It's been 19 months since Hudson Ohm committed to the University of Minnesota, and in that time, the future Gopher has only gotten better. As his senior year winds down with just a week and a half remaining, Ohm is focused on making every moment of his final high school baseball season count—while also preparing for the next big step.
The Zumbrota-Mazeppa standout recently capped a memorable career with a major honor: landing on the cover of the Breakdown Sports Media 2026 Season Guidebook for Minnesota High School Baseball, where he was also named Preseason Player of the Year. "To be honest, I had no clue," Ohm said. "I saw it on my club ball team's Instagram story, and I was pretty happy. It's pretty cool to see. We have the book at our house, so to keep that for years to come will be something special."
On the mound, the 6-foot-2 pitcher/outfielder has been nothing short of dominant. Sporting a 4-0 record and a 1.40 ERA, Ohm has racked up 52 strikeouts against just 11 walks across 25 innings. And he's just as dangerous at the plate, hitting .383 with 17 hits—including two home runs and three triples—14 runs scored, eight RBIs, and a .638 slugging percentage.
His latest gem came on May 7 against Caledonia, last season's Section 1, Class 2A runner-up, where he fanned 13 batters—just shy of his single-game season high of 15 and career best of 17. It's the kind of performance that has defined his four-year varsity career.
Z-M head coach AJ Yusten has known Ohm for over 15 years—long before he became his coach. Yusten, who has been part of the Cougars baseball program since he was 16, even babysat Ohm as a young child. Now, as his teacher and coach, Yusten sees a player who has taken a major leap this season. "He's a super fun-loving young man," Yusten said. "He's always been intense on the mound, but this year he's really fine-tuning his craft. I'm excited to see him on the trajectory he's on—and to watch him the rest of this season and beyond."
Baseball runs in the Ohm family. His dad played in college, and his older brother Preston is a redshirt freshman at the University of St. Thomas. With those role models, Ohm has developed his own training routine, which includes working at The Yard in Rochester with local pitching legend Mitch Brown. He even has a pre-game ritual that keeps him locked in.
As his farewell tour with the Cougars continues, Ohm is proving that the best is yet to come—both on the high school diamond and, soon, for the Gophers.