The Hillcrest Academy Raven baseball and softball teams start their 2023 seasons tonight with a road trip to Danville to face the Bears. The Hillcrest boys were 12-11 overall last season, finishing 9-5, third place in the Southeast Iowa Superconference. By the numbers, the Ravens hit .242 as a team, with 153 total hits, 140 runs scored, 112 walks and 159 strikeouts. Luke Schrock led Hillcrest in the box last year, hitting .382 with 34 total hits and 29 runs scored, all team bests. Seth Ours and Jace Rempel each drove in a team high 22 men. Hillcrest returns their top six hitters by the numbers from a year ago. On the mound, they compiled a team ERA of 4.06 in 157 innings with a .269 opponent batting average against, 91 earned runs allowed 77 walks and 140 Ks. They return everyone who threw a pitch last season. Ours led the team with four wins with a 2.24 ERA. Rempel was 2-0 with a team best 0.89 ERA, Luke Schrock won three with a team best 45 strikeouts.

Danville was 3-15 last season, 1-12 and in the cellar of the Superconference. They hit just .213 as a team, with 92 total hits, 46 runs scored 43 walks and 139 strikeouts. They return their top two at the plate including Jaden Bauer after a .333 freshman season with 17 hits, both stats led the Bears. Kessler Whaley scored a Bear best 10 times and Sawyer Nelson had a team topping 12 RBI. They had a combined 6.23 ERA in 105 innings with a .178 opponent batting average, 94 earned runs allowed, 101 walks and 150 strikeouts. Wins leader Bauer, who was 3-3 last year, is back with his team best 3.35 ERA in 38 innings. These two teams met a season ago in Kalona, with the Ravens winning an incredible 15-12 game on a Jace Rempel walk-off grand slam in extra innings.

The Raven girls are coming off of a 4-19 season in 2022, their most wins since 2016. They were 2-14 in league play. Hillcrest broke a 40-game losing steak last year with a June win over Mediapolis. They hit .278 as a team with 99 runs, 152 total hits, 46 walks and 145 strikeouts. Leading hitter Malia Yoder is back after a team best .437 average last year with 31 hits and 13 driven in. The Ravens did lose four of their top six on offense to graduation including RBI leader Grace Miller with 14. In the circle, the Ravens had an 8.47 ERA, with a .287 opponent batting average, 170 hits, 125 earned runs, 60 walks and 88 strikeouts, led by senior Leah Bontrager who recorded all four wins, throwing more than 100 innings with an eight ERA. Yoder is back after 15 innings a season ago and a 10 ERA with an 0-2 record.

Danville was winless last season, 0-20 overall and 0-12 in the cellar of the south division of the Superconference. They hit .187 as a team with 72 total hits, 31 runs scored, 18 walks and 129 strikeouts. Carlea Beckman with her team leading .380 average, 19 hits and 13 runs scored returns. The Bears have to replace 10 RBIs from team leader Makenzie Morris. In the circle, Danville had a 7.76 team ERA in 94 innings, a .337 opponent batting average, giving up 213 hits, 105 earned runs, 47 walks and 54Ks. Hayden Mutchler is the leading returner with an 0-7 record, 30 innings thrown .314 opponent batting average, 64 hits, 77 runs, 17 walks and 18 strikeouts with a 5.31 ERA. These two teams met twice a season ago with the Ravens earning 12-0 and 13-3 wins over the Bears. You can hear all of the softball action live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Jessica Yoder and Sarah Bigley with Lepic Kroeger Realtors Pregame Show at 6:30p.m. and first pitch at 7 in Danville.