The SDHSBA Class A baseball playoffs are finally here, and all eyes are on Brandon Valley. The Lynx are chasing history—not just a third state championship, but a chance to become the first repeat champion in a decade. No team has pulled off back-to-back titles since Brookings did it in 2015 and 2016.

Brandon Valley enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed, carrying a dominant 15-3 record against Class A competition and a 20-6 overall mark. Their title defense has been nothing short of impressive, and it all starts this weekend with a best-of-three series against No. 15 Sioux Falls Washington. Win that, and they punch their ticket to the state quarterfinals.

Head coach Jeremy VanHeel isn't taking anything for granted. "Washington's a good team," he said. "They have some good wins. We've played them. The ball bounced our way a few times when we played them that gave us some runs. We've got to go out and compete, play our game. You can't look ahead, can't do anything but play one game at a time, do what you do and we'll be fine if we compete."

What makes this Lynx squad so dangerous? Chemistry. This 2026 roster is built largely from the same core that won it all in 2025. They know each other's tendencies, strengths, and quirks—and that trust shows on the field. "We know each other so well," senior Bryton Stroh said. "We've been playing together since we were young. I just think that connection we all have together, it's really strong and we're able to play with each other and have fun."

But it's not just camaraderie driving this team. They've fully bought into VanHeel's system—a scrappy, aggressive brand of baseball that demands attention to detail on every pitch. It's what the coach calls the team's "purpose." "The purpose is we're all on the bus together, we're all going to compete, we're all going to do the little things," VanHeel said. "They're the expectations. If we all do our job, our one little role, then we're going to be good. We can't let that falter."

For Brandon Valley, the path to history is clear. One game at a time, one pitch at a time—and a decade-long drought could finally come to an end.