The Fight Never Left: Hi-Liners’ Season Comes to a Close ⚾

The 2026 season came to a close Tuesday night in Casselton as the Valley City Hi-Liners fell to Carrington 6-4 in regional tournament play, ending a season that felt fittingly symbolic of the team itself — gritty, emotional, competitive, and never short on fight.

For much of the spring, the Hi-Liners lived right around the .500 mark, alternating wins and losses through the back half of the season in a stretch that perfectly reflected the rollercoaster nature of the year. Valley City rarely stayed down for long, but they also never quite found the consistency needed to fully break through in a loaded Region 3 field.

Still, there was plenty to admire about this group.

After falling behind 3-0 early Tuesday, the Hi-Liners answered with a four-run third inning that showcased the toughness they displayed all season long. Aggressive baserunning, timely hitting, and pressure baseball helped Valley City briefly take a 4-3 lead. Luke Praska delivered the biggest swing of the inning with a two-run double, while the Hi-Liners continued to manufacture offense any way they could.

Carrington eventually reclaimed control with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but Valley City continued battling late into the game, putting runners aboard and forcing pressure situations until the final outs were recorded.

The season now closes with the Hi-Liners saying goodbye to three seniors who helped steady the program through the highs and lows of the spring: Corbyn Powell, Jack Samuelson, and Matthew Holm.

Powell and Samuelson were heavily involved again Tuesday night, with Powell collecting multiple hits and Samuelson adding a hit, stolen bases, and strong defensive play in the infield. More importantly, the senior class helped provide leadership for a younger roster that showed flashes throughout the season of what it could become moving forward.

This wasn’t a perfect season. The Hi-Liners would likely admit that themselves. Defensive miscues at times proved costly, and consistency remained elusive from week to week. But there was also resilience, energy, and competitiveness that never disappeared — even when adversity showed up.

For a team that spent much of the year trading punches, splitting games, and learning on the fly, the Hi-Liners never stopped competing. And for a program still building toward sustained postseason success, that foundation matters.

Sometimes growth doesn’t arrive wrapped in championships. Sometimes it shows up in toughness, response, and the willingness to keep battling until the final inning. ⚾

Seniors - Matthew Holm, Jack Samuelson & Corbyn Powell