Photo courtesy of Curt Schake. The 2025 Lakeview baseball team consists of Dakota Cowell, Dylan Caron, Jace Danielson, Kyler Post, Mason Luepke, Landyn Listul, Braylon Breyfogle, Easton Schmidt, lan Taylor, Jared Louwagie, Logan Herrick, Blake Peltier, Brooks Smith, Chase Vogel, Christian Sannerud, Gavin Manning, Karson Nelson, Jared Bot, Hunter Fry, Dominic Beavers, Connor Moseng and Teagan Neuman.

COTTONWOOD — The Lakeview baseball team is returning nearly the entire roster from a year ago, and will look to develop as the season progresses to better its record from last season. 

The Lakers finished their 2024 season 1-13 overall, with their win coming over Renville County West on May 3, 10-6. Lakeview’s season came to an end with a 10-0 loss to Dawson-Boyd in the Section 3A Tournament North’s subsection first round. 

“Where we’re at is we’re just trying to get a feel for what’s our best defense out there when ‘X’ pitcher is pitching, and we’re getting close to that,” Lakeview head coach Curt Schake said. “We’re hitting the ball pretty well as a team, but just improving defensively and winning some of these close games, instead of losing because of errors.” 

Lakeview brings back its entire roster this season, besides graduating Joe Caron, Oliver Marquardt and Tucker Fiene. The Lakers are led now by seniors Dylan Caron, Kyler Post, Dakota Cowell and Jace Danielson. 

Fiene was last year’s leading pitcher, finishing with allowing 40 hits, 34 earned runs, 26 walks with 15 strikeouts in his 23 innings pitched. Kyler Post followed with 17 innings on the mound, throwing 11 walks and 12 strikeouts with 60 hits and 35 earned runs. 

Braylon Breyfogle also had some pitching appearances through 13 innings last season, allowing 43 hits and 45 earned runs with 20 walks and 13 strikeouts. 

In Lakeview’s first four games this season, currently sitting 0-4, Breyfogle and Teagan Neuman have led the time on the mound so far. 

“I expect we will see some wins as our defense matures,” Schake said. “We got a lot of young kids out there … But, as a team, just coming together and playing cleaner baseball.” 

Through Breyfogle’s eight innings pitched as of Friday, he has thrown 10 strikeouts and seven walks, alongside 14 hits and 10 earned runs. Neuman follows with six innings for 10 hits, seven earned runs, five walks and four strikeouts. 

“Braylon Breyfogle, who is a junior, he’s kind of our horse on the mound … And one of our better hitters on the team,” Schake said. “Honestly, our next leader is our freshman Teagan Newman. He started about half of the year last year and this year, he’s one of our pitchers, infielders and catchers … He’s a very smart ball player.” 

Post, Danielson, Logan Herrick and Caron have also seen some time in the circle so far. 

Batting-wise last season, Breyfogle led the Lakers with a .364 batting average. He finished the year with a team-high 12 hits, six RBI’s and four runs. 

Fiene followed with a .286 batting average, with eight hits and three RBIs. 

Breyfogle currently leads Lakeview at the plate again this season through the first few games. So far, he’s tallied eight hits and one RBI in his 13 at-bats with a .615 batting average. 

Herrick and Neuman follow, each with a .467 batting average currently. The two each have seven hits, with Herrick leading with five RBIs. 

Schake said Nueman and Caron will split catching duties this season. 

The Lakers will be without Jared Louwagie this year due to injury. 

“He [Louwagie] would have helped us out at first base, a tall 6-foot-4 first baseman and left-handed hitter. It’s unfortunate for him, but we won’t see him this year due to a knee injury,” Schake said. 

The team is led by Schake with assistants Tim Helgeson and Brennin Aguirre. 

“I think right now, even though we’ve started out every game slow, meaning defensively we’re making errors and we do dig a hole, we are able to come back and make a game of it every time,” Schake said. “We don’t just play dead, and we don’t put her head between her legs and quit for the night. We actually play better as the night goes on, and that’s an attribute to the kids.”