Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The state baseball tournament got underway at sites in Carroll and Cedar Rapids earlier this week and we are just a few days from the end of the high school baseball season in Iowa.

City High will be making its third consecutive state tournament appearance on Wednesday afternoon when it faces Waukee in a 4A quarterfinal pushed back a day by rain on Tuesday.

Before turning our full attention to the state tournament Your Prep Sports takes a moment to look back at some of the best performances, players, moments and games and to hand out some postseason awards following another amazing season for area teams.

Best individual pitching performance: Andrew Olthoff against Cedar Falls. Olthoff was nearly perfect in a 5-0 win over Cedar Falls allowing just one baserunner on a single while striking out seven in an 87-pitch complete game shutout.

Best individual pitching performance part 2: Brayden Mayer against Ankeny Centennial. In a season where teammates Mason Waterbury and Andrew Olthoff consistently turned in strong pitching efforts Mayer spun his own gem in a 4-0 win over fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial. Mayer allowed just two hits and a walk, struck out four and needed just 72 pitches to post a complete game shutout.

Best individual offensive performance: Reese Gingerich against Regina. One of the best games of the season for Gingerich came in one of the Bears’ biggest wins, a 14-13 victory over rival Regina that was the first of three wins for West Branch in the series with Regina. Gingerich went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI in the win.

Best individual offensive performance part 2: Vince Steinbrech against Marion. Steinbrech picked up the win on the mound in an 11-10 victory over the Wolves but it was the hitting of the Solon senior that was the difference. Steinbrech went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run, drove in six runs and scored twice in the victory.

Best individual all around performance: Kaden Phan against West Delaware. Phan almost single-handedly took down the Hawks in a 7-0 win in game one of a doubleheader striking out 12 in a complete game one-hitter while also going 2-for-4 with a double a home run and five RBI and a run scored.

Best clutch performance: Kyle Cherry against Cedar Rapids Prairie. Cherry was excellent all season as evident by his 6-5 record and 2.98 ERA in a career-high 65 2/3 innings but the junior left-hander was never better than he was against Cedar Rapids Prairie when he held the Hawks to four hits in a 3-0 West High in a Class 4A substate opener.

Biggest upset: Regina over Solon. Sophomore Hudson Koch tossed six strong innings allowing just two runs on three hits and Connor Nicpon had three hits and drove in two runs as Regina posted its best win of the season, a 5-2 home victory over 3A seventh-ranked Solon.

Best game: Liberty High against Pleasant Valley. It didn’t turn out the way Liberty High wanted with Pleasant Valley escaping with a 4-3 win but this 11-inning, substate title game matchup was as entertaining and as well-played a game as any in the area all season.

Biggest hit: Robert Meade against Solon. Games aren’t won in the first inning but Meade’s two-out, two-run opposite field home run in the top of the first inning of the substate semifinal certainly switched the momentum to the Clipper dugout in what turned into a 6-2 Clear Creek Amana win over the seventh-ranked Spartans.

Biggest defensive play: City High double play against West High. With the bases loaded and no out in the top of the first inning City High was looking at the possibility of playing from behind in its substate final with rival West High. Instead, Dominic Salibi started a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning and the Little Hawks went on to win 3-1.

Most reliable player: City High junior Talon Young. Over the past several seasons few pitchers have been as consistently reliable of Young who had six starts this season of at least six innings and fewer than three runs while posting a 6-2 record, 1.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

Bounce back player of the year: West Branch senior Reese Trepanier. A three-year starter Trepanier saw his production dip across the board last season but bounced back in a big way this summer with a strong senior season. The senior shortstop hit a career-best .361 and posted career highs in runs (21) and RBI (26).

Best end to a career: Regina senior Jack Clark. A four-year starter for the Regals at catcher Clark turned in the best season of his career by a wide margin as a senior. Clark hit a team-high .370 with nine extra-base hits, 26 runs scored and 16 RBI while being walked 33 times and posting a .545 on-base percentage.

Most fun player to watch: Liberty High senior Ryan Schmierer. Schmierer produced this season, hitting a team-high .386 with 36 runs and 23 RBI but that’s not what made him a must-watch. On the bases, at the plate or in the field the senior outfielder played with passion and energy which made him a pleasure to watch.

Under the radar standout: Solon junior Nolan Seagren. Playing alongside all-stater Brett White in the Solon infield Seagren quietly put together his own impressive season while helping the Spartans win 28 games. A .286 hitter in his varsity debut season last year, Seagren hit a career-best .354 with 44 runs scored and 28 RBI.

Most versatile player: City High junior Drake Obermueller. In his first varsity season Obermueller showed an ability to excel across the diamond starting games as second base, third base, shortstop, pitcher and right field while hitting .330 with 23 RBI and posting a .438 ERA in 16 innings.

Most improved player: Regina junior Alex Paul. After hitting .215 with two extra-base hits and nine RBI in his varsity debut season last summer Paul emerged as a key piece of the Regina offense this season hitting .327 with nine extra-base hits, a team-high 42 runs scored and 13 RBI.

Most improved player part 2: West Branch junior Ian Nelson. A .247 hitter during his first two varsity seasons combined Nelson took a big step forward this season as a junior hitting .345 with 25 runs scored and 17 RBI while leading the Bears with 19 stolen bases.

Breakthrough player of the year: Clear Creek Amana junior Kaden Phan. Phan was good last season as a sophomore. Actually, Phan was better than good a year ago hitting .367 with 36 RBI. This season Phan went from good to great hitting a career-best .386 with 25 extra-base hits, six home runs and 44 RBI to go along with an impressive pitching resume that featured a 5-1 record, 1.51 ERA and .89 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Most consistent player: Clear Creek Amana junior Ty Fuller. Fuller was a hitting machine during a breakthrough season in which the junior shortstop hit .456 with 17 doubles and 30 RBI but what was most impressive was the consistency at the plate. Fuller had a hit in 28 of 34 games this season and had 17 multi-hit games.

Breakout star: City High junior Jaxton Schroeder. A breakthrough season at the plate and on the mound thrust Schroeder into the conversation of the top two-way players in the state after the junior batted .392 with 16 extra-base hits, 34 stolen bases, 29 runs and 21 RBI to go with a 6-1 record and 1.94 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings.

Unsung hero: City High senior Johannes Boevers. On a City High roster loaded with talent its easy to overlook the efforts of Boevers who played a key role in helping the Little Hawks win 33 games and return to the state tournament for a third consecutive season. The senior left-hander went 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 1.14 WHIP striking out 31 and walking just 12 in 34 1/3 innings.

Ironman award: West High junior Declan Bunn. A linebacker on the West High football team Bunn carried the toughness he brings to the gridiron to the baseball diamond this summer as he started all 43 games, including an impressive 38 at catcher, while still producing at a high level hitting .300 with 31 runs scored and 17 RBI.

Coach of the year: City High’s Brian Mitchell. City High is rolling right now under Mitchell who just directed the Little Hawks to a third consecutive 30-win season and third straight trip to the 4A state tournament.

Rookie of the year: Clear Creek Amana freshman Luke Young. In his first full-time varsity season Young emerged as a two-way standout hitting .364 with 26 runs scored and 16 RBI while posting a 4-0 record, 1.79 ERA and .99 WHIP with 25 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings pitched.

Newcomer of the year: West Branch senior Drew Wilcox. In his first season at West Branch Wilcox was key in helping the Bears post their highest win total since 2019 hitting .288 with 19 RBI and going 3-3 with a 3.88 ERA in a team-high 48 2/3 innings.

Silver slugger: Clear Creek Amana junior Maclane Morgan. Morgan continued to do this season what he’s done ever since stepping into the Clear Creek Amana lineup a year ago – he hit. A career .437 hitter Morgan posted his best season yet batting a career-high .457 with 15 extra-base hits, 32 RBI and 52 runs scored.

Cy Young: Liberty High junior Mason Waterbury. Few if any pitchers in the state could match the season for Waterbury who emerged as one of the best in the state. The left-hander ranked in the top five in the state in both wins and ERA going 10-0 with a .34 ERA and .79 WHIP while striking out 68 in 61 innings.

Gold glover: City High junior Owen Hicks. City High is built around pitching and defense and has been among the best teams in the state this season at both and Hicks has been a huge part of that with his solid infield play at shortstop.

Relief pitcher of the year: Solon senior Tyson Wheeler. Wheeler isn’t a stereotypical stopper coming out of the bullpen throwing heat but the Solon left-hander was among the most effective relievers in the state this season. Of his 15 appearances, 13 came in relief as Wheeler posted a 3-2 record and three saves with a 1.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 38 innings.

Most valuable player: Solon senior Brett White. A Baylor recruit, White capped a brilliant prep career with a strong season in which he ranked in the top 20 in the state in home runs (13), RBI (42), runs (57) and BB (38).

The senior third baseman hit a team-high .398 and led the Spartans in runs, hits, extra-base hits (27), doubles (13), walks, on-base percentage (.560), slugging percentage (.856) and OPS (1.416).

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