Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Summer isn’t quite here yet but baseball season is already in full swing.

Baseball season opened for teams across the state on Monday with every team aiming for a trip to Principal Park in Des Moines for the state tournament.

As the season heats up here are nine area players to watch.

Luke Ira, Solon

Senior, Shortstop

Ira is coming off a monster junior season in which he hit .511 and ranked third in the state with 71 hits.

The South Dakota State recruit was a Class 3A first-team all-state pick a year ago after leading Solon in runs (54), doubles (14), home runs (6), RBI (39) and stolen bases (17).

Ira also went 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA while striking out 52 and walking 16 in 55 1/3 innings pitched.

Braden Houston, West High

Senior, Pitcher

After a breakthrough junior season in which he ranked second in Class 4A in wins, Houston will look to cement his status as one of the state’s top hurlers.

The right-hander posted a .89 ERA and 9-1 record while logging the fifth most innings in 4A with 63.

Houston fanned 60 and walked 20 a year ago while earning second team all-state honors.

Travis Reyhons, City High

Senior, Shortstop  

The top returning hitter in the Little Hawk lineup Reyhons will look to build on a breakthrough junior season in which he led City High with 50 hits.

Reyhons gives City High some speed (26 stolen bases), some pop (11 extra-base hits) and some run production (48 runs, 31 RBI) at the top of the order.

Last season Reyhons hit .360 with six doubles and two home runs.

Blake Berns, Regina

Senior, Outfielder

Berns was a first-team all-state pick a year ago after hitting .374 and leading Regina with six home runs and 44 RBI.

The senior outfielder ranked second on the team with 30 runs and nine doubles and led the Regals with a .664 slugging percentage.

Jason Strunk, West High

Junior, Outfielder

With the top three hit leaders from last year’s potent West High lineup lost to graduation Strunk will look to pick up the slack with his best season yet.

Already a two-year starter Strunk has eight home runs and 63 RBI in his first two prep seasons.

A powerful athlete that played defensive tackle on West High’s 4A runner-up football team, Strunk hit .350 with five home runs and 25 RBI last season as a sophomore.

Cam Miller, Solon

Sophomore, Pitcher

One of the top freshman pitchers in the state last season, Miller closed his strong varsity debut season by posting a .58 ERA and striking out 10 in a pair of postseason starts.

The 6-foot-2, right-hander posted a perfect 8-0 record and a sparkling .67 ERA in a team-high 62 2/3 innings last season while striking out 67 and walking 20.

When he’s not anchoring what should be a strong Spartan rotation Miller will be a key part of the Solon lineup after batting .297 with 12 RBI a year ago.

Ryne Schooley, Regina

Senior, Pitcher

Schooley established himself as one of the top pitchers in Class 2A last season after posting a 7-1 record and 2.24 ERA in 56 1/3 innings.

The left-hander ranked 10th in Class 2A with 85 strikeouts a year ago while allowing just 28 hits and 27 walks.

Schooley is also a threat in the batters box, hitting .361 with 23 RBI and 29 runs.

David Jensen, Clear Creek Amana

Senior, Catcher/Pitcher

A versatile piece of the puzzle for Clear Creek Amana expect Jensen to show up all over the diamond for the Clippers this season.

Jensen hit .287 a year ago and led Clear Creek Amana with 30 runs, 15 stolen bases and a .472 on-base percentage.

He also posted a 4.67 ERA and struck out 32 in 36 innings pitched a year ago.

Tanner Lukavsky, West Branch

Sophomore, Shortstop/Pitcher

Lukavsky emerged as one of the top underclassmen in the River Valley Conference last season with a strong freshman season in which he led the Bears in most offensive categories.

As a freshman Lukavsky led West Branch in batting average (.392), hits (29), runs (16), extra-base hits (6) and was second with 10 RBI.

Lukavsky also posted a 2-1 record and 2.66 in 29 innings on the mound while striking out a team-high 36.