Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The start of the state softball tournament is just a few days away.

Solon will represent the Your Prep Sports area at the state tournament after completing one of the most improbable postseason runs in the state this summer.

The unranked Spartans scored 23 runs in three regional games to return to Fort Dodge for the first time since 2016.

Before the state tournament gets underway on Monday at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge Your Prep Sports takes a moment to look back at some of the best performances, players, moments and games and to hand out some awards following another amazing season for area teams.

Best individual pitching performance: Lily Nibaur against West Liberty. The best performance in a freshman season full of strong efforts from Nibaur was a 1-hit, four-strikeout, 95-pitch effort in a 2-1 win over Class 3A No. 11 West Liberty.

Best individual pitching performance part II: Kaelyn Rickels against Cedar Rapids Jefferson. This game didn’t garner a ton of attention but one of the best pitching performances of the season came from Rickels in a 1-0 win over the J-Hawks in game two of a doubleheader as the junior right-hander allowed just three singles on 96 pitches in a complete game shutout.

Best individual offensive performance: Anneke Nielsen against Mount Pleasant. Nielsen had the best season of her career this summer and the best game for the senior first baseman came in an 11-4 win over Mount Pleasant when Nielsen went 4-for-5 with four doubles, five RBI and two runs scored.

Best individual offensive performance part II: Lizzie Pasbrig against Keokuk. Pasbrig had a huge sophomore season, hitting .385 with seven home runs and 57 RBI, thanks to days like she had against Keokuk when she went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and six RBI in a 14-4 win.

Best individual all-around performance: Kyla Schulte against West Delaware. Schulte did it all as Clear Creek Amana put the finishing touches on a doubleheader sweep of the Hawks with an 8-1 win in the nightcap. Schulte went 3-for-3 with a grand slam and seven RBI and also earned the win in the circle striking out two while tossing three innings of one-hit softball.

Best clutch performance: Kendall Jensen against Center Point-Urbana. Jensen actually pitched better in a regular season meeting with the Stormin’ Pointers when she fanned 10 in a four-hitter but the clutch performance came with the season on the line as Jensen allowed three runs on eight hits in seven strong innings and also had an RBI single in a 4-3 Spartan win in the Region 6 title game.

Most impressive stat line: Lanie Meyer against Dubuque Wahlert. In a doubleheader sweep of Class 3A state qualifier Dubuque Wahlert Meyer was perfect at the plate as the Liberty High junior first baseman went 6-for-6 with three doubles, two home runs, six runs scored and six RBI.

Biggest upset: City High over Liberty High. Just two days after downing Class 4A fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier the Little Hawks pulled off another upset with a 5-2 win over 5A eighth-ranked Liberty High behind a complete game, five-strikeout performance from junior pitcher Lance Grulke-Mangrich.

Best game: Solon against Center Point-Urbana. This had all the drama expected of a regional final between a pair of conference rivals. Down to its final strike twice, Center Point-Urbana tied the game with back-to-back two outs hits in the top of the seventh inning before Solon scored the game winner on a Laeni Hinkle infield single in the bottom of the inning.

Best comeback: West Branch against Tipton. In an all-time comeback West Branch answered a seven-run seventh inning by Tipton with seven runs of its own in the bottom of the inning and earned a 13-12 win over the Tigers on Jordan Waters’ game-winning single.

Biggest hit: Keegan Kleppe against Center Point-Urbana. Freshman Laeni Hinkle was credited with the game-winning hit in the 4-3 regional final win over Center Point-Urbana but it was Kleppe that came up with the game’s biggest hit ripping a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a leadoff triple to set the stage for Hinkle’s game winner.

Breakthrough player of the year: Liberty High sophomore Ava Tague. Tague flashed her massive potential during a breakthrough sophomore season in which the sophomore third baseman hit a team-leading .467 and led the Lightning in doubles (25), extra-base hits (27), on-base percentage (.500) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.311) while ranking second on the team with 39 RBI.

Most reliable player: Regina senior Gabby Sueppel. The one constant in the Regina lineup for the past five seasons has been Sueppel who made 158 consecutive starts during a career in which the slick-fielding shortstop helped Regina win 103 games, make three state tournament trips and win two Class 2A state titles.

Most improved player: West High sophomore Cecilia Sterba. One of the most improved players in the state this season Sterba went from hitting .127 with no extra base hits last year as a freshman to hitting .304 with seven extra-base hits, a home run and 10 RBI this season and led the Trojans with a .430 slugging percentage.

Most consistent player: Liberty High senior Brynlee Slockett. Few players have produced at a high level as consistently as Slockett who hit better than .320 and had at least 10 extra-base hits, 29 runs and 15 RBI in all four seasons as a starter. A Northern Iowa recruit, Slockett hit .374 scored 39 runs, stole 16 bases had 12 extra-base hits and drove in 16 runs this season.

Most fun player to watch: Liberty High senior Haley Schroeder. At the plate, in the field or on the bases no one plays harder than Schroeder which makes the explosive Liberty High shortstop a joy to watch. A Drake recruit, Schroeder is a big play waiting to happen any time she is on the field and hit .324 with 15 extra-base hits and 28 RBI.

Bounce back player of the year: City High junior Avy Lindsey. A .409 hitter as a sophomore Lindsey saw her production dip last season but bounced back in a big way this summer hitting .286 with a career-high 20 extra-base hits including seven home runs and 26 RBI.

Unsung hero: Solon junior Izzy Frees. The offensive numbers were again solid for Frees as she hit .388 with 15 extra-base hits, 34 runs scored and 19 RBI but also made the mid-season switch from center field to shortstop and helped the Spartans reach the state tournament by going 6-for-10 with four extra-base hits, six runs scored and two RBI in three postseason wins.

Comeback player of the year: Clear Creek Amana sophomore Brenna Williams. After tearing her ACL eight games into last season Williams bounced back with a big-time breakthrough season this summer hitting .358 with seven doubles, 32 runs scored and 22 RBI.

Breakout star: City High sophomore Molly Carlson. Carlson was in her first two varsity seasons hitting .302 with 25 extra-base hits, nine home runs and 50 RBI in the last two seasons combined. This season Carlson showed why she’s one of the best catchers in the state hitting .364 with 21 extra-base hits, 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 19 walks and an OPS of 1.193.

Under the radar standout: Solon junior Addie Miller. On a Solon squad filled with underclassmen Miller quietly continued to establish herself as one of the most productive hitters in Class 3A posting a second consecutive season with an average over .400 (.407), at least six home runs (6) and 30 or more RBI (34).

Best finish to a career: West Branch senior Alyse Klinkkammer. Talk about ending on a high note, Klinkkammer took her game to an entirely different level in her final prep season. A .340 hitter during her sophomore and junior seasons combined, Klinkkammer hit a career-best .476 this season while posting career highs in extra-base hits (11), RBI (14), stolen bases (8) and on-base percentage (.526).

Coach of the year: Liberty High’s Hannah Cole. In her first season as head coach at Liberty High Cole guided the Lightning to a 23-12 record, the second-highest winning percentage in program history (.657) and a regional title game appearance.

Rookie of the year: Liberty High eighth-grader Ellie Tague. In her first varsity season Tague stepped into the role of ace on the Liberty High staff and flourished, posting an 11-3 record, 3.03 ERA and 1.41 WHIP while striking out 46 in 106 1/3 innings.

Rookie of the year part 2: City High eighth-grader Eve Vitense. A starter from opening day of her debut season Vitense didn’t perform like a first-year player hitting .351 with five extra-base hits, 19 runs scored and 13 RBI.

Rookie of the year part 3: West High eighth-grader Savannah Mathias. The emergence of Mathias was a major bright spot for a young West High quad this season as the shortstop hit a team-high .368 and the Trojans in hits (32), runs (12), walks (7), stolen bases (12) and on-base percentage (.415) in her debut campaign.

Newcomer of the year: Liberty High junior Lanie Meyer. In her first season in a Liberty High uniform Meyer provided some major pop in the middle of the order batting .363 while leading the Lightning in home runs (12), RBI (41) and slugging percentage (.814).

Silver slugger: City High junior Lianna Hull. A four-year starter and career .499 hitter Hull continued to build her resume as one of the best pure hitters in the state posting a fourth consecutive season with an average over .450 as the smooth-swinging shortstop hit .489 with 14 extra-base hits, two home runs, 30 runs scored and 11 RBI.

Gold glover: Regina senior Avery Kies. A .490 hitter for the Regals, Kies may have been even better in the outfield than she was in the batters box as the Indian Hills commit used a combination of speed and arm strength to establish herself as one of the top defensive outfielders in Class 2A.

Cy Young: Clear Creek Amana sophomore Elizabeth Timmerman. Timmerman followed up a strong freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign going 13-5 with a 2.15 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while striking out 82 in a career-high 92 innings. The sophomore right-hander walked just 17 and opponents hit just .217 off Timmerman who also hit .314 with 22 RBI.

Most valuable player: Liberty High senior Mischa Reiners. A five-year starter Reiners was the forefront of the most success stretch in Liberty High history. Reiners helped the Lightning post four straight seasons of at least 23 wins, win 115 games over the past five seasons and reach the regional title game four times. This season Reiners was at her best, hitting a career-high .436 with 18 extra-base hits, two home runs, 38 RBI and a 1.126 OPS. A Kirkwood commit, Reiners is a stellar defensive catcher that finished her career with 213 hits and 133 RBI.

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