Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Opening night for the high school softball season is Monday with teams around the state hitting the field for the first time.

Once again the Your Prep Sports area should feature some of the top teams and players in the state this season.

As the games get underway we take a look at players in the Your Prep Sports area to keep an eye on this season.

Haley Schroeder

Senior, Liberty High

A four-year starter for the Lightning the senior shortstop is coming off a breakthrough junior season in which she earned Class 5A second-team all-state honors after ranking fourth in 5A with 15 doubles and 55 runs scored.

Schroeder is a career .375 hitting with 42 extra-base hits, 115 runs scored and 75 RBI and had the best season of her career last summer.

A Drake recruit, Schroeder hit .400 with 23 extra-base hits, six home runs, 26 stolen bases and 24 RBI last season.

Lianna Hull

Junior, City High

Hull continued to establish herself as one of the most productive players in the state last season following up a strong freshman season with a stellar sophomore campaign in which she earned second-team Class 5A all-state honors for the second year in a row.

A three-year starter, Hull is a career .501 hitter and has scored 139 runs and stolen 73 bases in three varsity seasons.

Last season Hull led City High in batting average (.452), hits (47), runs (33), triples (3), stolen bases (17) and on-base percentage (.517).

Kyla Schulte

Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana

In her first season as a starter Schulte quickly made her presence felt at the plate and in the circle.

Schulte earned third team Class 4A all-state honors last season following a breakthrough freshman season in which she established herself as one of the top young two-way player in the state.

Schulte hit .373 with a team-high eight home runs last season while driving in 24 runs and scoring 26 times.

She also went 9-8 with a 4.25 ERA and struck out 46 in a team-high 89 innings pitched.

Avery Kies,

Senior, Regina

A spark at the top of the Regina order the past two seasons Kies has played an important role in helping the Regals claim back-to-back Class 2A titles.

Kies is coming off the best season of her career last summer when she hit a career-high .403 with 28 stolen bases and 13 RBI and a .493 on-base percentage.

An Indian Hills recruit, Kies led Regina with 20 walks and 50 runs scored last season while earning all-River Valley Conference South Division honors.

Brynlee Slockett

Senior, Liberty High

Another four-year starter for the Lightning Slockett teams with Schroeder to give the Lightning one of the best middle infield combinations in the state.

The senior second baseman earned third-team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association last season after batting .395 with four home runs, 39 runs scored, 31 RBI and 17 stolen bases.

A Northern Iowa recruit, Slockett is a career .355 hitter with 10 career home runs among 39 career extra-base hits and has driving in 69 runs and scored 111 times in her four-year career.

Alyse Klinkkammer

Senior, West Branch

In her second season as a full-time starter Klinkkammer emerged as a key contributor for West Branch in the field, at the plate and in the pitchers circle.

Klinkkammer earned second team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors last summer after putting together the best season of her career.

Last season Klinkkammer hit .313 with a career-high 24 runs scored, nine doubles and nine RBI while also posting a 5.60 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched.

Mischa Reiners

Senior, Liberty High

One of the top catchers in the state Reiners is a rare five-year starter that has been a stalwart behind the plate for the Lightning since her eighth-grade season.

As good as Reiners is defensively behind the plate, and at third base, the Kirkwood Community College recruit is equally impressive at the plate.

A career .387 hitter, Reiners has 51 career extra-base hits including 35 career doubles and 95 career RBI.

Last season Reiners hit .314 with nine doubles, 18 runs scored and had a team-high 40 RBI while helping the Lightning to a 23-14 record and a spot in the regional title game.

Reese Stockman

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

A leader on a young Clipper team Stockman has been an impressive producer in the middle of the Clipper lineup since her eighth-grade season.

Stockman earned all-state honors for the second straight season last summer, collecting third-team Class 4A status after hitting .429 with 18 runs scored and 23 RBI while posting a .522 on-base and .571 slugging percentage.

A five-year starter, Stockman is a .348 career hitter with 92 career RBI, 82 career runs scored and 36 extra-base hits.

Addie Miller

Junior, Solon

Miller followed up a solid freshman season with a breakthrough sophomore year in which she earned second-team Class 3A all-state honors after leading Solon in home runs and slugging percentage.

In her second season as a full-time starter Miller hit .412 last summer with eight home runs, 19 extra-base hits, 33 RBI, 20 runs scored and a .714 slugging percentage.

The junior catcher/first baseman is a career .384 hitter with 10 home runs and 59 RBI over the past three seasons.

Molly Carlson

Sophomore, City High

Carlson impressed in her debut season as an eighth-grader two years ago hitting .250 with five home runs and 23 RBI but the breakthrough came last summer when she emerged as a force behind the plate on defense and in the middle of the Little Hawks batting order.

The sophomore catcher hit .368 last season and led City High with eight doubles, 13 extra-base hits, 27 RBI, 15 walks and a .600 slugging percentage and ranked second on the team with a .478 on-base percentage.

Elizabeth Timmerman

Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana

Like her teammate Schulte, Timmerman burst onto the scene last year as a freshman while emerging as a dynamic two-way player.

Timmerman hit .395 with 11 extra-base hits, 19 RBI and 23 runs scored while posting a .458 on-base percentage and .547 slugging percentage.

Timmerman was even more impressive in the circle where she went 8-4 with a 2.83 ERA while striking out 53 in 86 2/3 innings.

Gabby Sueppel

Senior, Regina

A mainstay in the Regina infield since her freshman season Sueppel is coming off a breakthrough junior season in which she earned first team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors and was a member of the Class 2A state tournament all-tournament team.

The senior shortstop hit a career-best .319 last season while also establishing career-highs in hits (37), runs (23), RBI (21) and doubles (5) while helping Regina to 30 wins and a second consecutive Class 2A state title.

Izzy Frees

Junior, Solon

Frees was in the varsity rotation as an eighth-grader but had her breakthrough season last summer as she emerged as a key utility player on a Solon team that won 24 games.

The two-way standout went 7-3 with a 2.37 ERA and two saves in 47 1/3 innings pitched and also hit .378 with four home runs, 26 RBI and 28 runs scored last season.

Frees owns a career 2.93 ERA in 186 1/3 innings pitched and is a career .338 hitter with 51 career RBI.

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