Action returns to the diamond around southeast Iowa tonight for the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks when the baseball and softball teams host West Liberty in a River Valley Conference doubleheader. The Mid-Prairie baseball team is coming off of their first conference title since 2000 and first state tournament bid since 2007 in 2020. They finished last season with a 15-4 record, falling to West Lyon in the state quarterfinals at Principal Park in Des Moines. The Hawks return their top hitter by the numbers from a year ago in Aidan Rath with his .562 average, .676 on base percentage and 1.021 slugging percentage. The second team all-stater had a team best 27 hits, five homers and 29 RBI. Mid-Prairie hit .329 as a team a season ago.

On the mound the Hawks have to replace senior Ace Brad Tornow and his 5-0 record with a 0.91 ERA. Returning though are the two other members of the starting rotation with Keegan Gingerich and Kayden Reinier who went a combined 7-0 last season with a 2.65 ERA. The Hawks had a 2.66ERA as a team last season. Mid-Prairie returns six starters from the lineup they used in most of the 2020 games, and a total of nine players that saw action in the playoffs a season ago. Mid-Prairie is ranked No. 4 in class 2A in the preseason poll issued by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association.

West Liberty was 8-6 a season ago. Mid-Prairie eliminated the Comets in the district championship round of the playoffs. The Comets hit .243 as a team, led by Talen Dengler who had a .400 average his senior year. Top returner for West Liberty is Caleb Wolf who was second on the team with a .327 average, 16 total hits and seven RBI. On the mound, West Liberty had a team ERA of 4.39 with Wolf throwing 34 innings with a 3-1 record and 1.83ERA. These two teams met twice a season ago with the Hawks winning both match ups. You can hear all of the action live tonight from Paul N. Bailey Field on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee pregame show at 4:30 and the Premier Shed Shop and Champion Metal Supply first pitch at 5p.m.

The Mid-Prairie girls also begin the campaign tonight hosting West Liberty. The Golden Hawks are coming off of a 2-12 season a year ago. They hit .190 as a team and will need to replace their top two hitters from a year ago. Madeline Schrader is the leading returner with a .231 average. In the circle the Hawks had a 5.65 team ERA with Myah Lugar returning after throwing 28 innings with an 0-4 record and 4.25 ERA. The Hawks are under the direction of first year head coach Matthew Hoeppner.

West Liberty was 14-2 last season, advancing to the regional final round of the playoffs. The Comets hit .385 as a team, Finley Hall, the third best hitter by the numbers last year is the leading returner with her .471 average. West Liberty had a 1.34 team ERA with Sailor Hall back after a season that saw her finish with a 6-0 record and 0.97 ERA. The Comets beat the Hawks 10-0 in their lone meeting last season. Action starts tonight at 5p.m. at Carr, Vincent, Gould Field in Kalona.