Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: John Nemmers of St. Edmond is batting nearly .500 as a junior so far this season.

The second season begins now for the St. Edmond baseball team.

And it all starts in their own backyard at Rogers Park.

For the first time in several years, the Gaels will host Class 1A, District 4 action, taking on West Bend-Mallard here Saturday night.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

“We have a lot of things going our way, with the exception of how we’ve been playing as of late,” SEHS head coach Mike Szalat said. “We have a great opportunity to advance and play at home in the next round if we are lucky enough to do so.

“Things set up pretty well, but we need to take advantage of it.”

John Nemmers, a junior, leads the Gaels at the plate, batting just under .500 on the year. Nemmers is also the team leader in RBI, with senior Landon Bartlett second.

Bartlett and sophomores Hayden Derrig and JT Laufersweiler are hitting over .300, while junior Johnny Dickerson leads the team in steals.

Senior Emanuel Perry, juniors Tyler McDowell and Jackson Palmer, and Derrig have earned wins on the mound. Perry and Derrig lead the team in strikeouts.

For the Wolverines, Noah Link and Houston Nielsen are hitting over .400. Link, a sophomore, and Nielsen, a freshman, are part of a very young nucleus that includes three juniors, three 10th-graders, three ninth-graders and an eighth-grader.

On the mound, Link leads the team in strikeouts. Mitch Stevens is second and Nielsen third.

The Gaels have won all three recent meetings in the series, including a 9-6 victory in 2018. They also won 3-0 in 2016 and 14-7 back in 2013.

“We have to hold ourselves accountable,” Szalat said. “That includes myself. We need to make some changes and do things differently if we want to continue playing.”

Rogers Park will also be the site for the quarterfinal between the winner of St. Edmond/West Bend-Mallard and West Hancock/West Fork. That game is set for Tuesday.

On the top side of the bracket sits Mason City Newman, who will play either North Iowa or Lake Mills in the quarters. The semifinal is scheduled for Mason City on July 9.

Alta-Aurelia plays South O’Brien, GTRA meets North Union, Bishop Garrigan hosts Hartley-HMS and MMCRU faces Harris-Lake Park in District 3, with the district champions meeting July 12 for a spot in the 1A field.