Honorable Mention
Carter Essick- Carroll- Senior
Essick was strong behind the plate for the Tigers, being one of the best defensive catchers in the area. He was able to throw out 7 basestealers against extremely tough competition and finished the season with a .964 fielding percentage. He had a good season at the plate, showing good power with a team high six-doubles.
Jace Baker- Coon Rapids Bayard- Sophomore
Baker stats don’t tell his whole story. He was clutch at the plate, especially early in the season and was a very good defensive outfielder. He finished the season fourth on the team in RBI with 20 and walks with 25. His on-base percentage was .451. His speed helps him on the bases, stealing 15 of 15 bases. Baker is a strong defensive outfielder, getting to a lot of balls down the line, making several tough catches, finishing the season with a .947 fielding percentage.
Max Shirbroun- Coon Rapids Bayard- Junior
Shirbroun gave the Crusaders a strong option on the hill early in the season as they looked to build their pitching depth. He ended the year 2-2 with a very good 2.82 ERA. He struck out 27 batters while allowing only 15 hits, holding opponents to a .170 batting average. Shirbroun made seven starts and appeared in nine games this season.
Brody Schultes- Audubon- Junior
Schultes had a solid season at the plate, on the base paths and in the field for the Wheelers. He ended the season hitting above .280 with a team high 21 runs scored and five extra-base hits with 5. He had a pair of triples. Schultes also paced the Wheelers with 13 walks. His speed on the base paths helped him steal 15 bases, one of only two Wheelers in double figures. He is a strong defender, making only 1 error to finish with a .975 fielding percentage.
Jace Starman- IKM-Manning- Junior
Starman was strong for the Wolves, tying for the team lead in RBI and led the team in extra-base hits with six. He had three home runs to go with three-doubles. His OPS finished at 0.950. Starman did a nice job behind the plate, helping a young pitching staff get better as the season progressed. His fielding percentage finished at .957.
Tucker Grosely- East Sac- Senior
Grosely had a breakout season for the Raiders, providing a strong bat in the lineup, hitting nearly .360. He led the Raiders in RBI, finishing the season with a 0.885 OPS. He was solid on defense, ending the season with a .940 fielding percentage, making only four errors on sixty-seven attempts.
2nd Team
Tristan Janson- Kuemper- Senior
Janson missed the latter part of the season but still was one of the top producers for the Knights and was tough on the hill. He ended the season batting nearly .350 with a 0.926 OPS. He ended the year tied for second on the team in runs scored and walked or was hit-by-pitch thirteen times while only striking out five times. He led the Knights in stolen bases and was their ace on the hill. His leadership and toughness were missed down the stretch.
Mason Stitz- Carroll- Junior
Stitz forced his way into the lineup this season, putting together a strong season. He led the Tigers with a .442 batting average and was second in OPS at 1.081. Five of his nineteen hits went for extra-bases with four doubles and a triple. Stitz was fourth on the team in stolen bases. He became a top defensive outfielder, making one error to finish with a .978 fielding percentage.
Landon Sporrer- East Sac- Junior
Sporrer put together his best season for the Raiders, finishing 3rd on the team in hitting with a 1.053 OPS. His batting average finished at .356 and his on-base percentage was .608 due to walking 19 times and getting hit-by-pitch 10 times. Sporrer led the Raiders in runs scored. He is a great runner and it showed on the basepaths, stealing 21 of 22 bases. As good as he was on offense, his defense shined as well, finishing the season with a .966 winning percentage with just one error.
Kasche Huehn- IKM-Manning- Senior
The senior continued to hit the ball well, looking to take the ball to the opposite field to use his speed to get on base. He finished the season hitting just under .400 with 27 base hits. He added 13 walks to have an on-base percentage of .494. Huehn led the team with 17 runs scored. He was one of the best baserunners in the area, going 30 for 30 in stolen bases.
Johnathan Riesselman- Ar-We-Va- Junior
Riesselman had a really strong season for the Rockets, helping them have their best season since 2021. Riesselman ended the year hitting .400 with a 0.975 OPS. He was second on the team in doubles stolen bases and was third in runs scored. His biggest strength was behind the plate, where he had a flawless season, having a perfect fielding percentage in 88 chances.
Mason Knerl- Kuemper- Senior
Knerl wrapped up a good career with another strong season. He finished the year batting nearly .330 with a .480 on-base percentage, thanks to 18 walks and 5 hit-by-pitches. He led the team in runs scored and hits. Knerl helped the Knights defensively at shortstop and on the hill, going 3-2 this season in 32 ⅔ innings pitched. His ERA was 3.43 and his WHIP was 1.56.
Landon Pottebaum- Kuemper- Junior
Pottebaum had one of the best seasons for the Knights, hitting .303 with a .436 on-base percentage. Pottebaum was second on the team in RBI and was third in hits. His four-doubles was second on the team. He showed a good eye at the plate, walking more than he struck out. Pottebaum was a strong 3rd baseman, with a .941 fielding percentage in 85 chances. He finished the season 3-2 on the hill in 31 innings.
Collin Sturm- Glidden Ralston- Senior
Sturm spent most of the season as one of the leaders in hit-by-pitch, finishing with 19. His on-base percentage ended at .519 with a strong batting average of .304. He was fourth on the team in RBI and second on the team in runs scored. Sturm was a strong baserunner, going 5-5 in stolen bases.
Daniel Thooft- Glidden Ralston- Senior
Thooft paced the Wildcats in RBI with 20, helped by three extra-base hits, including a home run. He ended the season with a .338 batting average and a 0.808 OPS. Thooft was a good defensive 1st baseman, making 5 errors in 141 chances for a .965 fielding percentage. He was a coach on the field for the Wildcats this season.
Blayce Nelson- Glidden Ralston- Junior
Nelson led the Wildcats in wins, going 4-3 and was second on the team with 25 ⅔ innings pitched. His WHIP was 1.71 and opponents only batted .099 against him. Nelson added a .373 batting average with a 0.934 OPS. He finished the season third on the team in RBI, hits and runs scored. Nelson was a strong baserunner, going 17 of 18 in stolen base attempts. He added a .906 fielding percentage.
Ryan Sundrup- Kuemper- Senior
Sundrup became the best pitcher for the Knights down the stretch, having several strong starts, helping him finish with a 1.31 ERA. He ended the season 3-2 with 32 innings pitched, second most on the team. He struck out 24 batters while only walking 10 for a 1.12 WHIP.
Brock Kusel- IKM-Manning- Sophomore
Kusel ended the season as the ace for the Wolves, throwing hard and having good control. He had a 2.37 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. He went 4-4 in 41 ⅓ innings pitched. He led the team in strikeouts and innings pitched with opponents batting .172 against him. He tied for the team lead in RBI and led the team in doubles while finishing second in home runs with 2. His OPS was 0.968. He went 11-11 in stolen bases, second on the team.
1st Team
Cael Roth- East Sac- Freshman
The freshman was an elite batter for the Raiders this season, finishing with a .446 batting average and a 1.086 OPS. He finished with 25 hits, including three-doubles and a triple. His eleven walks helped him end the season with a .551 on-base percentage and a .536 slugging percentage. He was third on the team in runs scored and tied for 4th in RBI. Roth was a good baserunner, finishing 11 of 12 in stolen bases. He added a strong year in the field with a .929 fielding percentage.
Aaron McDermott- Kuemper- Senior
McDermott was one of the top hitters for the Knights most of the season, helping him lead the team in RBI with 22. He hit the ball for power, finishing the season with eleven-doubles and a triple, part of 23 hits on the season. McDermott was tied for second on the team in runs scored. He ended the season third on the team in stolen bases. His ability to read the ball off the bat helped him cover a lot of ground, finishing with a .941 fielding percentage.
Parker Hays- Coon Rapids Bayard- Senior
Hays was an important piece to the Crusaders terrific season. He was really good at the plate early, helping take pressure off Cal and Ty Heydon as the inexperienced guys in the lineup got some swings. He ended the season with 29 RBI, 2nd on the team and walked 26 times, third on the team. He hit nearly .310 and had a .481 on-base percentage. His 31-runs scored ranked 2nd on the team. Hays is an outstanding base runner, stealing 26 of 28 bases. He covered a lot of ground in centerfield and had a strong arm that baserunners didn’t challenge often.
Jonathan Bergmeier- Glidden Ralston- Senior
Bergmeier wrapped up one of the best all-around careers in the area with another outstanding season for the Wildcats. He hit .422 this season with a 1.100 OPS, a .5-6 on-base percentage and a .594 slugging percentage. He had eight extra-base hits with three-triples and five-doubles. He led the team in runs scored with 25. Bergmeier was third on the team in stolen bases. Bergmeier has always been strong defensively and continued that this season with a .941 fielding percentage. He added a 2-1 record on the hill, pitching 24 ⅔ innings, allowing 26 hits while striking out 15.
Ty Heydon- Coon Rapids Bayard- Sophomore
Heydon became an elite player this season and has the best footwork behind the plate in the area in years. Base runners learned not to challenge him often, throwing out eight basestealers. He is capable of picking guys off any base. His arm isn’t his only strength as a catcher. He frames pitches well and helped his team finish with a 1.69 ERA. Heydon isn’t just a great catcher, he is dynamite with the bat as well, batting .430 with a team high 30 RBI. He had ten extra-base hits with six-doubles, three-triples and a home run. His OPS was 1.212 and he had a .620 slugging percentage. Heydon walked 27 times and was hit-by-pitch 7 times. He made only one error this season, finishing with a .996 fielding percentage.
Stone Sibenaller- Carroll- Senior
Sibenaller was the ace for the Tigers on the hill, but may have been just as important at shortstop. He finished the season batting .381 with a 1.095 OPS and a .571 on-base percentage. His four-doubles was tied for second on the team. He led Carroll in runs scored and stolen bases, going 13 for 13. He has good range at shortstop and a strong glove and arm, ending the season with a .910 fielding percentage. Sibenaller spent a lot of time on the hill this season, going 32 ⅔ innings, ranking third on the team. He had a team high 40 strikeouts, adding a pair of saves.
Charlie Nattress- South Central Calhoun- Junior
Nattress was important for the Titans as they continue to move the program forward. He was tough on the hill, at the plate and in the field at 3rd base. He hit .385, second on the team with five-doubles while striking out only five times. His OPS was 0.907 and his slugging percentage was .481. Nattress was a strong baserunner, finishing second on the team in stolen bases. He ended the year tied for the team lead in wins on the hill, earning 3 wins in 39 ⅔ innings, adding 3 saves. His WHIP was 1.49.
Blayne Smith- Ar-We-Va- Senior
Smith closed out his career at Ar-We-Va with his best season, hitting .459, leading the team. He had a triple as part of his 17 hits this season, helping him lead the team in runs scored. Smith walked more than he struck out, showing his understanding of the strike zone. He was third on the team in stolen bases. He gave the Rockets a strong arm on the hill, throwing 23 ⅔ innings, finishing second on the team in strikeouts.
Andrew Anderson- South Central Calhoun- Senior
Anderson had another strong season, closing out a great all-around career at South Central Calhoun. He led the team with a .422 batting average and had a team high nine-doubles, adding a home run to lead the team. Anderson also paced the team in runs scored with 27, putting together an OPS of 1.129. Anderson is a smart baserunner, leading the team with 13 stolen bases, having a team high total bases. His defensive ability was important all season, playing in centerfield most of the season but switching to 1st base in situations over the back half of the season. He ended the season with a .976 fielding percentage, making only two errors. He battled arm issues but still went 3-0 on the hill with 3 saves, throwing 12 ⅔ innings, allowing 1 earned run for a 0.51 ERA. He struck out 27 batters while walking only 4 batters for a 0.66 WHIP.
Wyatt Ragaller- Ar-We-Va- Junior
Ragaller had a strong season on the hill, earning three of the Rockets five wins on the hill. He ended the year going 3-1 in 28 ⅓ innings with a 1.73 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He struck out 41 while walking only 14. Ragaller is a strong hitter, batting .385 with a 1.033 OPS and a .520 on-base percentage. He was third on the team in RBI and tied for the team lead in runs scored. His five-doubles were a team high. Ragaller paced the Rockets in stolen bases, going 10 for 10. He played well wherever they needed him on defense, finishing with a .922 fielding percentage.
Mason Culbertson- Coon Rapids Bayard- Junior
Culbertson worked as the Crusaders number two starter most of the season, ending the year with a 0.76 ERA. He went 5-0 with 37 innings pitched, giving up only four earned runs. He held opponents to a .127 batting average and his WHIP was 0.86. He made six starts this season and pitched in eleven games. He helped the team on offense, finding a way to score runs, finishing tied for fourth on the team and was in double figures in RBI.
Player of the Year and 1st Team
Cal Heydon- Coon Rapids Bayard- Junior
Heydon put together another dominant season, winning another Rewind Player of the Year. His numbers at the plate and on the hill are extremely impressive but his willingness to take on a bigger part of the leadership may have been his biggest impact on the team. Heydon showed emotion in key moments this season to keep the team playing with energy. That worked well with the numbers he produced. Heydon hit .506, though he was intentionally walked several times, ending the season with 32 walks. He still was able to double 15 times, matching his singles output. He added 7 triples and 5 home runs. His OPS was 1.680 and his slugging percentage was 1.036. He scored a team high 48-runs, 17 more than anyone else on the team. He added 24 RBI as the leadoff hitter, finishing third on the team. Heydon was outstanding on the bases, stealing 35 of 36 bases, turning singles and intentional walks into doubles or triples. His defense is as good as anyone in the area, finishing the season with a .985 fielding percentage, making two errors on 136 chances. Heydon ended the season 10-1 on the hill, throwing 55 innings, allowing 4 earned runs with a 0.51 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP. He struck out 105 while walking only 18 batters, holding opponents to a .109 batting average. He added a save in 12 appearances on the hill.
Coach of the Year
John Waddle- Coon Rapids Bayard
Coach Waddle did what he has done nearly half of his 42 seasons as the Head Coach in Coon Rapids Bayard. He led the team to their 18th Substate final while winning 25 games this season. The Crusaders won the Rolling Valley Conference, going 12-0 with big wins over tough Woodbine and CAM teams in the league. Coon Rapids Bayard made sure to challenge themselves in their non-conference schedule, earning wins over tough teams in Lenox, Ogden, Bedford, MVAOCOU, West Lyon and Kee while falling to strong teams from Pleasantville and Saydel. Three of their four losses came to teams that played in Substate finals with all three of those teams making State. The Crusaders ended the season with a .283 batting average and a 1.69 ERA, showing they were able to beat teams in many ways. Waddle continues to climb towards 900 career wins.
