The Prior Lake baseball team has hit the ground running under first-year coach Zach Hendrikson.

The Lakers are off to their first 4-0 start since 2019, including an 8-4 victory in eight innings at Burnsville in South Suburban Conference play April 15.

Prior Lake opened the season with three league wins— 4-2 at Apple Valley April 8, 4-1 at Eagan April 10 and 9-7 at home to Rosemount April 11.

Hendrikson is the fifth coach at Prior Lake in the last 55 years. Coming over from Simley, he inherited a team with a lot of starting pitching back from last year’s squad that finished 9-14 overall last year, 6-12 in the SSC.

Against Apple Valley, senior Hudson Johnson worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs while striking out 11. Junior Michael Schulte got the save, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

Prior Lake scored two runs in the sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead. Senior Linus Fleek led the offense, going 3 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Junior Ben Snider and junior Jaeger Solid both had a hit and an RBI.

In beating Eagan, Snider struck out 13 in 5 2/3 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits. Senior Caden Loy earned the save getting the final four outs of the game with one strikeout.

Prior Lake scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Senior Hayden Anthony had a solo homer for the Lakers, while scoring two runs.

Fleek finished 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, while Solis also doubled. Senior Jackson Golberg finished 2 for 4 with an RBI, while senior Michael Totten also drove in a run.

Against Rosemount, the Lakers scored four runs in the fifth inning to grab a 9-4 lead and held on from there. Ninth grader Mason Golberg got the win on the mound with four innings of work, allowing two runs with four strikeouts.

Senior Lou Brandt got two outs for the Lakers in the fifth inning, allowing two runs. Junior Dylan Kulper pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (two earned), while Schulte got the save getting the final two outs of the game.

Senior Brody Stephany led Prior Lake at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored. Anthony went 1 for 2 with an RBI and three runs scored.

Jackson Golberg, Fleek and junior Nikhil Kandi each had RBIs. Senior Drew Burley and junior Hunter Onson both had a hit and a run scored.

In beating Burnsville, Prior Lake scored a run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 4-4, held the Blaze scoreless in the bottom of the frame, before scoring four times in the eighth to grab the a four-run lead.

Schulte got the win in relief, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Senior Greg Schonhoff pitched a scoreless eighth inning, fanning two batters.

Johnson got the start for the Lakers and went five innings, allowing one unearned run with five strikeouts. Loy pitched one-third of an inning, giving up three runs.

Kandi went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored at the plate for Prior Lake. Burley also doubled and drove in a run, while Solis was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Anthony finished 2 for 5 with an RBI, while Fleek drove in two runs. Jackson Golberg, Totten and Onson each had one RBI.

Prior Lake and Shakopee have a conference game at Target Field in Minneapolis April 25. The game will follow the Minnesota Twins’ game with the Chicago White Sox, which starts at 12:10 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and include admission to the Twins/White Sox game.

The first round of Section 2AAAA play starts May 27 with the title game set for June 5. Minnetonka is the defending champion.

The first two rounds of the Class 4A state tourney will be held June 13-14 at CHS Field in St. Paul. The title game is June 17 at Target Field in Minneapolis. East Ridge is the defending champion.