Hayfield entered the 2020 season ranked fourth in Class 1A by Breakdown Sports Media. That means little in the Gopher Conference, however, where a fourth-place finish could be considered an accomplishment for the Vikings (1-1, 1-1).
New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, a Class 2A team, already has convincing victories over Maple River and Hayfield, while Waterville-Elysian-Morristown started the season ranked second in Class 1A by Breakdown Sports Media, and Blooming Prairie (3-1, 1-1) was ranked seventh in Class 1A. The latter faces Hayfield this week in a premier matchup.
The Vikings expect to rely heavily on pitcher Caitlyn Hendrickson, who recorded 12 strikeouts in a season-opening 5-4 victory over Medford on April 12, but struggled through an eight-run fifth inning three days later in an 8-0 loss to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.
Blooming Prairie's Bobbie Bruns (nine hits and two home runs in 13 at-bats) and Macy Lembke (six hits in 11 at-bats and four walks) will test Hendrickson and the Vikings.