The Mid-Prairie baseball and softball teams are on the diamond for the first time in 2020 tonight when they host the Northeast Goose Lake Rebels to open the season. The Golden Hawk softball team is coming off of a 9-21 campaign last year that included a 7-11 mark in the River Valley Conference. Highlights for Mid-Prairie last year included wins over Fairfield, Keokuk, Regina, West Branch, Bellevue, Wilton and a sweep of Tipton.
The Golden Hawks had a team batting average of .235, seventh in the River Valley South. They were led by Cassidy Rourke with a .303 average. She finished her senior season with 30 hits, 25 runs scored and 23 RBI. Leading returner for Mid-Prairie is Rylee Vercande who finished with a .299 average for her freshman year. She had 32 total hits, 23 runs scored and 13RBI.
In the circle, the Golden Hawks had a 5.48 team ERA, sixth in the RVC South. Rourke also led the way there, compiling a senior year ERA of 5.08, eighth best in the River Valley. She threw 117 and two thirds innings. Myah Lugar returns for her junior year at Mid-Prairie after tossing 51 and a third innings last year with a 5.32 ERA. This week, Mid-Prairie head coach Mallory McArtor talked about her team’s veterans and strengths. “We have Abbi Patterson coming back. Key infielder for us, pitching and defense, most likely at second base. Karsen Jehle is a strong short stop. Myah Lugar is another pitcher and outfielder for us. Kendra Scheafer will be in the otufield. Rylee Vercande will be behind the plate and have some time in the outfield. Georgia Nisly was all-conference last year at first base and will be back.”
Northeast Goose Lake was 20-14 overall last year, 10-9 in the north division of the River Valley Conference. They led the RVC north and were third in Iowa in 2A with a .386 team batting average. Neveah Hildebrandt was best for the Rebels, led the River Valley north and was seventh in class 2A with a .533 average. Northeast was fourth in the RVC north with a team ERA of 4.33 led by Alyssa Pessman with a 3.36 ERA and 9-2 record in 58 and a third innings of work. These two teams met a year ago with Mid-Prairie falling 10-4.
The Golden Hawk baseball team is coming off of a 2019 season that saw them finish with an 18-12 overall record. They were 12-7 in the River Valley South Division. Their best stretch of the season came in the final week of June and first week of July when they won seven of nine games including victories over West Branch, Anamosa, Bellevue, Williamsburg, Benton, Wilton and Monticello.
At the plate, Mid-Prairie had a team average of .260, sixth in the RVC. Brad Tornow led Mid-Prairie hitting .417 in his junior season with 43 hits, 32 runs scored and 12 RBI. His average was sixth best in the conference.
On the mound, Mid-Prairie had a 3.40 team ERA, third best in the RVC south. Tornow led Mid-Prairie there also, posting a 7-0 record and 1.02ERA in 55 innings of work with a conference best 102 strikeouts. The Golden Hawk staff brings back all of their pitchers who saw action last year but one. This week, Mid-Prairie head coach Andy Greiner talked about his veterans and the strengths of this year’s team. “We have third team all-state pitcher Brad Tornow coming back. One of the best pitchers in the state statistically speaking. Brody Miller is our other captain. Aidan Rath hit six bombs last year and .333 with an impressive arm. Keegan Gingerich is our returning shortstop and number two pitcher. Kayden Reinier, second team all-district pitcher, will be our closer, he’s a tough kid. Vinny Bowlin was a second team all-conference catcher who is back. We return a lot of pieces, we are fortunate to be a veteran group in a shortened season. Pitching is going to be a strength again this season. Maybe even more than previous seasons. The offense will be improved and develop during the year.”
Northeast was 5-21 a year ago, 4-12 in the River Valley north. The Rebels hit .224 as a team a season ago, last in the RVC north. They were led by Riley Wolfe with his .298 average 25 hits, nine runs scored and eight RBI. They were also last in the north with a team ERA of 7.31. Top pitcher for Northeast was Dakota Stevenson with a 4.92 ERA and 1-6 record in 42 and two thirds innings of work. These two teams met once a season ago with the Golden Hawks scoring a shut out 6-0 win.
The Golden Hawk baseball team will entertain the Rebels at Paul N. Bailey Field in Wellman with first pitch at 7p.m. while the Mid-Prairie softball team will meet Northeast Goose Lake at Carr, Vincent, Gould Field in Kalona at 7p.m.