Prep Baseball- Another year, another Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) team gearing up to make the long hike to Carroll to compete in either the Class 1A or Class 2A state tournament and this time it will be Burlington Notre Dame. The Nikes are making their 10th all-time appearance and their first since 2023, back when the CO-SEISC-South Player of the Year was only a freshman. Here’s a look at both the North and South’s picks for All-Conference honors.
North Division
Pekin ran away with the North Division title, losing only one game in 11 tries. Hillcrest Academy snatched 2nd place with Highland staying consistent with a 3rd place finish. Winfield-Mt. Union and Wapello placed in 4th and 6th, respectively.
Player of the Year
Bryce Hazelett did everything for Highland, finishing 3rd in the division wiht a 0.469 batting average with seven doubles, his first career home run, and 20 RBIs to help at the plate. Add a 6-1 record on the mound with a 2.38 ERA with 52 strikeouts.
Coach of the Year
Aaron Deutsch led Pekin to an impressive 17-4 mark, which included a winning record against teams with a winning record. The offense carried the team, averaging an obscene 10.2 runs per game.
Wapello
Wapello had a pair of First Teams in Treyton Schulz (Infield) and Wyatt Marlette (Outfield). Schulz produced a 0.429 on-base percentage, while Marlette knocked in 10 RBIs.
On the Second Team was Wyatt Strawhacker for Catcher and Kinnick Richenberger in the Outfield. Reichenberger led the team with a 0.340 batting average, as he also clocked a 0.459 on-base percentage.
Grayson Nagle was named Honorable Mention.
Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Trevor Phillips earned a spot on the First Team as a Pitcher. Phillips claimed a 2.98 ERA with 69 strikeouts, allowing only a 0.179 opponent batting average. Phillips tossed a nine strikeout, two-hit complete game victory in the first round of the postseason.
Tyson Kaalberg was placed on the First Team as an outfielder. Kaalberg finished 3rd on the team with a 0.324 batting average as he tallied nine RBIs at the plate.
The Wolves had five players named to the Second Team in Kason Dopler (Pitcher), Tayson Samuel (Catcher), Jaxton Jones (Infield), Graham Haines (Outfield), Parker Wilson (Utility). Haines led the team with a 0.339 batting average with a 0.494 on-base percentage.
Kale Burgus was named Honorable Mention.
First Team
Pitchers
Nolan Glick (SR) Pekin
Owen Klockseim (JR) Louisa-Muscatine
Trevor Phillips (SR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Catcher
Riley Smith (SR) Pekin
Garrett Beeson (JR) Highland
Lawson Schrock (JR) Highland
Infield
Cal Miller (SR) Pekin
Alijah Brock (JR) Pekin
Rowan Miller (SR) Hillcrest Academy
Brodie Runnels (JR) Louisa-Muscatine
Treyton Schultz (SR) Wapello
Landon Roling (JR) Highland
Outfield
Henry Adam (SR) Pekin
Lincoln Miller (SR) Hillcrest Academy
Tyson Kaalberg (SR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Caleb Wheeler (JR) Highland
Sedric Lamb (SR) Louisa-Muscatine
Utility
Calvin Meller (FR) Hillcrest Academy
Chase Loving (SR) Louisa-Muscatine
Wyatt Marlette (SR) Wapello
Zandrik Allison (SR) Pekin
Second Team
Pitcher
Aliyas Brock (FR) Pekin
Owen Eden (JR) Highland
Kason Dopler (SR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Catcher
Hayden Cantrell (SR) Louisa-Muscatine
Tayson Samuels (JR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Wyatt Strawhacker (JR) Wapello
Infield
Carson Comstock (SR) Pekin
Kyler Fink (FR) Highland
Rylan Good (JR) Hillcrest Academy
Jaxton Jones (SR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Kort Kemo (8th) Lone Tree
Outfield
Hudson Deutsch (JR) Pekin
Brock Nebergall (JR) Highland
Kellen Miller (8th) Hillcrest Academy
Graham Haines (FR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Kinnick Richenberger (JR) Wapello
Utility
Parker Wilson (JR) Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus
Will Schweitzer (FR) Lone Tree
South Division
Similar to South Division for softball, it was a three-way tie atop the conference standings with Mediapolis, Central Lee, and Burlington Notre Dame each producing a 10-2 conference mark.
Player of the Year
In a tie, Eli Oleson of Burlington Notre Dame and Blake Davis of Central Lee each claimed South Player of the Year honors. The pair were the two best hitters of the south with Oleson turning in a slash line of 0.568/0.645/0.901 and Davis tallying a line of 0.544/0.637/0.956.
Oleson led the division with 12 doubles. He also added three triples, three home runs, and 31 RBIs. Davis, along with seven home runs and 32 RBIs, also had the 2nd best ERA in the South with a 1.40 ERA complemented by 33 strikeouts.
Coach of the Year
Rick Whitaker helped Mediapolis win their second consecutive SEISC-South title. The Bulldogs finished one win away from a return trip to Carroll, but still managed to beat #3 Regina Catholic, 8-0, in the District 7 championship.
Burlington Notre Dame
Tatum Warner has been busy on the mound for the Nikes, earning First Team pitcher honors. Warner is 7-1 on the season with a 2.15 ERA, which ranks 8th in the South Division.
Payne Prottsman, who could have found a spot as a pitcher with a 1.56 ERA, and Curtis Randall were each named First Team Infielders. Randall walked 25 times this season to lead the division.
Landry Haberichter joined Oleson as a member of the First Team Outfield. Haberichter had his own stake towards Player of the Year with a slash line of 0.453/0.588/0.988. His nine home runs, five triples, and 43 RBIs all led the division.
There’s a picture of Maddox Diewold next to the definition of baseball’s Swiss Army Knife, as he has played all over the field with time at both middle infield positions and in the outfield. Diewold adds a reliable bat with a 0.360 batting average and a 0.490 on-base percentage.
Finding spots on the Second Team was Kyler Cameron (Catcher), Garrison Reid (Infield), and Hank Humphrey (Outfield). Cameron, a freshman, knocked in 33 runs at the plate.
Hudson Neally and Isaac Lehman were named Honorable Mentions.
Mediapolis
It was tough to run on First Team Catcher Parker Lange. He threw out seven would-be base stealers and recorded 189 putouts, which led the South Division by nearly 90.
Gannon Gunn and Will Luttenegger were Placed on the First Team as Infielders. Gunn hit 0.339 for the season with 11 RBIs, while Luttenegger added 10 RBIs off of six doubles.
Kyler Crow finished his incredible career with 131 games played for the Orange and Black and he was one of the top players every year. The senior’s 0.341 batting average and sub-2 ERA helped him nab a spot as First Team Outfielder.
Max Griffin, who led the division with a 0.79 ERA and hit 0.324 for the season, and Kael Wischmeier, who led the team with 22 RBIs, were put on the First Team as Utilities.
Hayden Gugeler (Infield), Quincy King (Outfield), and Henry Luttenegger (Utility) found slots on the Second Team. Gugeler added an RBI-triple in the Substate Championship game.
Brock Spears and Simon Fisher were named Honorable Mentions.
Central Lee
Joining Davis (Pitcher) on the First Team was Kellen Weber at Catcher, Caedin Newton in the Infield, and Ward Fraise as an Outfielder. Weber hit 0.414 for the season with two home runs and 26 RBIs. Newton added a 0.494 on-base percentage, while Fraise hit 0.367.
Mason Sanders as a Pitcher, who was second on the team in batting average and produced a 1.62 ERA, Gage Van Ausdall as an infielder, and Brett Cook as an Outfielder each claimed Second Team honors.
Carter Ellingboe and Wyatt Day were named Honorable Mentions.
New London
Gavin Strawhacker’s (Infield) 8th best batting average in the South and Cale Westerbeck’s (Outfield) 0.328 batting average was good enough to grab Second Team honors.
Owen Severson and Riley Rains were named Honorable Mentions.
West Burlington
The Falcons know how to produce at the plate with Silas Lotzow (Infield) and Ayden Figuereo (Outfield) leading the charge and being placed on the First Team. Lotzow hit one home run to go along with eight doubles and 23 RBIs, while Figuereo’s 0.383 batting average ranked 10th in the South.
On the Second Team was Caleb Bush at Pitcher, Garrett Bence at Infield, Ayden Brookhiser at Outfield, and Prior Bowen as a Utility. Brookhiser’s 0.444 batting average ranked 4th in the division with 12 RBIs.
Sawyer Guihan and Dalton Blow were named Honorable Mentions.
Van Buren County
Eli McKinney was the lone First Team selection for the Warriors as a Utility. The senior hit 0.296 for the season and worked 20 walks for a 0.506 on-base percentage.
Kayden Simmons (Catcher), who stole 19 bases, and Cree Kite (Utility), who finished with a battling average north of 0.300, were placed on the Second Team.
Reid Kite and Kinnick Millard were named Honorable Mentions.
Danville
Grayland Walker (Outfield) and Noah Horn (Utility) paced the team’s honors with Second Team appearances. Walker hit 0.279 for the season, while Horn led the team with four doubles.
Alex Pfadenhauer and Zander Stotler were named Honorable Mentions.
First Team
Pitcher
Blake Davis (JR) Central Lee
Tatum Warner (JR) Notre Dame
Catcher
Parker Lange (SR) Mediapolis
Kellen Weber (FR) Central Lee
Infield
Curtis Randall (SO) Notre Dame
Payne Prottsman (SR) Notre Dame
Silas Lotzow (SO) West Burlington
Gannon Gunn (SR) Mediapolis
Caedin Newton (SO) Central Lee
Outfield
Landry Haberichter (SR) Notre Dame
Eli Oleson (SR) Notre Dame
Ayden Figuereo (SR) West Burlington
Kyler Crow (SR) Mediapolis
Ward Fraise (SR) Central Lee
Utility
Maddox Diewold (JR) Notre Dame
Max Griffin (SR) Mediapolis
Kale Wischmeier (JR) Mediapolis
Eli McKinney (SR) Van Buren County
Second Team
Pitcher
Caleb Bush (SR) West Burlington
Mason Sanders (JR) Central Lee
Catcher
Kyler Cameron (FR) Notre Dame
Kayden Simmons (SR) Van Buren County
Infield
Garrison Reid (FR) Notre Dame
Garrett Bence (JR) West Burlington
Hayden Gugeler (JR) Mediapolis
Gavin Strawhacker (SO) New London
Gage Van Ausdall (FR) Central Lee
Outfield
Cale Westerbeck (SR) New London
Ayden Brookhiser (8th) West Burlington
Hank Humphrey (FR) Notre Dame
Quincy King (JR) Mediapolis
Grayland Walker (FR) Danville
Brett Cook (JR) Central Lee
Utility
Prior Bowen (JR) West Burlington
Henry Luttenegger (JR) Mediapolis
Cree Kite (SO) Van Buren County
Noah Horn (SR) Danville