The Hillcrest Academy baseball team is counting down the days to the start of the new season. The Ravens are coming off of a season that saw them finish with a 13-8 overall record. Hillcrest was 11-3 in the Superconference North division, finishing in the runner-up spot. The Ravens best run during the year happened in mid-June where they won six of eight games including a sweep of rival Lone Tree, a sweep of Louisa-Muscatine and a split with divisional champ Mediapolis.

Hillcrest hit .302 as a team, fourth best in the Superconference. They were led at the plate by Blake Bontrager with a .415 average, sixth best in the Superconference. He finished with 27 hits, 25RBI and five runs scored but has moved on through graduation. Leading returner at the plate for the Ravens is Eli Ours who hit .343 as a sophomore with 23 hits, 15RBI and 20 runs scored.

On the hill, Hillcrest had a 3.76 team ERA, third in the conference. The Ravens were led by Trevor Leyden who set a new school record, posting a 0.33 ERA across 21 innings with 24 punchouts. Eli Ours is also the leading returner on the mound with a 1.82ERA in 34 and two thirds innings last year and a perfect 5-0 record during his sophomore season. This week, Hillcrest head coach Danny Hershberger talked about his team’s strengths  and veterans. “Our seniors are Drew Blauvelt and Kobe Borntrager. They have been on varsity since they were freshman. Eli Ours is our top returning pitcher. he was 5-0 last year with an ERA under two. He’ll lead the charge for us on the mound. London Schrock is a junior who has been starting varsity for us since he was a freshman. Noah Miller burst on the scene last year in his freshman year and was an all-conference player. Our pitching will be our staple. We have veterans back with a track record of performing well. Pitching and defense will be our strong suits and we will work on ways to manufacture runs.”

The Ravens open the season Monday when they host the Highland Huskies.