Author: Nathan Bloechl

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Prep Baseball: Mount Pleasant to Meet with Fort Madison Tonight:

The Mount Pleasant baseball team (7-24) will take on Fort Madison tonight as they open their postseason schedule on the road.

The Bloodhounds, who have been in and out of the Class 3A rankings all year enter playoff action with a record of 24-8.

Mount Pleasant is paced offensively by Chase Williamson who leads the team with a .333 batting average with 17 runs batted in and five doubles.

On the mound, it’ll be an all hands on deck effort for the Panthers.

Freshman Payton Hagans has been the teams best arm since being called up from the junior varsity ranks. He’s appeared in four games and thrown 12.1 innings to the tune of a 3.97 ERA.

Will Edeker was the team leader in innings pitched with 36.2 innings.

Meanwhile, Fort Madison has been outstanding at the plate this season, with a team batting average of .325.

Senior Jason Thurman has been the catalyst for the Bloodhounds, hitting a team-best .424 with 28 runs batted in. His brother Vasin Thurman leads the team with 38 RBI this season.

The team will most likely turn the ball to sophomore Kane Williams, who has been the defacto ace of the staff. Williams is 6-1 in a team-high 43.1 innings with a 2.10 ERA, though the Hounds could go with Landes Williams or Garrett Hannum who have also been equally as effective.

The winner of tonight’s game will move to Monday’s semifinal round where they’ll greet either third-seeded Central DeWitt or Fairfield.

Tonight’s game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and you can listen on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

College Basketball: Former Mount Pleasant Standout Playing in TBT Tournament:

Former Mount Pleasant standout Jordan Ashton will be competing for top cash prizes as a part of the TBT Basketball team, where he will suit up with the Peoria All-Stars.

Ashton, a 6-4 guard who starred at Iowa State and Northern Iowa, will join a roster of 13 other former collegiate players in a field of 64 tournament.

The No. 13 seed in the Illinois bracket, Ashton’s group will take on No. 4 “Always Us” — a team of Oregon alumni in the first round.

Last year, the Golden Eagles — Marquette alumni — won the tournament.

The TBT Tournament can be seen regionally on the ESPN Family of Networks.

College Basketball: Cyclones to Face Xavier in Season Opener:

Iowa State will play Xavier to open play at the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday, November 24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The Cyclones and Musketeers will play the opening game of the tournament, tipping off at 6 p.m.

Iowa State and Xavier have met twice previously, splitting games in Ames and Cincinnati with the home team winning each contest.

Iowa State won the first meeting, 68-61, in 2003, while Xavier took a 2005 meeting on its home floor, 72-59.

College Football: Iowa State, Breece Hall Not Focused on Expectations:

Iowa State running back Breece Hall says the Cyclones are not focused on lofty expectations as they get ready for the season.

Coming off a win over Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, Iowa State has been tabbed to finish second in the Big 12 preseason poll and is considered a legitimate contender for the College Football Playoff.

Hall met with media yesterday as a part of Big 12 Media Days.

“Really we are just telling ourselves to not focus on anyone else’s expectations just focus on the expectations for ourselves that we have for each other.” 

“We are purpose and process driven team and we feel if we stay true to ourselves and stay true to what we do, we’ll be fine.”

Iowa State opens their season at home, Saturday, September 4th when they host Will McElvain and the high-flying UNI Panthers.

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Prep Softball: SEISC Announces All Conference Teams:

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference has announced their 2021 All Conference Teams.

North Division

1st Team All Conference:

Madie Anderson – P – Winfield-Mount Union

Jobey Malone – 1B – Winfield-Mount Union

Jayde Eberhardt – UTIL – Mediapolis

2nd Team All Conference:

Anna Anderson – C – Winfield-Mount Union

Molly Miller – OF – Winfield-Mount Union

Carlee Sloan and Kayreanna Sharar were both named North Division Honorable Mention All Conference, while Bryan Butler of Louisa-Muscatine was named the Coach of the Year in the Division.

His terrific shortstop Kylee Sanders, who will be joining her sister on the Northern Iowa softball team, was named the North Division Player of the Year.

South Division:

1st Team All Conference:

Mary Hellige – P – Holy Trinity

Isabel Manning – INF  – Van Buren County

Meghan Hopp – OF – Central Lee

Haiden Molter – OF – Danville

Carlea Beckman – UTIL – Danville

Elly Manning – UTIL – New London

2nd Team All Conference:

Ava Smith – P – Danville

Brooke Mueller – C – Holy Trinity

Marah Hartrick – C – New London

Ashlyn McSorely – INF – New London

Anna Sobczak – INF – Holy Trinity

Superstar sophomore pitcher Lauren Summers was named the South Division Player of the Year, pitching the West Burlington-Notre Dame Falcons to 29 wins this season reaching as high as No. 4 in the IGHSAU Class 3A poll.

Her coach David Olsen was named the South Division Coach of the Year.

Prep Baseball: Final Radio Iowa Baseball Poll Announced:

The final Radio Iowa Baseball Poll for Class 3A and 4A, who will begin their postseason schedule this Friday has been announced.

Class 3A (Final)

1. Marion (29-5)
2. Grinnell (27-5)
3. Gilbert (20-7)
4. Cedar Rapids Xavier (22-12)
5. Dubuque Wahlert (26-9)
6. Webster City (23-1)
7. Solon (25-11)
8. Davenport Assumption (22-13)
9. Boone (19-9)
10. Decorah (26-5)

Fort Madison, 22-7, dropped out of the final edition of the poll.

Mount Pleasant will take on the Bloodhounds this Friday in Fort Madison in the opener of Class 3A District play for both teams. You can listen on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

Class 4A (Final)

1. Pleasant Valley (29-3)
2. Ankeny (26-6)
3. Johnston (31-7)
4. Dowling Catholic (26-7)
5. Sioux City East (34-4)
6. Dubuque Hempstead (27-8)
7. Cedar Rapids Prairie (29-8)
8. Urbandale (22-15)
9. Waukee (21-14)
10. Iowa City High (27-12)

College Baseball: Iowa’s Wallace Selected by Toronto:

Iowa redshirt junior Trenton Wallace was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, this week.

Wallace was the 332nd pick overall.

He is the 22nd player selected during head coach Rick Heller’s tenure in Iowa City.

Wallace was Iowa’s Friday night starter this year, going 7-1 with a 2.34 ERA with 106 strikeouts.

For those numbers Wallace was decorated with Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors.

College Football: Three Cyclones, One Hawkeye Named to Athlon Preseason All-America List:

Three Iowa State Cyclones and one Iowa Hawkeye were among those honored by Athlon Sports’ Preseason All-American football team.

The Cyclones saw running back Breece Hall, tight end Charlie Kolar and linebacker Mike Rose as first team selections.

Former Solon standout Tyler Linderbaum of Iowa was a first team choice along the offensive line.

Iowa State center Collin Newell was named to the second team, while teammates Will McDonald and Greg Eisworth were honored to the third team.

Iowa all-purpose back Tyler Goodson was a fourth team selection.