Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

 Softball season is here.

Opening night is Monday for teams across the state and a trio of Your Prep Sports area teams with the rest of the area squads getting into the act on Tuesday.

The Your Prep Sports area is once again home to some of the best teams and top individual talent in the entire state.

Before the season gets rolling here is a quick look at a few Your Prep Sports area players to watch this season.

Carey Koenig

Senior, City High

Among the top players in the state Koenig will leave City High as one of the most decorated players in program history.

A five-year starter and multi-time all-state selection, Koenig was a Class 5A first team all-state selection last season after tying for the state lead with 12 home runs while homering once every 5.3 at bats.

The Drake recruit hit .484 and lead the Little Hawks with 20 extra-base hits and 37 RBI in 64 at bats.

Ayana Lindsey

Senior, City High

Maybe the best all-around player in the state Lindsey possess a unique and dynamic skill set that few prep players can match.

A Northwestern recruit, Lindsey is coming off a spectacular junior season in which she earned first-team Class 5A all-state honors and was named the MVC Divisional athlete of the year for the second straight season after hitting .500 with 39 runs scored, 31 RBI, 12 home runs and 18 stolen bases.

Lindsey also posed an 8-5 record in the circle with a 2.25 ERA and struck out 75 in 74 2/3 innings.

Ella Cook

Senior, City High

Cook joins Lindsey and Koenig to give the Little Hawks one of the best trios in the state.

A St. Thomas University recruit, Cook is one multi-talented weapon on a City High team loaded with talent.

Cook was a second-team Class 5A all-state pick last season when she hit .333 with seven home runs, 33 runs, 23 RBI and a team-high 15 walks.

A five-year starter Cook also went 8-0 with a 4.10 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings as a junior.

Kara Maiers

Senior, Liberty High

One of the biggest breakout stars of 2020, Maiers followed up a strong sophomore season with an impressive junior year in which she earned first-team all-state honors and emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers in the state.

The hard-throwing right-hander went 10-3 with a .76 ERA last season striking out 155 in 92 1/3 innings on her way to being named MVC Valley Division athlete of the year.

Maiers won eight of her final nine starts in 2020 and threw a perfect game and two no-hitters during that stretch with the only loss a 1-0 11-inning setback to eventual 5A champion Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Mischa Reiners

Freshman, Liberty High

Reiners burst onto the scene last summer as an eighth-grader providing an immediate impact in her first season of varsity action.

In her debut varsity season Reiners hit .397 with six extra-base hits and 13 RBI while posting a .440 on-base percentage.

Rylee Goodfellow

Senior, West High

Goodfellow is coming off the best season of her career last summer when she ranked second on the team with a .387 batting average and 19 RBI.

A MVC all-division pick, Goodfellow was second on the team with 29 hits and had six extra-base hits last season.

Gabrielle Bedford

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

Bedford emerged as a big-time run producer in the middle of the Clear Creek Amana lineup last season leading the Clippers in runs scored and ranking second on the team in RBI.

An all-WAMAC West Division selection, Bedford hit a team-high .429 last year with 23 runs scored and 25 RBI and led the Clippers with a .551 on-base percentage.

Bedford showed some pop at the plate last season with four-home runs among her team-high 13 extra-base hits.

Hilary Wilson

Sophomore, Solon

Just two years into her varsity career Wilson has already built quite a prep resume.

Wilson earned second-team all-state honors in Class 3A last season after following up a strong eighth-grade year with a stellar freshman season.

A slick-fielding shortstop, Wilson hit a career-high .513 last season and led Solon in runs (37), home runs (5) and RBI (39).

Nicki Henson

Senior, West Branch

Henson will attempt to lead West Branch in hits for an amazing fifth consecutive season this fall after hitting better than .485 for the third time in her career last season.

A career .470 hitter, Henson hit .500 a year ago leading the Bears with 15 runs scores and a .541 on-base percentage.

The speedy centerfielder also stole a team-high 13 bases last season.

Annie Gahan

Senior, Regina

Gahan did a little bit of everything last season leading Regina in 10 offensive categories while being named to the River Valley Conference Elite team for the first time.

A Kirkwood commit, Gahan hit .378 with four home runs and 15 RBI and also scored 21 runs and stole 24 bases for the Regals.

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