Star Tribune baseball all-metro first team

Sam Carlson

P/OF/1B • Burnsville • sr.

The Metro Player of the Year is counted on to carry the Blaze, both with his arm and bat. Carlson is 5-1 with one save and a 0.67 ERA. The righthander allowed only 31 hits in 52 innings while striking out 76. At the plate, Carlson has hit seven home runs and is batting .493. He was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the second round of the MLB draft on Monday. College: Florida.

Seth Halvorsen

SS/P • Heritage Christian • jr.

A terrifying hitter who also can be overpowering on the mound. "A true five-tool player," Eagles coach Jon Ledeboer said. "Seth loves to face the highest competition." Batted .488 with a slugging percentage of .963. On the mound, struck out 112 batters in 54⅔ innings. College: Missouri.

Jack Kelly

One of the state's best signal-callers and power hitters. Batted .407 with 24 of his 35 hits going for extra bases. Had seven doubles, 12 triples and five home runs while driving in 41 runs. "When we needed a big hit from him, he came through," Knights coach Paul Schumm said. College: Northwestern.

Cameron Kline

P/OF • Forest Lake • sr.

Like his team, Kline has flown under the radar. Not only an outstanding pitcher, but also a solid outfielder and hitter. Posted an 8-1 record, 0.84 ERA. "He has the ability to rise to the occasion and pitch well in big games," Rangers coach Tal Gravelle said. "He understands how to compete." College: Minnesota State Mankato.

Max Meyer

"Max can an impact the game in all facets, with his defense at shortstop, his pitching on the mound, and his bat at the plate," Royals coach Kevin McDermott said. "He is flat-out a winner." Meyer is 9-1 with one save and a 0.77 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 72 innings, also hitting .433. College: Minnesota.

Will Oberg

P/1B • Wayzata • sr.

Oberg is 7-1 on the mound with a 1.07 ERA and has hit five home runs. "He's been an anchor to our lineup and has come through in the clutch on a routine basis," Wayzata coach Bobby DeWitt said. "His pitching this year has been phenomenal." College: Iowa Central.

Trent Palmer

"Trent does things on the mound that are mind-boggling, and his numbers back it," Tornadoes coach Shannon Blansette said. Went 5-2 with one save, ERA of 1.12. Struck out a school record 84 batters, including at least a dozen in a game three times, in 50 ⅓ innings. College: Jacksonville.

Jimmy Ramsey

OF/P • Minnetonka • sr.

Bounced back from a subpar junior year to have a spectacular senior season. The 6-7 Ramsey batted .500 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. As a pitcher, went 3-2 with one save and a 1.37 ERA. "He had a great season at the plate because of his discipline," Skippers coach Paul Twenge said. College: Oregon.

Sam Riola

The Bengals' success went hand-in-hand with Riola's development. Went 8-1 with one save and a 0.99 ERA. Also led the team in runs scored. "On the mound, in the field, Sam is a big reason we were able to get to 19 wins," Bengals coach Eric Feigum said. College: Bethel.

RON HAGGSTROM