The fifth biggest sports story at Hillcrest Academy during the most recent year, takes us to the baseball diamond. The Raven boys of summer once again found success. The season started slow for Hillcrest, with the Ravens dropping their first three contests. Their first victory of the year was a statement win, taking down previously unbeaten Pekin 5-2 in Kalona on June fourth. That was part of a three game winning streak that would bring the Ravens back to .500 and included a combined 37-12 pair of wins over Wapello and Winfield Mt. Union. Momentum continued for Hillcrest, they would win four of their next five, taking victories over Columbus, Lone Tree, English Valleys and Keokuk. They would alternate wins and losses over the final two weeks of the regular season to enter the playoffs with a 12-9 overall record.

In the postseason, they hammered English Valleys in the first round, beating the Bears by a 10-0 score in just five innings. In the district semis, they won a wild 9-7 contest over North Cedar that saw Hillcrest jump out to a 7-0 lead before the Knights would tie things and Jace Rempel’s RBI hit in the sixth would win it for the Ravens. In the district title game against Lisbon, The Lions took a 4-2 win, jumping out to a four run lead in the second. Hillcrest scored single runs in the third and fifth innings but couldn’t come up with one more timely hit late. This was the Ravens fourth district title game in the last five years, 2020 being the only season they didn’t reach that round of the playoffs. Seven Ravens were named all-conference including three first teamers with unanimous picks Eli Ours and London Schrock along with first teamer Luke Schrock. Hillcrest finished the year with a 14-10 overall record.