One word best describes the Woodbury High School baseball team’s 2026 season: special.
Coach Kevin McDermott speaks highly of his players, not only as talents on the field, but as young men. “We walk around school with a little moxie, with our heads up. We say hello to people. We’re inclusive. We have great energy and participate in class. And our kids buy into that. The fact they are willing to get a bunt down for their teammate or willing to wear a pitch for their teammate. This shows their grit and willingness to do whatever it takes to move the line for the next guy.”
The Royals finished the 2026 season successfully as Section 4AAAA runners-up with a record of 22-9 overall (18-8 in conference), matching the second most wins in team history.
For senior shortstop Kai Larsen, it was not only sharing the middle infield with his younger brother that made this season special, but the idea that everyone on the team had one goal in sight.
For senior right-handed pitcher Stephen Loshek, it was a special team because of how a mix of seniors and younger guys came together with a focus on doing their job and executing the fundamentals with great team chemistry.
For sophomore catcher Hayden Wagner, the season was about seizing an opportunity to grow as a person and player, while sticking to the team’s core values of family, energy, and grit.
The core values were evident in how each player works on the diamond and shows up in the classroom. They talk about family and being inclusive of teammates and classmates. Each player is committed to bringing positive energy to practice and learning at school. They all have grit and are committed to doing their part to make the team successful.
“Stuff isn’t always going to go your way. You’ve got to figure out the little things you have to do to get yourself back to where you want to be,” said Larsen, who finished the year as All Conference with an impressive .473 batting average and 17 stolen bases.
Woodbury found themselves in a tough spot and needing some grit in the Section 4AAAA tournament. After winning the first game against Roseville Area, they suffered a 3-11 loss to Cretin-Derham Hall which placed the Royals in the elimination bracket where one more loss would end their season.
Head Coach McDermott’s team needed to do the fundamentals to keep the season alive.
“Grind out at-bats, then get on base, and apply pressure through bunting and base running and doing all those little things right. Then attacking the zone on the mound with our pitchers throwing strike 1 and strike 2,” he said. If his players are able to do their jobs right, Woodbury would find itself in position to win games.
The Royals did just that. They rattled off three straight wins against East Ridge, White Bear Lake Area, and Stillwater Area to win the elimination bracket and set up a rematch against Cretin-Derham Hall for the section championship.
Facing an early deficit, and the Raider’s highly-touted pitcher, Ike Crouser, Woodbury bounced back. They created runs and the Royals pitchers shut down the opposing team’s batters, leading to a 9-2 victory and forcing game 2 that same night.
Ultimately, Woodbury dropped that must-win second game with a score of 14-1, and ended their season.
The team’s values and grit bode well for next season. Larsen and Loshek, an all-conference honorable mention with three saves and 38 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched, will play baseball at the college level at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and Southeastern Community College, respectively. They both believe in the players coming up behind them. “We’ve got a lot of guys who made big impacts on the team this year who were really young…and the future Woodbury High School baseball looks really bright,” according to Loshek.
As Hayden Wagner enters his junior season, he’s prepared to build on his own all-conference season, where he hit .380 with 12 doubles, and be a leader on the team. “It is about sticking to the core values and bringing people up, always encouraging guys, even at their lowest. Always picking them up, always bringing the energy, and being there for them all the way through.”
With that kind of commitment, the future for the Royals looks bright indeed.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source woodburynewsnet.org ’
