(KMAland) — Day one of high school softball and baseball competition is in the books, and here are some things we learned…
-Atlantic’s Olivia Engler is in midseason form, allowing just five hits and striking out eight in a dominant performance against Lenox.
-There’s another Pryor in Woodbine, and she sounds devastating. She had 18 strikeouts in her first career pitching start against a solid CAM squad, and the Tigers won 3-0.
-Riverside softball won a high-scoring battle with Missouri Valley with Ari McGlade tripling and driving in three to lead the Bulldogs.
-Wayne beat Twin Cedars in a great battle of two teams that figure to be really successful this season. Sterling Berndt won the battle with Grace Bailey, although the Twin Cedars standout did hit a home run.
-Boyer Valley didn’t win, but Alexia Miller hit a home run hours after qualifying for the state golf tournament.
-The Kuemper baseball squad won a state-ranked battle with Harlan, and there were a combined 23 runs. Logan Sibenaller drove in three for the Knights.
-Lewis Central is off and running with a 9-0 win over Sioux City North. Britton Bond had three hits, and Aron Harrington, Bryce Wilcox and Trenton Johnette combined on a three-hit shutout.
-Underwood baseball had a combined no-hitter with Jack Vanfossan, Jake Reimer and Coby Fink doing the honors.
-Ar-We-Va’s Cooper Kock came off a state runner-up in the 110 hurdles this weekend to pick up a walk-off hit in an extra-inning win over Coon Rapids-Bayard.
As always, you can find much more in our nightly KMAland softball and baseball recaps linked here and here. Now…
PREVIOUS SUMMER SPORTS PREVIEWS
Hawkeye Ten Conference Softball Preview
Hawkeye Ten Conference Baseball Preview
Corner Conference Softball Preview
Corner Conference Baseball Preview
Western Iowa Conference Baseball Preview
Rolling Valley Conference Softball Preview
Missouri River Conference Softball Preview
Bluegrass Conference Softball Preview
2021 PRIDE OF IOWA CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PREVIEW
One night in, and Lenox (0-1), Southwest Valley (0-1), Southeast Warren (1-0) and Wayne (1-0) have played. Our focus, though, is mostly based around last year. Last year’s standings, per Varsity Bound:
Martensdale-St. Marys 9-1
Wayne 7-1
Southeast Warren 6-3
Central Decatur 5-5
Lenox 4-4
Mount Ayr 3-3
East Union 3-4
Nodaway Valley 3-7
Bedford 2-6
Southwest Valley 0-8
The POI didn’t play a full conference schedule last season, scheduling the games they could get in and wanted to. Both Wayne and Mount Ayr got hot at the right time late in the year to advance to the state tournament.
Interestingly enough, seven of the 10 teams in the league had positive run differentials while Nodaway Valley (-0.8 per game) and Bedford (-1.4) were not that far off. That’s code for: This was a pretty salty league in 2020. On to the players to know…
OFFENSE
Here’s a rundown of the top 25 returning offensive players from last summer, sorted by batting average and with a minimum of 42 at bats.
1. Emily Jones, Junior, Wayne: .553/.562/.908
2. TJ Stoaks, Senior, Lenox: .484/.566/.625
2. Mya Willey, Senior, Wayne: .484/.535/.688
4. Alexa Anderson, Senior, Mount Ayr: .476/.547/.762
5. Kaylin Lack, Junior, East Union: .452/.518/.630
6. Maddy Wood, Junior, Wayne: .451/.506/.704 EDIT: Not on team
7. Kylee Rockhold, Junior, Central Decatur: .446/.500/.815
8. Kyli Aldrich, Junior, Southwest Valley: .438/.518/.708
9. Brooklynn Page, Senior, Southeast Warren: .422/.532/.531
10. Kaitlyn Mitchell, Junior, East Union: .420/.468/.522
11. Maddax DeVault, Junior, Nodaway Valley: .419/.493/.581
12. Alivia Ruble, Sophomore, Southeast Warren: .414/.474/.614
13. Josie Hartman, Junior, Southeast Warren: .400/.438/.511
14. Sterling Berndt, Junior, Wayne: .394/.449/.592
15. Noelle McKnight, Sophomore, East Union: .388/.453/.478
16. Halsie Barnes, Junior, Mount Ayr: .386/.440/.409
17. Eily Hall, Senior, Central Decatur: .370/.446/.466
17. Madeline Myer, Senior, Martensdale-St. Marys: .370/.446/.466
19. Campbell German, Freshman, Martensdale-St. Marys: .364/.403/.409
20. Natalie Geisler, Freshman, Southeast Warren: .355/.385/.500
21. Emily Cornell, Senior, Central Decatur: .354/.425/.646
21. Kylie Keller, Senior, Martensdale-St. Marys: .354/.392/.375
23. Maggie Haer, Sophomore, Southwest Valley: .353/.393/.353
24. Mallory Raney, Junior, East Union: .348/.436/.424
24. Josie Kosman, Sophomore, Southeast Warren: .348/.412/.413
Among this top 25, Southeast Warren has five returning while East Union and Wayne are next with four apiece. Central Decatur and Martensdale-St. Marys tout three, Mount Ayr and Southwest Valley have two apiece and Lenox and Nodaway Valley both have one.
Other offensive notes:
-Stoaks led the conference last year with a .566 on-base percentage and was closely followed by Jones’ 562. Others in the top 10 of OBP among returnees: Willey (.535), Page (.532), Lack (.518), Aldrich (.518), Bedford’s Vivian Tracy (.515), Wood (.506), Rockhold (.500) and DeVault (.493).
-While Jones was a close second in the OBP, she did lead the league in slugging percentage with a .980 mark. That was behind eight doubles and five home runs in just 17 total games. That’s some serious power. Other returnees in the SLP top 10: Rockhold (.815), Anderson (.762), Aldrich (.708), Wood (.704), Willey (.688), Cornell (.630), Lack (.630), Stoaks (.625) and Alivia Ruble (.614).
-The Falcons scored a lot of runs last summer, and they bring back the top three players in run scored with Jones and Wood both scoring 31 times. Willey was next with 27 while Lack (26), Page (25), Berndt (23), Martensdale-St. Marys’ Jackie Kleve (21), McKnight (20), MSTM’s Jayda Gay (20) and Geisler (20) also rounded out the top 10.
-Jones’ impressive 42-hit summer came in just 22 games played, and it led the league by nine hits. Lack was next with 33, and Wood wasn’t too far behind with 32. Stoaks and Willey both had 31 hits for the summer. Rockhold (29), Mitchell (29), Ruble (29), Brendt (28), Hall (27) and Page (27) were also among the top 10 in total hits.
-#WhoHomered you might be asking? The leaders:
Rockhold & Jones (5)
Tracy, Aldrich & Willey (3)
Cornell, Ruble, Geisler & Channler Henle, Mount Ayr (2)
Hallee Hamilton, Central Decatur; Stoaks; Gay; Anna Parrott, Martensdale-St. Marys; Anderson; Addy Reynolds, Mount Ayr; DeVault; Lindsey Davis, Nodaway Valley; Berndt; Camryn Jacobsen, Wayne; Wood (1)
-And you know that I love the players that know the strike zone. The top-returning “walker” in the conference is Bedford senior Macie Sefrit, who took 14 walks. Others in the top 10: Tracy (12), Page (12), Bedford’s Darcy Davis (11), Hamilton (11), Stoaks (11), Hall (10), Central Decatur’s Carlee Hamilton (8), Lack (8) and Wood (8).
BASERUNNING
Here are your top 10 returning base stealers from last year:
1. Maddax DeVault, Nodaway Valley: 24/24
2. Noelle McKnight, Southwest Valley: 19/19
3. Norah Lund, East Union: 18/20
4. Kaylin Lack, East Union: 16/16
5. Kaitlyn Mitchell, East Union: 13/14
5. Brooklynn Page, Southeast Warren: 13/14
7. Carleigh O’Dell, Central Decatur: 12/14
7. Sterling Berndt, Wayne: 12/12
9. Katy Gibbs, Wayne: 11/14 EDIT: Not on team
10. Madison Fry, Nodaway Valley: 10/13
East Union (3), Wayne (2) and Nodaway Valley (2) all have multiple players on this list while Southwest Valley, Southeast Warren and Central Decatur have one each.
PITCHING
Here’s a team-by-team rundown of the returning pitching in the conference. The first number in parentheses is the returning number of innings pitched while the second number is the total innings pitched last season.
Bedford (108/108): Sophomore Emily Baker was the top pitcher for last year’s Bulldogs, and she finished the year with 93 innings and 67 strikeouts. As you sometimes will see with a younger pitcher, her walks were a little higher than you want, but I would expect you will see those come down for the fourth-place shot put medalist. Further, freshman Breanna Simmons threw 14 innings and senior Mallory Moyer pitched a bit, too.
Central Decatur (101.1/142.2): The Cardinals lost Riley Bell, who tossed 42 1/3 innings last year. However, they have one of the top-returning two-way players in the area back in Kylee Rockhold, who went 95 1/3 innings, struck out 141 and had a 3.16 ERA. Sophomore Annika Evertsen also pitched five innings in spot duty.
East Union (140.2/140.2): It’s all back. Junior Mallory Raney was among the best pitchers in the area last season, finishing with 120 strikeouts and a 1.12 ERA over 112.2 innings pitched. She walked just 27 and was very difficult to get a hit against (.181 batting average against). Sophomore Sara Collins also threw 28 innings.
Lenox (131/131): TJ Stoaks is as good as it gets. She threw 129 of the 131 innings last year, struck out 188, walked just 22 and had a 1.57 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP while holding opponents to just a .194 batting average. Who’s next after Stoaks graduates? Well, it might be 1A high jump champion Cadence Douglas – a sophomore – who threw two innings last year.
Martensdale-St. Marys (129.1/138.1): The Blue Devils return every last inning of pitching from last year, led by freshman Campbell German (66.1 IP) and sophomore Braelynn Long (62.2 IP). German struck out 55 and posted a 2.85 ERA while Long struck out 37 and had a 2.90.
Mount Ayr (91/91): How did they replace their star pitcher Caroline McAlexander? Well, they simply turned it over to current junior Addy Reynolds, who struck out 57, posted a 1.92 ERA and 0.93 WHIP and had a .180 batting average against over 84 innings. Sophomore Zoey Larsen and senior Alexa Anderson also pitched a bit.
Nodaway Valley (103/129): The Wolverines have their top two pitchers returning this summer. Junior Whitney Lamb went 58.2 innings while freshman Jorja Holliday put up 44.1. Holliday had a 3.32 ERA and 40 Ks while Lamb had 30 punch outs and a 3.82 ERA.
Southeast Warren (124.1/124.1): The Warhawks were young on the mound again last summer, but that wasn’t a bad thing with sophomore Alivia Ruble throwing 86.1 innings, striking out 100 and pitching to a 3.41 ERA. Freshman Kalyn Holmes added 17 Ks and a 2.33 ERA in 30 innings, and junior Zoey Sherman went eight innings with a 0.88 ERA.
Southwest Valley (87.9/105): The Timberwolves tried five different pitchers last year, including sophomore Ryanne Mullen and senior Isabelle Inman, who combined for 84.1 of those returning innings. Mullen had 13 strikeouts in 42.1 while Inman tossed 42 and had 26 Ks. Freshman Haidyn Top and sophomore Rebecca Wetzel also saw a bit of time in the circle.
Wayne (131/131): Sterling Berndt is back after throwing 111 2/3 innings, striking out 194 batters and walking just 26. Opponents hit just .136 against her, and she finished the season with a 1.76 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP. Dominant stuff. Also, Emily Jones threw 10 1/3, and Maddy Wood finished with nine innings.
ONE FINAL TAKE ON EACH TEAM
Bedford: Without leadoff star Selena Valenzuela, there is a big hole to fill in the offense, but they do have three of their top four hitters back. And those are some girls that can really mash all around the yard. If Baker takes a step and the offense continues to play well, there’s no reason the ‘Dogs can’t move up the standings.
Central Decatur: Again, Rockhold is one of the top two-way players in the area with her ability to pitch and smash. They also have their other three top four hitters back in the fold and entering their senior years. They’ve got a strong junior class around Rockhold that should keep the Cardinals more than competitive this season.
East Union: The Eagles had a really strong season last year, and they are ready to take another jump this summer. Their pitching is in perfect shape, and they have their top four hitters returning to a team that hit .317. I’d expect big things from the Eagles again in 2021.
Lenox: They lost two of their top three hitters from last year’s team, but Stoaks is back in the circle and at the plate. And they have two really, really good 8th graders in Zoey Reed and Jaida Cox, who I got a glimpse of last night. Despite a tough last couple innings last evening, I think their defense is improved. This will be a team that improves steadily throughout the season.
Martensdale-St. Marys: There were some question marks coming into last season, but they had some youngsters step up across the board. They had just one senior on the roster and with a strong group returning they should be among the competitors for the POI crown. They also should have plenty of Fort Dodge goals after missing by one game last summer.
Mount Ayr: The most important part of the field – the circle – is back intact. They will have to replace a few of their solid hitters, but the thing I remember most about the last two state qualifier teams from the Raiderettes is the depth they had. They had girls that would have been playing and starting for most teams. Now, they’ll get their chance, and Mount Ayr should be more than difficult to deal with again this summer.
Nodaway Valley: Three of the top five hitters in the Nodaway Valley lineup have advanced on to college. They do have DeVault back in the fold, and that’s always a winning combination. With the pitching a year older, you might see the Wolverines make a move of their own.
Southeast Warren: Another team with only one senior on their roster last year. All of their pitching and most of their hitting – especially the big bats – are returning. They’re actually still pretty young, but don’t let that fool you. They are one of the most talented teams in the conference.
Southwest Valley: The pitching should be more experienced this year, and that will be a big help. The offense does lose their big basher in Kayley Myers, but they have their next seven hitters from last year with remaining eligibility. This is going to be a tough league to advance in, but they should also see plenty improvement.
Wayne: They lost just one senior from a team that advanced back to the state tournament, and they’ve already got a pretty solid win on their resume in beating Twin Cedars last night. They’re loaded on offense, in the circle and on the basepaths. Yes, they are a state championship threat.
Send any questions, comments and/or concerns to dmartin@kmamail.com.
