The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball and softball teams travel to West Liberty Thursday for a road River Valley Conference doubleheader with the Comets. The Golden Hawk baseball team is 18-6 this year and 12-1 with a two and a half game lead over the Comets in the River Valley standings, after an 11-4 win over Fairfield Tuesday. This year, the Golden Hawks are hitting .290 as a team with 150 runs on 180 hits. Karson Grout has a team best .427 average with 32 hits. He and Alex Bean share the team lead with 21RBI and Cain Brown has a team best 23 runs scored. Mid-Prairie’s team ERA is 2.88 with a .220 opponent average on 134 hits, 66 earned runs, 77 walks and 176 strikeouts. Brock Harland, Brady Weber, Collin Miller, Landry Gingerich and Gentry Bontrager are a combined 13-0 with a 1.40 ERA.

West Liberty is 11-8 this year, and 10-4, tied for second in the River Valley after suffering a sweep at the hands of the Golden Hawks in Wellman Monday by 3-2 and 6-3 scores. This year the Comets are hitting .246 as a team with 123 runs on 119 hits. Drake Collins is the team leader with a .333 average on 18 hits. Seth Axiom has a team high 17 runs scored and Tyler Jones has 14 RBI. West Liberty’s team ERA is 2.80 with a .188 opponent average on 86 hits, 47 earned runs, 62 walks and 131 strikeouts. Collins is the leader at 4-1 in 35 innings with a 1.62 ERA. Along with the sweep this week, Mid-Prairie has won 29 of the last 34 in the series.

The Mid-Prairie softball team is 12-12 this year, 8-6 in the River Valley Conference, fourth place. They were swept by West Liberty 4-1 and 15-1 in Kalona Monday. This year, the Hawks are hitting .349 as a team with 136 runs on 189 hits. Sophie Miller leads the way at .493 with 35 hits. Dakota Mitchell has a team best 22 runs and Sydney Knebel a team leading 22 RBI. The Golden Hawk staff has a 3.51 ERA with a .256 opponent average on 126 hits, 59 earned runs, 35 walks and 91 strikeouts. Knebel has spent the most time in the circle, working 87 innings with a 2.99 ERA.

West Liberty is 14-6 this season, 9-3, second place in the RVC after sweeping the Hawks Monday. The Comets are hitting .376 this year with 186 runs on 204 hits. Pearson Hall has a team best .627 average with 42 hits, 38 runs scored and 38 driven in. The Comet team ERA is 4.41 with a .317 opponent average on 151 hits, 71 earned runs, 40 walks and 62 strikeouts. Mallory Wulf has thrown 83 innings with a 4.57 ERA. West Liberty has won 16 straight in the series, dating back to 2015. Action starts tonight at 7p.m. in West Liberty.