Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

City High put an exclamation point on a wild season on Wednesday securing its first trip to the state tournament since 2003 with its second consecutive walkoff win of the postseason, a 4-3 substate final victory over Linn-Mar.

The Little Hawks won’t take the field at Principal Park until next week but on Thursday morning they already began reaping the rewards of their breakthrough season.

City High had six players earn Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors, highlighted by a pair of first-team selections, when the league released its postseason honors.

City High sophomores Gable Mitchell and Carter Seaton were both first-team picks while senior Garrett Bormann and sophomore Cade Obermueller were named to the Mississippi Division second team.

Mitchell was a unanimous first-team selection in the Mississippi Division after leading the Little Hawks with a .439 batting average, three triples, 16 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

The sophomore shortstop scored 15 runs and led the Little Hawks with a .522 on-base percentage.

Seaton earned first-team honors after a breakthrough sophomore campaign in which he hit .400 with 12 runs scored and eight RBI.

Bormann, a senior infielder, and Obermueller a sophomore outfielder and pitcher were each second team selection in the Mississippi Division while seniors Reese Hayden and Kolbe Schnoebelen earned honorable mention honors.

West High and Liberty High each had a pair of players named to the Valley Division first team.

Liberty High senior Jacob Norris was a unanimous first-team pick while fellow senior Nolan Frey was also a first-team selection in the Valley Division.

Norris hit .426 with a team-high seven doubles and led the Lightning with 16 runs scored while driving in 11 runs.

Frey hit a team-leading .434 this season with three doubles, a triple and a team-best 17 RBI.

The Lightning had a trio of players named to the Valley Division second team in senior infielders Sam Funke and Tyler Dahm and junior pitcher Ethan O’Donnell.

Senior infielders Alec Boldt and Isaac Bender each earned honorable mention status for Liberty High.

West High junior Marcus Morgan was a unanimous first team Valley Division selection for the second consecutive season.

Morgan went 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA, striking out 34 in 22 innings and also hit .294 with a home run and eight RBI while scoring a team-best 20 runs.

Ben VanderLeest was also a first-team pick in the Valley Division after a strong senior season.

VanderLeest posted a 1-3 record and 3.21 ERA in a team-leading 28 1/3 innings on the mound and led West High with a .432 batting average and ranked second on the team with 12 RBI.

Senior infielder Will Hoeft earned second-team honors for the Trojans while seniors Mason Dains and Collin Leavy were honorable mention picks.

Mississippi Valley Conference All-Division Baseball

Mississippi Division

Athlete of the year – Nick Banowetz, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Coach of the year – James Nelson, Cedar Rapids Prairie

First team – Gage Flanscha, Jr., Cedar Falls; Drew Hoth, Jr., Cedar Falls; *Cole Smith, Jr., Dubuque Senior; *Gable Mitchell, Soph., City High; Carter Seaton, Soph., City High; *Zach Barden, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Isaac Gomez, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Jaxson Cooper, Sr., Waterloo East; Calvin Harris, Sr., Western Dubuque; Sawyer Nauman, Jr., Western Dubuque; *Casey Perrenoud, Sr., Western Dubuque; *Nick Banowetz, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Jack Lux, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Second team – Max Steinlage, Soph., Cedar Falls; Johnny Blake, Sr., Dubuque Senior; Gavin Guns, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Ben Hefel, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Garrett Bormann, Sr., City High; Cade Obermueller, Soph., City High; Bronx Lewis, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Collin Rickertsen, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Xander Bauler, Sr., Waterloo East; Payton Quagliano, Sr., Western Dubuque; Tyler Dupont, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Ben Kisting, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Logan McDermott, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Honorable Mention – Brody Bartlett, Jr., Cedar Falls; Isaac Bauer, Jr., Cedar Falls; Drew Zillig, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Ben Gourley, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Reese Hayden, Sr., City High; Kolbe Schnoebelen, Sr., City High; Luke Hougen, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Hunter Williams, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Jabari Dobbs, Soph., Cedar Rapids Washington; Reid Ortiz, Soph., Cedar Rapids Washington; Mitchell Sage, Sr., Waterloo East; Justin Thomas, Fr., Waterloo East; Ben Bryant, Sr., Western Dubuque; Carter Kluesner, Sr., Western Dubuque; Alex Neal, Soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Jaxon Rexroth, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Valley Division

Athlete of the year – Andrue Henry, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead

Coach of the year – Jeff Rapp, Dubuque Hempstead

First team – *Coy Sarsfield, Jr., Linn-Mar; *Marcus Morgan, Jr., West High; *Jacob Norris, Sr., Liberty High; *Tommy Specht, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; *Devin Eudaley, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; *Andrue Henry, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Ben VanderLeest, Sr., West High; Mitch Fordyce, Jr., Waterloo West; Dylan Davis, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Zac Stallman, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Mason Behn, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Nolan Frey, Sr., Liberty High; Logan Runde, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead

Second team – Lucas Willman, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Kane Deutmeyer, Jr., Linn-Mar; Sam Funke, Sr., Liberty High; Brayden Dolphin, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Kellen Strohmeyer, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Charlie Jaeger, Sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Will Hoeft, Sr., West High; Tyler Dahm, Sr., Liberty High; Ethan O’Donnell, Jr., Liberty High; Zach Sabers, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Jake Brosius, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Jared Walter, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Mondre Lagow, Sr., Waterloo West

Honorable mention – Colin Streff, Jr., Linn-Mar; Carson Recker, Jr., Linn-Mar; Bennett Cutsforth, Sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Matthew Schmitz, Sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Mason Dains, Sr., West High; Collin Leavy, Sr., West High; Sam Moore, Jr., Waterloo West; Max Paxton, Sr., Waterloo West; Dylan McVeigh, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Kaden Haller, Soph., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Max Pins, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Michael Garrett, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Alec Boldt, Sr,. Liberty High; Isaac Bender, Sr., Liberty High; Max White, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Drew Schaefer, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

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