Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

With the Class 3A and 4A state tournaments held at Banks Field in Iowa City for the third consecutive season the most important games of the season took place right in the middle of the Your Prep Sports area.

Once again this season Your Prep Sports was represented at the state tournament with both City High and Liberty High qualifying for the 4A tournament for the second straight season.

And yet again some of the top baseball players 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 those players for their performance on the diamond this season.

This year’s 20-member Your Prep Sports area squad features Division I recruits, all-conference performers, school record holders and state tournament qualifiers.

The seventh edition of the Your Prep Sports all-area team has five repeat selections from last season highlighted by Solon junior infielder Brett White and Regina senior outfielder Danny Gavin who are both three-time picks.

White is the 2023 team captain after a strong junior season in which he ranked in the top five in Class 3A in hits, runs, batting average, home runs, stolen bases, doubles, total bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and walks.

2023 Your Prep Sports Area Baseball Team

P – Talon Young, Soph., City High: After a strong freshman season Young continued to emerge as one of the top young pitchers in the state ranking in the top 10 in Class 4A in wins, ERA, WHIP and innings pitched. Young was a unanimous first team Mississippi Valley Conference all-division pick after going 8-1 with a .89 ERA, .91 WHIP and striking out 50 while ranking second in 4A with 62 2/3 innings pitched.

P – Josh Loren, Sr., Clear Creek Amana: A Kirkwood commit, Loren was a unanimous WAMAC West Division first-team pick after the left-hander posted a 5-4 record and 1.54 ERA while striking out 62 in 45 1/3 innings.

P – Mason Waterbury, Soph., Liberty High: The big sophomore left-hander emerged as a major threat at the top of Lightning rotation going 6-2 with a 2.71 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while striking out 44 in a team-high 41 1/3 innings pitched in his first varsity season.

P – Jake Mitchell, Jr., City High: Mitched earned second-team Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors after posting a 2-1 record, 2.12 ERA and 1.07 ERA in 36 1/3 innings pitched and hit .301 with 34 runs scored and 17 RBI.

C – Jack Downes, Sr., Clear Creek Amana: A leader behind the plate for the Clippers, Downes was a unanimous all-WAMAC West Division first-team pick following a stellar senior season in which he hit .393 with eight doubles, four home runs and 28 RBI while ranking fourth in 3A with a .579 on-base percentage.

C – Jack Clark, Jr., Regina: A starter since his freshman season Clark had his best season to date as a junior hitting .304 with nine doubles, a home run and 22 RBI. Clark scored 17 runs, drew a team-high 27 walks while posting a .481 on-base percentage and .478 slugging percentage.

*INF – Brett White, Jr., Solon: The Baylor recruit continued to build a resume as one of the top hitters in the state ranking in the top five in 3A in 10 offensive categories. White hit .460 with 25 extra-base hits, seven home runs, 61 runs scored, 38 RBI, 37 stolen bases, a 1.387 OPS and a 3A-leading 36 walks.

INF – Dominic Salibi, Soph., City High: A breakthrough season by Salibi was key in City High returning to the state tournament for the second consecutive season as the sophomore third baseman led City High in batting average (.422), extra-base hits (19), doubles (12), triples (4) and slugging percentage (.706) while adding three home runs, 25 runs and 34 RBI.

INF – Ryne Vander Leest, Sr., West High: A repeat selection on the Your Prep Sports all-area team, Vander Leest batted .362 with 33 runs scored, 15 RBI and 16 walks and led West High with a .497 on-base percentage.

INF – Max Lodge, Jr., West Branch: Lodge followed up a solid sophomore season with a breakthrough junior campaign in which he earned second-team all-River Valley Conference South Division honors after leading West Branch in batting average (.356), hits (26), doubles (7), RBI (16), walks (15) on-base percentage (.466) and slugging percentage (.493).

INF – Jack Tierney, Sr., Regina: A four-year starter, Tierney did it all for the Regals as a senior and over the course of his career. This season Tierney batted .391 with 10 extra-base hits, 27 runs scored and 20 RBI and also went 2-2 with a 1.91 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 33 innings.

INF – Mitch Frey, Sr., West High: The Winona State recruit batted .301 with eight doubles, 25 runs scored and 23 RBI while lead West High with 21 walks and ranking second on the team with a .471 on-base percentage on his way to second team MVC all-division and second team all-district honors.

OF – Danny Gavin, Sr., Regina: A three-year starter and career .385 hitter Gavin had his best season as a senior hitting a career-high .411. A Gustavus Adolphus recruit, Gavin led Regina in hits (44), runs (34), doubles (15), home runs (4), RBI (32), on-base percentage (.522) and slugging percentage (.682).

OF – DJ Hodges, Sr., City High: Hodges impressed in his first season as a full-time starter batting .373 while leading City High in both runs (41) and home runs (5). The senior outfielder drove in 33 runs and walked 22 posting a .497 on-base percentage and .542 slugging percentage.

OF – Luke Ramsey, Sr., Liberty High: A big part of the late-season Lightning surge that produced a second consecutive state tournament appearance was the play of Ramsey who had a hit in nine of the final 10 games including all four postseason games in which the senior center fielder batted .583 with six runs and four RBI.  Ramsey hit .304 on the season, leading the Lightning in runs (31), hits (41) doubles (8), triples (2), home runs (2), RBI (24) and slugging percentage (.437).

OF – Ryan Schmierer, Jr., Liberty High: A spark first at the bottom then later at the top of the Liberty High order, Schmierer earned second-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference divisional honors after leading the Lightning with a .375 batting average and 11 stolen bases while scoring 24 runs and droving in 15 runs.

OF – Drew Carlson, Sr., City High: Carlson found a spot in the outfield while producing big time in the batters box and on the mound while helping City High to a 30-win season and a second consecutive state tournament appearance. The senior hit .362 with a team-high five home runs and 44 RBI and went 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA while striking out 27 in 20 2/3 innings.

OF – Kaden Phan, Soph., Clear Creek Amana: After getting his feet wet at the varsity level last season Phan exploded as a sophomore hitting .367 with 13 extra-base hits, two home runs and a team-high 36 RBI while earning unanimous all-WAMAC West Division firs team honors.

UTIL – Nate Anderson, Sr., West High: Anderson did a bit of everything for the Trojans on his way to earning second team Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors hitting a team-best .367 with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored and also going 6-4 with two saves and a 3.76 ERA in 35 1/3 innings pitched.

UTIL – Blake Timmons, Sr., Solon: The North Dakota State recruit capped a stellar career with a strong senior season in which he batted .421 and led Solon with 38 stolen bases and 62 runs while playing both infield, outfield and pitcher. A four-year starter, Timmons was a career .362 hitter with 202 career runs scored and 92 career stolen bases.

*- Denotes Team Captain

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