Sports - Hastings Journal

Carter Lundstrom took to the mound against Park of Cottage Grove and things went great for the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, an untimely error set the wheels in motion for Park to jump out to an 8-3 lead.

The Hastings Raiders Baseball team picked up their second win in eight games to move to 2-6 with a wild 11-8 win against Park of Cottage Grove on Apr. 22 before dropping two consecutive outings later … more

By Bruce Karnick | 5/2/25

Players and teams shuffled in the round robin tournament during the Hastings Pickleball Association’s first annual “dink off.”

Hastings Pickleball Association hosts dink-off

The pic-pock of pickleballs echoed across the courts of Roadside Park on Saturday, April 26 as the Hastings Pickleball Association hosted its first annual “dink off.” The event consisted … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 5/2/25

A lot of dirt and clay was moved to begin the concessions stand project at Veterans Park Baseball Field. The project could take a couple months to complete, so park visitors are asked to remain aware of the construction area and it is imperative that kids are not allowed to play in or around the foundation hole or the dirt piles at the site.

Work begins on concessions stand expansion at Veterans Park

After nearly two years of planning, the Hastings Hawks broke ground on Saturday, April 19th on their concessions stand expansion. The project is set to more than double the square footage of the … more

Staff Report | 4/26/25

HHS Raiders Archery Team at the 2025 Minnesota NASP State Championship L to R: Gabriel Dorham, Jack Myre, Dane Bruner, Alexander Stanton, Jaxson Leonard, Natalie Seefeld, Elliot Renneke, Lillie Shaleen, Jadon Mike, Noah Kaupang, Alan Perez-Silva, Logan Luskey, Thomas Noonan, Sophia Tate, Daria Boleen, Benjamin Stanton, Blossom Mwangi, Claire Nawrocki, Teaghan Asher and Lily Belisle

Raiders qualify for nationals in inaugural season

The Hastings High School (HHS) Raiders and St. Elisabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) Patriots Archery Teams competed in the 2025 Minnesota NASP State Championship – Bullseye and IBO/3D Tournaments on … more

By Bruce Karnick and Ryan Renneke | 4/26/25

Ben Ruedy serves to St. Thomas Academy’s Dante Ziperstein in the Raider’s Tuesday match last week. Ruedy fell 6-1, 6-3.

Boys Tennis falls to St. Thomas Academy, shows growth in tough match

The Hastings High School boy’s tennis team dropped a 1-6 decision to a strong St. Thomas Academy squad this week, but Head Coach Alex Zuzek saw reasons to be encouraged. “St. Thomas got … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/26/25

After having Raider alum Johnny Teigland behind the plate as a three-year starter, Collin McGuire made his varsity catching debut in 2025. The position is both physically and mentally demanding due to the beating the catchers take each game along with being the game manager, so McGuire has some big shoes to fill. Given time, he should step into those shoes nicely.

Young players display heart while gaining needed experience

The Raider baseball season has witnessed a very young group of players take on starting roles after the team graduated 18 seniors in 2024. This group of young men are learning via the School of Hard … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/26/25

Girls golf places fifth at Emerald Greens against conference foes

The Hastings Raiders girls golf team hit the links on Thursday, April 17, at Emerald Greens Golf Club in Hastings for a competitive multi-team invitational. The Raiders battled through gusty spring … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/25/25

Coach Matt Klein discusses strategies with Luke Kendall on Hole 7 at River Oaks Golf Club in Cottage Grove. Kendal turned in a seven over 78 for the day to help Hastings take second place behind Park of Cottage Grove.

A busy week for Boys Golf

It was a packed and competitive stretch for the Hastings Boys Golf team, with multiple meets that tested the Raiders against strong programs across the metro. The week started with a home invite at … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/25/25

Pickleball has become a very popular activity in Hastings with last year’s major renovation at the Roadside Park Tennis and Pickleball courts.

Pickleball hosts Spring Dink-Off

Pickleball fans and curious newcomers alike are invited to hit the courts for a special event hosted by the Hastings Pickleball Association on Saturday, Apr. 26. The event, held at the Hastings … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/25/25

At the start of the North St. Paul game, the varsity team welcomed their little sisters with a signed ball and their names introduced with their big sisters.

Softball bounces back, winning both games last week

A major, yet difficult factor in the success of high school sports is limiting strings of losses and the Raiders nipped their first two losses from the previous week quickly with a 10-1 thumping of … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/25/25

Charlie Jensen is known for his diving skills in the winter sports season before he turns his athleticism to tennis for the spring. Paired with Malachi Beal, the duo is expected to be the Raiders number one doubles team for the 2025 season.

Boys Tennis nearly aces Tartan

The Hastings Raiders boys tennis team kicked off their 2025 season with a home match against the always-tough Woodbury Royals, on April 8. The Royals aced the Raiders 7-0, but Hastings returned well … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/17/25

Golf withstands chilly weather

The boys started the competitive action on April 9 against Two Rivers at Gopher Hills. That match had a different format with the teams having two varsity teams, both Hastings teams topped the Two … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/17/25

Rachel Notch makes a toss to first in an attempt to log a double play. Aside from her solid defense, Notch was also responsible for a bases clearing three-run double in the fourth inning against Rosemount. Hastings fell 5-4.

Softball drops two close games

After a hot two game start of the season where the Raiders scored 25 points in two games while allowing only two runs, the girls dropped two close games to move to 2-2 for the start of the season. On … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/17/25

Early in the game, Tartan tried to create scoring chances and Hastings quickly shut them down. Here, the Raiders had a runner in a pickle with a great throw from Lauren Meyer to Clare Rieder to capture the out.

Raiders open softball season with a big win and a new leader

Despite wet field conditions and some early-season confusion, the Hastings Raiders girls’ softball team started their 2025 season with a bang on Friday, May 4. Taking on the Tartan Titans at … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/9/25

Charlie Meyers makes a soft hopping grounder look like a routine grab in the infield during the scrimmage against Lakeville.

It’s baseball season!

Mother Nature may not be able to figure out what she wants to do for the region, but if social media shows us one thing, fans are ready for baseball season. The Twins, the Saints, Colleges, the Hawks … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/3/25

Spring sports are officially in full swing, and the Raiders Track and Field team was the first team to get outdoors for their time trials. Park of Cottage Grove joined in the fun on a beautiful Thursday afternoon. The mile run was the first event of the day with both boys and girls running together.

Track and Field kicks off Spring Sports Season with Time Trials

Mile Spring sports are officially in full swing, and the Raiders Track and Field team was the first team to get outdoors for their time trials. Park of Cottage Grove joined in the fun on a beautiful … more

4/3/25

Aaron Wickboldt of Hastings Hoops Factory spoke to the Hastings Area Rotary Club about the Hoops Factory program last Thursday. The program has grown from 15 kids the first year to nearly 100 this year.

Hoops and heart

On any given Sunday evening in Hastings, while most families are winding down their weekends, Aaron Wickboldt and a handful of volunteer coaches are just getting started. Armed with a whistle, a … more

By Bruce Karnick | 4/1/25

Junior Trey Beissel led the Raiders with a 51-3 record this season falling to St. Michael / Albertville’s Lincoln Robideau in the championship round of the MSHSL State Wrestling Tournament in overtime. Beissel has one more season with Hastings to solidify himself in the record books as one of the best wrestlers to come out of Hastings.

Season Recap: Wrestling

The 2024-25 Hastings Raiders boys wrestling season has officially come to a close, and once again, the blue and gold left their mark on the mats across Minnesota. With grit, heart, and a relentless … more

By Bruce Karnick | 3/27/25

Alex Stanton, an eleventh grader at HHS, shot the school’s first perfect fifty scoring round in Bullseye.

Raider Achieves The School's First Perfect Fifty Scoring Round!

The Hastings High School (HHS) Raiders and St. Elisabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) Patriots Archery Teams traveled to Becker to compete in the Minnesota Region 3 – Bullseye and IBO/3D Tournaments. These … more

By Bruce Karnick and Ryan Renneke | 3/27/25

Thomas Foss was the lone Raider that made the trip to state. The best of the best competes at the state meet and Foss competed hard with his season ending in the preliminary rounds.

Season Recap: Boys Swim and Dive

The Hastings High School Boys Swim and Dive team closed out their 2024-25 season with plenty to be proud of, blending veteran leadership with emerging young talent under the steady guidance of Head … more

By Bruce Karnick | 3/27/25