Top stars, best performances in Iowa high school baseball (June 19-25)

Some of the top performances in Iowa prep baseball

By Barry Poe 

Here are some stars from last week’s high school baseball games across Iowa.

If you know of a top performance we should include, please email nate@scorebooklive.com. 

Mason Bechen, North Linn

The sophomore homered in both games of a doubleheader sweep over Maquoketa Valley and was the winning pitcher in the second game. Class 1A No. 5 North Linn won its third straight Tri-Rivers Conference West Division title.

Drew Carlson, Iowa City High

Carlson erupted for nine RBIs, going 4-for-4 with two singles and two home runs — a grand slam and a three-run shot. The nine RBIs is the best single-game performance in the state among all classes. He has 33 RBIs this season, batting .396 with 36 hits and three home runs.

Jase Reinke, Cascade

The senior pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win for Class 2A No. 7 Cascade in a 7-2 win over Alburnett. In seven appearances and four starts, Reinke paces Cascade with 35 1/3 innings pitched and a 1.39 earned-run average. He is also tied for a team-best in starts and has three wins and one save.

Drew Powers, Saint Ansgar

The junior drove in two runs and stole five bases as the Saints rolled to a 19-0 win over Belmond-Klemme. Powers’performance against the Broncos brought him to 32 stolen bases on the year, which is the most in the Top of Iowa Conference and sixth most in the state.

Jayce Schwiesow, Saint Ansgar

Schwiesow combined with Tate Meyer to strike out 15 and throw a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Nashua-Plainfield. Schwiesow started the game and struck out eight in four innings. He walked two batters. Meyer came on and struck out seven of the nine batters that he faced.

Jake Krebsbach, Osage

Krebsbach hit a grand slam home run, helping the Green Devils to a 7-1 win over North Butler. The blast was part of a six-run frame that lifted Osage.

Tate Jirovsky, Grundy Center

The junior picked up a pitching win in relief in the first game of a doubleheader with AGWSR. He then belted two homers and knocked in three in the nightcap.

Mack Ortner, Don Bosco

Ortner doubled twice and drove in four runs as the Dons won their 20th game of the season, 16-0 over BCLUW.

Ayden Schrunk, Sioux City North

The junior struck out 12 and allowed just three hits in six innings of relief as the Stars downed MRAC rival Bishop Heelan 4-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. North won the second game 4-3, tying Heelan for the conference lead.

Kye Smith, North Scott

Smith went 5-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs to lead the Lancers past Bettendorf, 16-7, in the first game of a doubleheader. Smith had two more hits and drove in two in the second game, but Bettendorf won, 8-7.

Easton Pratt, Ankeny Centennial

The senior pitched a three-hit shutout, striking out 10 and walking one, in a 3-0 win over West Des Moines Valley. Pratt is 6-0 with a 0.21 ERA for the top-ranked team in Class 4A.

Cal Sullivan, Cedar Rapids Prairie

The senior catcher was a combined 4-for-8 with a double and four RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Bettendorf. The Hawks are ranked No. 2 in Class 4A.

Sam Hesselman, Johnston

The senior first baseman was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs as the Class 4A third-ranked Dragons downed No. 5 West Des Moines Dowling 10-5.

Jake Goodman, Western Dubuque

Goodman, a junior second baseman, finished 5-for-7 with two singles, a double, triple, home run and four RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Iowa City West. The Class 3A top-ranked Bobcats are 26-6 with a five-game winning streak.

Trenten Kingery, Knoxville

The senior was 5-for-7 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored as the Class 3A third-ranked Panthers swept a doubleheader with Centerville. Kingery is batting .449 with 31 RBIs. Kingery has excelled on the field after returning from a serious injury during his freshman season that nearly cost him his life.

Sam Holloway, ADM

The senior had three hits and drove in two runs in a 4-1 victory over Gilbert. Luke Greth struck out 10 in 6.2 innings of relief for the Class 3A seventh-ranked Tigers.

Cain Brown, Mid-Prairie

The senior first baseman was 3-for-5 with a single, double, home run and four RBIs as the Class 2A second-ranked Golden Hawks pulled out a 12-11 win over Durant. Mid-Prairie (20-6) has won eight games in a row.

Preston Crees, Estherville-Lincoln Central

The sophomore picked up his team-leading sixth pitching win, spacing six hits and striking out eight in a 2-0 shutout of a 17-win Humboldt squad.

Luke Schietz, Dyersville Beckman

The senior was a combined 5-for-8 with a homer, three RBIs and four runs scored in a doubleheader sweep of Anamosa. Beckman, No. 4 in Class 2A, is 18-8 and atop the River Valley Conference North Division standings.

Garrett Lueth, Underwood

The freshman pitched a four-hit shutout, striking out 10, and helped his own cause with two hits and four RBIs in a 9-0 win over Treynor.

Kaiden Knaack, Don Bosco

The junior drove in five runs for the Class 1A No. 7 Dons in an 18-7 victory over top-ranked Mason City Newman. Knaack had a single and double, while Ty Purdy added four hits and was the winning pitcher, striking out eight in 5.2 innings.

Gage Petersen, Mason City Newman

The Knights bounced back from their one-sided loss to Don Bosco, rolling past Northwood-Kensett 19-1 a night later. Petersen was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and was one of seven Newman players with at least two RBIs.

Jackson Nissen, Kingsley-Pierson

Kingsley-Pierson topped Woodbury Central 8-4 in the Western Valley Conference tournament championship. Nissen had two hits and drove in two runs and was the winning pitcher with four innings of relief. The 1A second-ranked Panthers are 21-1 heading into their final four regular season games.

Cael Ortman, Remsen St. Mary’s

The third-rated Hawks – last year’s state runners-up, have won 17 straight to improve to 23-2 on the season. Ortman had three hits and drove in two runs and held Orange City Unity Christian to three hits while striking out 12 in an 8-1 victory.

Conner Maston, Lynnville-Sully

The senior pitched a no-hitter, striking out 14, in a 9-0 win over North Mahaska. Maston threw 107 pitches and walked three, improving his record to 6-0. The No. 4 Hawks are 21-1 with four regular season games remaining.