Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Summer may still be a few weeks away but baseball season has arrived.

The prep baseball season in Iowa officially gets underway on Monday with the first day of games for teams around the state.

Your Prep Sports area teams are set to open the season on Monday and the area should once again be home to some of the best baseball in the state.

Before first pitches are tossed on Monday here is a look at players to watch this season in the Your Prep Sports area.

Adam Bowman

Senior, City High

Bowman burst onto the scene in his first varsity season last summer ranking in the top 10 in Class 4A in ERA while helping City High win its first ever state title.

The hard-throwing right-hander went 7-1 with a .99 ERA and .99 WHIP while striking out 51 in 49 1/3 innings.

A Johnson County Community College recruit, Bowman held opponents to a .205 batting average last season as a junior allowing just 39 hits and 10 walks in 49 1/3 innings.

Evan Schmierer

Senior, Liberty High

A three-year starter Schmierer has been at the center of an impressive two-year run for Liberty High that includes 57 wins a Class 4A state quarterfinal appearance last season.

Schmierer is coming off the best season of his career last summer when he batted .353 while leading the Lightning in hits and runs and ranked second on the team in on-base percentage and stolen bases.

A second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-Mississippi Division pick last season, Schmierer hit .353 with 48 runs scored, 20 RBI, 21 stolen bases and a .464 on-base percentage.

Schmierer is a career .354 with 43 career stolen bases and 75 career runs scored.

Will Litton

Junior, Regina

Already a three-year stalwart in the Regina rotation Litton cemented his status as one of the top pitchers in Class 2A last season with a dominant sophomore season that saw him earn first team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors.

In his first two varsity seasons combined Litton owned a 2.19 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 83 innings.

Last season the 6-foot-5 right-hander was even better, posting a 5-1 record and 1.37 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP while striking out a career-high 54 in 41 innings.

Litton also hit 407 with 10 extra-base hits and 18 RBI while posting a 1.022 OPS.

Maddox Kelley

Junior, Solon

Among the top infielders in Class 3A Kelley followed up a strong freshman season with a stellar sophomore campaign.

The junior shortstop led Solon in batting average, hits, runs, extra-base hits, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS last season on his way to being a first team all-WAMAC East Division pick.

Kelley batted .418 with 14 extra-base hits, including three home runs, scored 39 runs and drove in 22 runs.

In his second varsity season Kelley posted a .609 slugging percentage and 1.085 OPS.

Eli Nolte

Senior, West High

In his first season as a full-time starter last season Nolte emerged as key piece of the West High lineup ranking second on the team in both hits and RBI while helping the Trojans to a 19-20 record.

Nolte batted .323 with five extra-base hits, 24 runs scored, 26 RBI and a .778 OPS on his way to earning honorable mention all-Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division honors.

A Black Hawk Community College recruit, Nolte ranked posted a .401 on-base percentage and ranked second on the team in stole bases last season and also posted a 2.00 ERA in seven innings pitched.

Garrett Sotzen

Junior West Branch

After getting his feet wet at the varsity level two seasons ago as a freshman Sotzen emerged as one of the top young two-way players in the River Valley Conference with a breakout sophomore season last summer.

Sotzen led West Branch in batting average, extra-base hits, home runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS during a sophomore season that saw him earn first team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors.

Sotzen, batted .362 with seven extra-base hits, including two home runs posting a .464 on-base percentage and a 1.015 OPS while driving in 13 runs and scoring 16 runs.

He also went 2-3 with a 4.89 ERA and 37 strikeouts in a team-high 44 1/3 innings pitched.

Owen Harms

Senior, West High

Harms stepped into a larger role both in the infield and in the pitching rotation last season and flourished in both spots helping West High to a 19-20 record.

A Luther College recruit, Harms went 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 26 2/3 innings pitched last season striking out 22.

At the plate Harms just as effective batting .351 with five doubles, 21 RBI and 10 runs scored.

Harms posted a .500 on-base percentage and ranked second on the team with a .919 OPS as a junior.

Paxton Bell

Senior, City High

A dynamic athlete Bell emerged as a diverse force for City High all over the field during the Little Hawks run to the 4A state title last summer.

In his first season in the City High lineup Bell led the Little Hawks in both home runs and stolen bases as City High went 33-9 and won the 4A state title.

Bell batted .323 with 11 extra-base hits including five home runs, drove in 21 runs, scored 21 runs and stole a team-high 25 bases.

A Des Moines Area Community College recruit, Bell is an impressive defensive outfield and should see his offense numbers soar this season.

Pryor Reiners

Junior, Liberty High

Reiners made quite a debut last summer while establishing himself as one of the top young talents in the state.

In his first varsity season Reiners hit .351 with seven doubles, 26 RBI, 22 runs scored and 20 walks while helping Liberty High to a 32-10 record and a spot in the Class 4A state tournament.

Reiners earned first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors after after posting a .439 on-base percentage and .842 OPS as a sophomore.

Luke Young

Junior, Clear Creek Amana

With the graduation of seven senior starters from last season there will be production to be replaced in the Clear Creek Amana lineup and Young is a prime candidate to fill those spots.

Already a two-year starter, Young is coming off a strong sophomore season in which he batted .323with 26 RBI and 19 runs scored and should see those numbers rise this season.

A career .340 hitter over the past two seasons Young posted a .468 OBP and .822 OPS last season as a sophomore.

Wyatt Key

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

Another Clipper poised for a breakthrough season, Key was a key piece of the lineup and the pitching rotation a year ago when Clear Creek Amana went 22-13 and advanced to the 3A substate title game.

Key hit .192 with 17 RBI and 10 runs scored as a catcher where he threw out seven base runners.

The senior right-hander also went 2-2 with 6.59 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings pitched.

Blaine Heick

Senior, City High

Heick was huge during City High’s run to the 4A state title last season and will be a key piece of a City High lineup that must replace seven departed senior starters from a year ago.

An impressive athlete, Heick batted .289 with six extra-base hits, two home runs and 16 RBI last season.

Heick posted a .343 on-base percentage and .735 OPS as a junior and added 11 stolen bases.

Jack Gavin

Junior, Regina

A breakthrough season from Gavin at the plate was a big part of Regina recording its highest win total since 2018 as the Regals went 22-6 and advanced to the 2A substate quarterfinal.

Gavin hit a team-high .423 with seven extra-base hits and led the Regals with 29 RBI and a 1.085 OPS while earning first team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors.

In his first season as a full-time starter Gavin drew 15 walks, scoring 16 runs and led Regina with a .521 on-base percentage.

Gavin also went 2-0 with a 1.58 ERA and eight strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched.

Tate Miller

Sophomore, Solon

Miller was one of the most effective freshman hurlers in the state last summer posting in an impressive varsity debut season that saw him earn second team all-WAMAC East Division honors.

The right-handed throwing Miller went 7-0 with a .77 ERA and .74 WHIP while holding opponents to a .120 batting average and striking out 34 in a team-high 45 2/3 innings.

Carson Kidwell

Senior, Solon

Kidwell came up huge for Solon both behind the plate and in the batters box in his first season of extended varsity action.

The junior catcher hit .353 with seven doubles and 25 RBI and posted a .430 on-base percentage and .851 OPS on his way to earning WAMAC East Division honorable mention status.

Trey Streb

Junior, Regina

Another key piece in a talented group of returners for Regina Streb is coming of a stellar sophomore season in which he established himself as one of the top young outfielders in Class 2A.

Streb earned first team all-River Valley Conference South Division honor after ranking third on the team in batting average and second in runs scored while leading Regina in stolen bases.

Streb batted .380 with 28 runs scored and 23 RBI while posting a .448 on-base percentage and .883 OPS while leading the Regals with 15 stolen bases.

Nolan Staker

Senior, West Branch

After seeing limited action in his first three varsity seasons the breakthrough for Staker came last summer as he ranked third on the team in batting average and second in innings pitched while earning second team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors.

Staker batted a career-best .310 with seven extra-base hits, 12 runs scored and 16 RBI last season while posting a .908 OPS.

On the mound Staker went 1-7 with an 8.21 ERA while striking out 24 in 29 innings pitched.

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