Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Mason Waterbury used a breakthrough junior season to establish himself as one of the top pitchers in the state.

On Thursday the postseason accolades began to roll in for the Liberty High junior pitcher after a stellar season.

Waterbury was named Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division athlete of the year on Thursday when the league released its postseason awards.

The junior left-hander posted a 10-0 record, .12 ERA and .67 WHIP while striking out 66 in a team-high 58 innings during his breakthrough season.

Waterbury was one of three unanimous first-team selections for Liberty High in the Mississippi Division joining Evan and Ryan Schmierer as unanimous first-team picks.

A senior outfielder, Ryan Schmierer hit .387 with 36 runs scored, 21 stolen bases and 23 RBI while posting a .453 on-base percentage.

Evan Schmierer, a sophomore second baseman, batted .365 with 27 runs, 22 stolen bases and 16 RBI.

Liberty High had five players named to the Mississippi Division second team after posting a 25-14 record and advancing to a 4A substate title game.

Seniors Jayden and Jackson Khamphilanouvong and Liam Bender and juniors Cooper Hughes and Andrew Olthoff were all second-team picks.

Jayden Khamphilanouvong was a second team pick as a catcher after hitting .253 with six extra-base hits and 21 RBI while Jackson Khamphilanouvong was a second-team utility selection after hitting .312 with five doubles eight RBI and 19 runs scored.

Bender was a second team pick as an infielder after hitting .289 with eight extra-base hits, 12 RBI, 19 walks and 18 runs scored.

Hughes earned second-team honors as an infielder following a season in which he batted .350 with 21 RBI and 22 runs scored.

Andrew Olthoff was named to the second team as a pitcher after posting a 5-2 record with a 2.12 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Seniors Landon Peoples and Landon Chandler were both honorable mention selections for Liberty High.

City High had seven players named to the Valley Division teams.

Junior Jaxton Schroeder was a unanimous first-team pick for the Little Hawks as a pitcher after going 6-1 with a 1.94 ERA and .81 with 48 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings.

Schroeder also hit .392 with 16 extra-base hits and 21 RBI.

Seniors Jake Mitchell and Kael Kurtz and juniors Talon Young and Drake Obermueller were all selected to the Valley Division second team.

Young was a second team pick as a pitcher after going 6-2 with a 1.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 45 strikeouts in 61 innings.

Mitchell was a second-team utility selection after he posted a 4-0 record with a .88 ERA and .92 WHIP with 28 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings while hitting .303 with 10 doubles and 19 RBI.

Kurtz and Obermueller were both second team picks as infielders.

Obermueller batted .330 with 23 RBI and 22 runs scored and Kurtz hit .321 with 18 RBI and 24 runs scored.

Seniors Max Waldschmidt and Johannes Boevers were both honorable mention picks for City High.

West High seniors Luke Ernst and Zach Logsdon were both honorable mention picks in the Valley Division.

Mississippi Valley Conference All-Division Baseball Teams

Mississippi Division

First team – P: *Mason Waterbury, Jr., Liberty High; Foti Rigopoulos, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert. C: *Bode Nagelmaker, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert. Corner INF: *Colin Coonradt, Sr., Cedar Falls; Drew Francois, Jr., Dubuque Senior. Middle INF: *Evan Schmierer, Soph., Liberty High; *Kamren Franois, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Jack Casey, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier. OF: *Tait Tierney, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie; *Ryan Schmierer, Sr., Liberty High; *Will Specht, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert. UTIL: *Andrew Hamlett, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; *Reece Reints, Sr., Cedar Falls

Second team – P: Fletcher Yates, Jr., Cedar Falls; Andrew Olthoff, Jr., Liberty High. C: Jayden Khamphilanouvong, Sr., Liberty High. Corner INF: Cooper Hughes, Jr., Liberty High; Alex Kirman, Sr., Dubuque Wahlert. Middle INF: Maddux Mueller, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Liam Bender, Sr., Liberty High; Easton Felderman, Soph., Dubuque Senior. OF: Brandon Cummer, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Tyler Schamberger, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie. UTIL: Jackson Khamphilanouvong, Sr., Liberty High; Tate Proskovec, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Honorable mention – Dash Shortway, Jr., Cedar Falls; Luke DeGabriele, Sr., Cedar Falls; Dayten Guy, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Konner Lake, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Kam Volz, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Jordan Woodhouse, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Preston Lang, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Jon Ramos, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Noah Lawler, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Sam Weber, Sr., Dubuque Senior; JP Ebert, Fr., Dubuque Wahlert; Joe Huinker, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Landon Peoples, Sr., Liberty High; Landon Chandler, Sr., Liberty High

Athlete of the year – Mason Waterbury, Jr., Liberty High

Coach of the year – Kory Tuescher, Dubuque Wahlert

Valley Division

First team – P: *Grant Mather, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; *Jaxton Schroeder, Jr., City High; C: Brett Harris, Soph., Western Dubuque; Tayvon Homolar, Sr., Waterloo West. Corner INF: *Nolan Grawe, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Tanner Anderson, Jr., Western Dubuque. Middle INF: *Matthew Stoltenberg, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; *Jackson Mishler, Sr., Linn-Mar; *Reed Strohmeyer, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead. OF: Lincoln Meyers, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Justin Potts, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Dylan Muszynski, Jr., Linn-Mar. UTIL: *Colton Duerling, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; *Jaxon Kramer, Sr., Linn-Mar.

Second team – P: Talon Young, Jr., City High; Tate Fassler, Jr., Linn-Mar. Corner INF: Ty Donels, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Drake Obermueller, Jr., City High. Middle INF: Kael Kurtz, Sr., City High; Jake Goodman, Sr., Western Dubuque; Erich Rinderknecht, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington. OF: Jacob Doyle, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Charlie Sarsfield, Fr., Linn-Mar; Colin McDermott, Sr., Western Dubuque. UTIL: Jake Mitchell, Sr., City High; David Fason, Soph., Cedar Rapids Washington

Honorable mention – Trevor Scott, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Jace Scott, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Caden Stock, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Isaac Hotchkiss, Jr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Gage Bishop, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; James Wood, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Max Waldschmidt, Sr., City High; Johannes Boevers, Sr., City High; Luke Ernst, Sr., West High; Zach Logsdon, Sr., West High; Toby Cruz, Jr., Linn-Mar; Bridger Schmidt, Fr., Linn-Mar; Myles Gardner, Jr., Waterloo West; Brady Dean, Jr., Waterloo West; Hunter Quagliano, Sr., Western Dubuque; Clayton Lindecker, Sr., Western Dubuque

Athlete of the year – Nolan Grawe, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Coach of the year – Brett Hoyer, Cedar Rapids Kennedy

*- Unanimous selection

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