Northwoods. He has developed himself into one of the best relief arms in all of D2 baseball.
Cameron Kramer really came into his own last year. He really hit the weight room hard and has turned himself into a very confident rotation pitcher. We expect him to continue to progress and throw in big games for us.
Bailey Banaszynski really came on strong for us last spring. He has changed his body after working hard in the weight room and we feel that will allow him to pitch deeper in games.
Justin Firpo has taken to ball in various roles for us during his time and he isn’t afraid of competition. We expect him to be a very valuable arm for us regardless of the role.
What things did you see from the team in the fall?
Great to have the guys back on campus. They are a hard working bunch of young men and we look forward to the competition of the NSIC conference.
What was the focus during the fall for the team?
Getting better everyday and really understanding not only how we practice, but the effort level that is needed to be successful.
What are the expectations and goals for the team entering the season?
We hope to compete throughout the year and be playing our best baseball at the end of the season.