The Iowa Mennonite School baseball team opens 2016 tonight when they travel to Mediapolis.

IMS ended last year with a 7-16 overall record. Iowa Mennonite scored 124 runs, hit .264 as a team and had a team ERA of 4.10. On the field this year IMS returns two of their top four hitters in Tobyn Bender and Drake Brezina. Bender is the leading returner with a .297 average and 19RBI. Both Bender and Brezina tallied 19 hits a season ago. On the mound, much of the staff returns for IMS including ERA leader Blake Bontrager. Bontrager finished 2015 with a 2.55 ERA and 2-2 overall record. Brezina and Cole Yoder also saw a lot of time on the mound last year.

Mediapolis was 21-10 a year ago. They were a state tournament qualifier, falling to the Cascade Cougars in the state quarterfinals a year ago 6-2. The Bulldogs hit .316 as a team with 201 runs scored and had a team ERA of 2.97. Though the Bulldogs had success a year ago, they were a young bunch, they return five of their top seven hitters including their leader at the plate Josh Osborne. Osborne ended the season with a .490 average, 29 RBI and 48 hits, all best for the Bulldogs a season ago. On the mound Brandon Tapp and Tim Diewold return. Tapp was 3-1 last year with a 1.05ERA in 20 innings of work. Diewold was 5-2 with a 2.18ERA in 45 innings. These two teams met twice a season ago with Mediapolis taking both wins, 7-0 and 5-0. Action begins with first pitch tonight at 7PM at Mediapolis High School.