Kole Anderson named to the All-Conference baseball team

New Viking head basketball coach Keaton Riley works with the players.

Kole Anderson ended his fall football season by being named to the All-District First Team and he finished his spring baseball season by being the only Vikings named by area coaches to the Polar League All-Conference baseball team.

He will represent Cook County in a Polar League All-Star game on June 21, at 1:00, at Wade Stadium in Duluth.

The hard-hitting junior led the team in home runs and when he wasn’t behind the plate catching, he was on the pitcher’s mound pitching relief. His quickness and arm strength make it hard for runners to steal bases when he’s behind the plate, and that same arm strength makes him a force for batters to hit when he’s on the mound.

Viking Head Baseball Coach Arleigh Jorgenson had this to say about his hard-working catcher.

“It was clear from a young age that Kole would develop into an all-star. He could hit with power, and he loved it. As a youngster, he would come to the High School field and want coaches to pitch to him so that he could swing and swing and swing.

“He was also an obvious selection to catch because of his strong arm. He is difficult for runners to steal on. And, he has developed into a rock back there, blocking errant pitches very, very well.

“His batting average for the season was 346, his on base percentage was .390, his slugging percentage was 596. He hit two doubles, one triple, and three homeruns, driving in 12 runs. He emerged as a closer on the mound. In 7.1 innings, he earned two saves, struck out 14 batters, and finished with a 1.9 earned run average.”

Anderson has one more year left to play football and baseball for the Vikings, and it should be a very exciting year, one that will give college coaches a lot to think about when they recruit him.