April Schedule

May Schedule

STA Baseball Twitter feed @STAbaseballMN

Tryout dates have been moved, the first day will now be March 9th (conditioning only) and full participation will be March 16th. 

Tryouts will be held every weekday after school starting March 9th and ending March 20th. The first week is for "throwing and conditioning only" and bats will not be allowed per MSHSL rules.

The policy for spring break regarding tryouts is as follows: all athletes who are trying out for high school teams are expected to be at every day of tryouts the week of March 16th. Players who will be missing any days of tryouts for the week of March 16th will not be penalized, but should keep in mind that those who are in attendance will have the advantage of practicing with coaches and teammates for those additional days. Anyone who will be missing the entire week of the 16th due to spring break will get an additional 3 days the following week to earn a roster spot.

Every Tuesday and Thursday from Sept 15th through Oct 1st, the 2021 captains will be leading a completely optional "open-field" style practice at the varsity field after school.

These practices are open to all STA baseball players who are planning on playing in the spring of 2021.

Additional info regarding winter captains practices will be posted in the coming weeks.

Saint Thomas Academy Baseball Alumni
Congratulations to all the Cadets listed below who furthered their education and baseball careers:

All STA high school baseball players will once again have a program to participate in for the 2021 summer season. 2020 was the first year of our in-house training program and was the baseball home to over 50 players, and we plan to have even bigger numbers for 2021. The program will likely involve a hybrid in-house training schedule as well as an abbreviated 15U or 16U competition schedule starting immediately after the school season ends. Sign-ups for the program will take place during the school season.

In addition to the open-field captain-led practices in September, the state high school league has approved a fall practice season for all spring sports. Practices will be held right after school between October 5th and 24th. Additional information and exact practice times will be sent via TeamSnap. To be added to the baseball communications list, please email Coach Kelly at mkelly@cadets.com

Senior OF/P Zach Klemz -- "Zach is the kind of leader that defines the culture of STA baseball. He will do anything it takes to help each player and the program as a whole reach its full potential both on and off the field. His natural leadership is evident when you see him go out of his way to push his peers to get better and coach our younger players between his own workout and practice routines." - Coach Kelly

Senior INF Joe Middleton -- "As level-headed as they come, Joe is the kind of leader that the young guys should aspire to be. With a great work ethic and a never-say-never attitude combined with a unique skillset, he has proven his ability to outwork anyone to earn a spot on the field while still making time to create a positive, welcoming environment for our younger players" - Coach Kelly           

Senior P/UTIL Tristin Thilmany -- "Tristin is the definition of "lead by example". 2021 will be his fourth season on a varsity roster and for good reason. He can play any position and look comfortable doing it. Other coaches on the staff have described him as the Swiss Army Knife because he possesses all the tools we look for in a ballplayer. You'd never know if he just had the best or worst game of his career, because his only concern is the result of the team." - Coach Kelly                       

Senior SS Jordan Young -- "There's a reason he was voted a captain unanimously by his peers for the 2021 season. Jordan is a great ballplayer with his speed on the bases, a strong arm and good range in the field, and power to all fields at the plate. But his 4.28 GPA is another reason he is fielding calls from prestigious schools nationwide. He is STA baseball's definition of a well-rounded student-athlete and we're excited to see what he will do on the diamond in 2021 and beyond." - Coach Kelly

Matt Kelly

 Head Baseball Coach
 mckelly@cadets.com

 Education 
 B.A. in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas

 Biography
 The 2021 season will be Kelly's third year running the program, coming off a 2019 Class AAA State Championship, and a Class AAA Academic All-State Championship in 2020, despite losing the season to COVID-19. With four players returning from the state title squad in 2019 and an impressive group of fresh talent, expectations remain high as the Cadets look to add to recent success. Coach Kelly will once again oversee baseball at all levels at STA, including the summer programs for the fourth straight year. 

"I'm so proud to be able to tell people I coach at STA. The baseball program takes a great deal of pride in the boys' commitment to the game, their teammates, their coaches, and to creating a great atmosphere for all involved. Every one of our boys is a wonderful example of what it means to be a Cadet: dedicated, selfless leaders. We have a lot of talented ballplayers, but what stands out the most is how the upperclassmen embrace their leadership roles and show our younger guys what it means to be a part of St. Thomas Academy Baseball, and how our young guys take advantage of every opportunity to learn from these leaders. The future of STA baseball is very bright"

Favorite Baseball Memory: 

Cadet Baseball has given me a lot to look back on in the last few years, but nothing beats winning a 1-0 game at Target Field.

Favorite Book:

Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success

Favorite Quote:

"If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward" - John Wooden

scott applebaum

Scott Applebaum - JV Assistant Coach, Executive Administrative Assistant

Coach Applebaum has been teaching the game of baseball for over 35 years, and has 15 years of STA baseball experience as either a coach or parent. His two sons (Drew '13 and Sam '18) both played baseball at the academy, while his youngest son Wil ('21) is currently a captain of the swim team. 

As the Executive Administrative Assistant, Coach Applebaum assists in all off-field aspects of the baseball program including equipment, transportation, communications, events, and purchases. Scott has been a vital piece in creating a top-tier culture within STA baseball, including the 2019 State Title run. He is also the resident food critic among the coaching staff.

MIKE NIELSEN

jake dick

Head 9th Grade Coach
Bio & contact info coming soon!

Jon Engeswick

Varsity Pitching Coach

Coach Enge will return in 2021 for his 12th season leading the pitchers at STA. In those years he has seen many of his pitchers go on to pitch at the collegiate and pro levels. His sons Joe ('13) and JT ('15) played baseball and graduated from the Academy. As a player, Jon pitched for four years at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. 

Favorite baseball memory: Winning a state title 1-0 at Target Field

brian meyers

Varsity Assistant Coach

Coach Meyers will return to the Varsity staff in 2021 for his third season in his current position, and his sixth season with STA baseball. Meyers has been Coach Kelly's assistant for all six years at the Academy, starting with the Freshman team in 2016. A 2013 graduate of rival Cretin-Derham Hall, Coach Meyers has proved that he has changed his allegiance by helping lead the Cadets to their first ever State Championship in 2019. Coach Meyers serves as the first base coach while assisting with hitters and outfielders.

Greg "mono" Monahan '81

 10th Grade Assistant Coach
 mono14@comcast.net

Biography
With as deep of roots as you'll find at the Academy, a member of Coach Mono's family has been a student-athlete or teacher at the Academy for nearly 100 years, dating back to 1923. In his playing years, Mono was a three-sport athlete playing football, hockey and baseball, where he served as a captain on the ice and the diamond in his senior year. His coaching career began on the ice during the '81-'82 season, a role in which he continued throughout his battle with cancer through the '91 season. He returned to the Academy in 2008, where he has coached defensive backs in football and goalies on the ice in addition to his various positions on the baseball staff. He is the only member of the baseball coaching staff inducted into the Father Denny '53 STA Athletic Hall of Fame.

"I consider myself very fortunate to have been coaching for close to 39 years and the majority of that time, I’ve been at my two alma-maters, University of St. Thomas and Saint Thomas Academy. Coaching at STA is uniquely special in its own right, but stepping on the field or ice with the sons of some of my best friends and classmates from STA, well, that is even more special. As time continues on, I’m now in the phase of coaching sons of kids I once coached, pretty special indeed! Carry High the Blue and White!!! "

Bobby thompson

Head 10th Grade Coach

Coach Thompson graduated from the Academy in 2014 after leading the pitching staff during his time on the diamond. He returned to the Academy to coach the 15AAA teams from 2016-2019 before moving on and taking over the West St. Paul Challenger Legion team in 2020. He spends his offseasons as a coach and instructor for Great Lakes Baseball Academy. He graduated with a B.S. in Marketing and Accounting from Iowa State University in 2018 before earning his M.A. in Sports Management from Concordia University - St. Paul in 2020.

Dylan welter

Varsity Assistant Coach

Coach Welter will return for his third year on the STA coaching staff in 2021. Welter was previously a pitcher and catcher at the University of St. Thomas after graduating from rival Cretin-Derham Hall in 2012. Now a standout for perennial title contender St. Paul Capitals in Minnesota Class A, Coach Welter is a hands-on coach who leads by example. Welter coaches infielders and assists Coach Engeswick with pitchers.