Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

For the second year in a row Iowa City played host to the Class 3A and 4A state baseball tournaments bringing the best in the state to the middle of the Your Prep Sports area.

Once again some of the top performers in the state resided right here in the Your Prep Sports area.

The annual Your Prep Sports area baseball team is a way to recognize some of the top area players for their performance on the diamond this season.

This year’s 19-member Your Prep Sports area squad features Division I signees, all-conference performers, school record holders and state tournament participants.

The sixth edition of the Your Prep Sports area team has a record 11 repeat selections including a trio of City High seniors appear on the team for the third consecutive season.

City High seniors Cade Obermueller, Gable Mitchell and Carter Seaton are all three-time members of the Your Prep Sports all area squad.

Iowa recruits Obermueller and Mitchell are co-captains of the 2022 team after leading City High to the Class 4A state tournament.

Mitchell hit .466 with 55 runs scored, two home runs and 29 RBI to lead City High offensively while Obermueller went 7-1 with a 1.11 ERA and struck out 103 in 50 1/3 innings.

The 2022 Your Prep Sports Area Baseball Team

*P – Cade Obermueller, Sr., City High: An Iowa recruit Obermueller was among the most dominant pitchers in the state this season posting a 1.11 ERA in 50 1/3 innings while leading Class 4A in opponent batting average at .103 and ranking second with 103 strikeouts. The left-hander allowed just 18 hits and 27 walks in 50 1/3 innings posting a .89 WHIP and finishing with a 7-1 record. Obermueller also hit .410 with a team-high 40 RBI.

P – Boyd Skelley, Sr., Liberty High: Winona State recruit emerged as the ace of a deep Liberty High staff posting a 3-3 record and 3.43 ERA with 45 strikeouts in a team-high 49 innings.

P – Lucas Pierce, Sr., West Branch: The West Branch ace posted another strong season going 2-4 with a 2.64 ERA while striking out 51 in a career-high 53 innings. Pierce also hit .246 with a home run and 12 RBI.

P – Alex Knudtson, Jr., City High: Knudtson backed up a strong debut season last year with another stellar season going 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA in 38 innings pitched. The junior also hit .363 with 38 RBI.

C – Cade Adkins, Sr, West High: The senior backstop was an important part of every element for West High hitting .281 with three home runs, 17 RBI and a .415 on-base percentage and also ranked third on the team with 39 2/3 innings pitched going 1-3 with a 4.59 ERA.

C – Jack Funke, Sr., Liberty High: A repeat all-YPS selection, Funke capped his career with a strong senior season in which he hit .270 with three home runs and 22 RBI while posting a .860 OPS.

INF – Ryne Vander Leest, Jr., West High: Vander Leest took a huge step up in his second varsity season hitting a team-high .314 while leading the Trojans in runs (33), walks (23) and on-base percentage (.542).

*INF – Gable Mitchell, Sr., City High: Among the best defensive players in the state regardless of position Mitchell had the best offensive season of his career as a senior ranking in the top five in Class 4A in batting average (.466), runs (55), on-base percentage (.597) and walks (36). The Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division player of the year, Mitchell stole 25 bases and had 12 extra-base hits and 29 RBI.

INF – Kinnick Pustesoka, Sr., Solon: Senior first baseman capped a strong career hitting .324 with 19 extra-base hits, and 42 RBI while drawing a team-high 39 walks and posting a .506 on-base percentage and 1.083 OPS.

INF – Ben Swails, Sr., Clear Creek Amana: An Iowa signee and four-sport standout Swails had as good of a season as any hitter in the state this summer. The senior third baseman led the Clippers with a .477 batting average and ranked in the top five in Class 3A in home runs (9), RBI (57), total bases (95) and slugging percentage (.856) finishing with an OPS of 1.43.

INF – Carter Seaton, Sr., City High: A stalwart in the City High lineup for the past four seasons Seaton continued to produce as a senior hitting .328 with 41 runs, 16 extra-base hits, including a team-high five triples and 22 RBI.

INF – Brett White, Soph., Solon: The sophomore shortstop continued to emerge as one of the top players in Class 3A. White hit a team-high .482 and led the Spartans in extra-base hits (23), home runs (7) and RBI (45) while ranking in the top five in 3A in on-base percentage (.619), hits (55), runs (55) and stolen bases (40).

INF – Mitch Frey, Jr., West High: Already a two-year starter Frey continued to provide pop in the middle of the West High lineup leading the Trojans with 15 extra-base hits, including a team-high 13 doubles, and 28 RBI while hitting .286.

OF – Joey Bouska, Sr., City High: A unanimous first-team all-MVC divisional pick, Bouska emerged as a major threat at the top of the City High order batting .376 to go with 42 runs, 22 RBI, 15 stolen bases and a .450 on-base percentage.

OF – Danny Gavin, Jr., Regina: A River Valley Conference Elite team selection Gavin batted .346 while leading the Regals in hits (28), runs (29), doubles (10), home runs (2) and walks (20).

OF – Luke Meyers, Sr., Liberty High: A Northern Iowa track recruit Meyers made the most of his final season on the diamond hitting .347 while leading Liberty High in runs (30), hits (42), stolen bases (18) and total bases (48).

UTIL – Sam Young, Sr., Clear Creek Amana: The versatile Young did it all for the Clippers this season hitting .362 with 34 runs scored and 24 RBI and went 7-0 with a 2.64 ERA in a team-high 53 innings pitched.

UTIL – Jack Tierney, Jr., Regina: Tierney made a big jump in his second varsity season leading the Regals with a .431 batting average while droving in 14 runs but was perhaps at his best on the mound where he went 3-4 with a 2.31 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.

UTIL – Hayden Vickroy, Sr., Liberty High: Played an integral part in the best season in Liberty High history leading the Lightning with a .359 batting average and 28 RBI and also posting a 3-5 record and 4.23 ERA in 41 1/3 innings pitched.

* – Denotes Team Captain

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