Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – The first two varsity seasons at Liberty High have gone almost exactly to plan.

Liberty High won 11 games in its debut season in 2018 with a roster filled almost entirely with underclassmen.

Last season the Lightning more than doubled that win total going 23-18 in its first season in Class 4A.

If Liberty High continues its recent trend of meeting internal expectations the Lightning could be in for another big breakthrough in year three.    

“I think we are right where we want to be,” Liberty High senior Nolan Frey said. “We have had the experience of playing against some really good competition and we have held or own but I think this year we are really excited to excel.”

It is easy to see why expectations at Liberty High are at an all-time high.

Liberty High returns its roster nearly entirely intact from a team that went 16-14 a year ago in its first season in the Mississippi Valley Conference and advanced to a Class 4A substate semifinal.  

For the first time in program history the Lightning have their own home field and a full senior class headlined by returning all-stater Frey and featuring four players that hit over .300 last season.  

Combine those factors with a pitching staff that is expected to rank among the deepest in the state and the vision that coaches and players hd four years ago seems to be coming into focus.

“I think we are right on pace,” senior infielder Tyler Dahm said. “Starting this program four years ago we thought by the time we were going into our senior year we could compete with anyone in the state and we still believe that.”

After playing a non-varsity season in 2017 the steps have come steadily for the Lightning in two varsity seasons.

The next step is a biggie as Liberty High attempts to go from a fifth-place finish in the MVC Valley Division to a conference title and a state tournament appearance.

“We had great growth last year and now I have basically my entire lineup back and this is a big test for us, can we make that step,” Liberty High coach Tom Cronk said. “We went from the low end of the conference to last year we were in the middle and now we feel like we can compete for a conference title which is what we were hoping and then get to Des Moines.”

The pieces appear to be in place for another big jump this season.

Frey headlines a roster that returns loaded with talent and varsity experience.

A second-team all-state pick a year ago, Frey hit a team-leading .431 with 23 extra-base hits and led the Lightning with 42 RBI.

One of several three-year starters, Dahm hit .355 in an injury-shortened season a year ago and joins junior Keian Secrist (.343) and seniors Cayden Duhaime (.328) and Sam Funke (.318) as returners that hit over .300 a year ago.  

“We have been really excited for this year ever since the school opened our freshman year,” Frey said. “It’s been something that we have been looking forward to and I think we have a really unique situation where we have all been playing together at the varsity level which doesn’t happen a lot and we are really excited for this year.”

Even with essentially every piece of offensive production returning the biggest strength for Liberty High should be a pitching staff as deep as any in the MVC.

Frey, Secrist and junior Ethan O’Donnell and senior Jacob Norris all return after working more than 38 innings last season.

Norris emerged as a top of the rotation starter last season posting a 2-3 record and a 3.68 ERA in 38 innings while Secrist went 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA.

Combined those are two powerful right-handed arms at the top of the rotation.

O’Donnell was 3-2 with a 3.99 ERA in 47 1/3 innings last season and Frey went 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA in a team-leading 49 innings.

Cronk is also excited about the addition of senior Jonah Warren who missed last season with an injury.

With the regular season shortened to four weeks by the coronavirus pandemic that limited teams to just two weeks of preseason practices pitching will be key for many teams.

For Liberty High the depth of arms will play a key role in a potential championship run.

“Ethan O’Donnell has made great strides, Jonah Warren is healthy for the first time and I feel really good about 10 guys that we are going to have which I think can be a huge advantage especially with the structure we are going,” Cronk said. “I think that depth will really carry us through especially these first two weeks.”

The Lightning won’t have to wait long to see where they stack up.

After single games against City High and Cedar Rapids Washington the Lightning host defending 4A state tournament teams Western Dubuque and West High in consecutive doubleheaders.

“Our goal is to go to Des Moines and we believe that we can get there,” Dahm said. “We just have to play our game and we believe that we can compete with anyone out there.”

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