By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com
Prep Baseball: Super Conference Names All-Conference Teams:
The Southeast Iowa Super Conference has named their 2021 All-Conference Team, conference commissioner Don Lamm has announced.
Representing the North Division on the first team was the Mediapolis duo of pitcher Tyler Samuel and outfielder Josh Darbyshire.
The North Division Player of the Year was Mediapolis’ Jaxon Brooks.
Brooks hit .427 this year with seven doubles, six triples and two home runs.
He drove in a team-high 27 runs.
Mediapolis was also well represented on the second-team, with Aidan Danz, Max McClure and Ryan Ensminger all representing the Bulldogs.
Winfield-Mount Union junior infielder Nick Crow was selected to the second team.
Crow hit .295 with a double and drove in nine.
The South Division was littered with local talent.
New London had several on the first team, Hecniel Rodriguez, Tucker Gibbar, Kooper Schulte and Carter Allen comprised the 1st Team infield.
Josh Catala was honored as a first team outfielder, his teammate Camden Kasel was a second team choice.
Catala was also the Player of the Year in the South Division.
The junior hit .462 with three doubles, three triples and two homers. He drove in 26 and stole 24 bases.
Danville’s Grifen Molle and Sawyer Nelson were selected to the first and second teams respectively.
Mediapolis’ Rick Whitaker was the North Division Coach of the Year, while Brad Helmerson of New London was the Coach of the Year in the South Division.
Helmerson and New London will take on Lansing Kee in the first round of the Class 1A State Tournament Monday afternoon.
Prep Baseball: Class 3 and 4A State Tournament Set:
The IHSAA has released the brackets for the Class 3 and 4A State Baseball Tournaments, to be played in Iowa City at Duane Banks Field.
Wednesday, July 28 – 3A Quarterfinals
11:00—#4 Central DeWitt vs. #5 Waverly-Shell Rock
1:30—#1 Marion vs. #8 ADM, Adel
5:00—#2 Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. #7 MOC-Floyd Valley
7:30—#3 Wahlert Catholic vs. #6 Winterset
Thursday, July 29 – 4A Quarterfinals
11:00—#1 Pleasant Valley vs. #8 Ottumwa
1:30—#4 Dowling Catholic vs. #5 Cedar Rapids Prairie
5:00—#2 Ankeny vs. #7 Waukee
7:30—#3 Johnston vs. #6 Dubuque Hempstead
Semifinals in both classes will be played Friday, while the state finals will be at noon and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 31st.
Prep Softball: Two State Champs Crowned:
The State Softball Tournament produced two high quality tilts yesterday in both the 1A and 2A State Championships.
Here’s a look a the full scoreboard:
Class 1A
Newell-Fonda 4, Lisbon 1
Class 2A
North Linn 2, Earlham 1
College Football: Iowa Tabbed for Second Place Finish in Big Ten West:
The Iowa Hawkeye football team has been pegged to finish in second place in the annual Big Ten preseason poll.
Iowa received five first place votes to finish in second behind Wisconsin, who received 29 first place votes.
Northwestern, Minnesota and Nebraska rounded out the top-five in the Big Ten West.
Ohio State was selected as the champion of the Big Ten East, receiving all 34 first-place votes.
Penn State was second, followed up by Indiana, Michigan and Maryland.
Ohio State was picked by 33 of 34 writers to defeat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game.