Titans eye strong season under Schramm’s leadership

Rob Schramm enters his second season as head coach of the Tea Area High School baseball team, after previously serving as an assistant for three years. Assisting Schramm this season are Rick Willemssen, Chris Vasecka, and Trever Knettel.

Last season marked the Titans’ first in Class A, and they made an impressive run to the State Quarterfinals, where they fell just short in a 3-4 loss.

“The Class of 2024 had a great understanding of how to play the game the right way,” said Schramm. “They competed every time they took the field.”

The Titans graduated several key contributors from last year’s squad, including Clayton Schwebach, Boston Willemssen, Ethan Vis, Carter Turek, Mason Schramm, Nate Christensen, and Teagan Dedula.

However, a strong core returns, including Cole McKinney, Ben Vasecka, Jake Lingren, and Sam Werdel—though Werdel is currently sidelined with an injury.

“We hope our youth and pitching staff can carry us back to the State Tournament,” said Schramm. “Our youth and inexperience at the high school varsity level will hopefully be overshadowed by the many competitive youth games these boys have played.”

Now competing at the Class AA level, the Titans will face off against top-tier programs including Sioux Falls O’Gorman, Harrisburg, and Brandon Valley.

“I believe our team will grow very fast over the course of the short season,” Schramm added. “They’ve put a lot of time in with each other and on their own. The results will definitely be there.”

The 2025 Titans’ roster includes the following athletes:

Seniors: Ben Vasecka, Cole McKinney, Gavin Kolbeck, Jake Lingren, Jonathan Schlunsen, Sam Werdel

Juniors: Andrew Schmidt, Daschle Lowery, Landen Madsen

Sophomores: Avery Hangman, Bryson Prussman, Ethan Knettel, Landyn Johnson, Tyson Gilbert, Zach Pies

Freshman: Nate Hall

The Titans have already gotten their season underway with three games under their belt.

In a doubleheader against Harrisburg JV Gold on Thursday, April 3, the Titans split the series—winning the first game 5-2 before dropping the second 6-10.

On Tuesday, April 8, Tea Area secured a thrilling 5-4 walk-off win over Sioux Falls Washington. With the game tied at four in the bottom of the ninth, an error allowed McKinney to score the winning run.

Prussman earned the win on the mound, allowing just two hits and no runs over two innings, while striking out five and walking one. McKinney got the start, pitching five innings and allowing seven hits and three runs, with three strikeouts and two walks. Lingren also appeared in relief, recording three strikeouts and giving up two hits and one run.

Offensively, the Titans got hits from Vasecka, McKinney, Schlunsen (two), Pies, Hangman, and Gilbert.

The Titans will travel to Fargo to compete against the Fargo North Spartans on Friday, Apr. 11 for an 8 p.m. game. They will take on Red River JV Roughriders on Saturday, Apr. 12 at home at 3 p.m. and will be at Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Tuesday, Apr. 15.