Beacon Sports
Notre Dame coach Chris Chiprez and Van Buren coach Chad Scott shared Coach of the Year honors for the Southeast Iowa Superconference's all-South Division baseball team. The seven coaches voted for the all-Division teams.
The Nikes and the Warriors competed this past week at the state's 1A and 2A tournaments, respectively, in Carroll.
Notre Dame finished 11-1 to claim the South Division title, and Van Buren was one loss behind them at 11-2. The Nikes went to state with a 26-6 record, and the Warriors with a 26-3 record.
Jackson Manning of Van Buren was chosen as Player of the Year. He hit .517 for the season, and his 14 doubles, four triples, and two home runs helped him to a .839 slugging percentage. He drove in 60 runs.
Notre Dame placed six on the first team and six on the second team.
Making the first team for the Nikes were: Jaxon Sadler, pitcher; Logan Brent, catcher, Caden Schwenker and Spencer Brent, infielders; Landry Haberichter, outfielder, and Hunter Shipley, utility.
Payne Prottsman was chosen as one of the second-team pitchers, Maddox Diewold made it as an infielder, Lucas Johnson and Isaiah Crow as outfielders and Dylan Kipp and Eli Oleson as utility players.
Jeremiah Crow received an honorable mention.
Mediapolis came in third in the South at 8-5. Their first-team picks were Kamden Stotlar behind the plate, Jackson Hutcheson in the outfield, and Lance Ludens in the infield. The second-team Bulldogs were outfielder Kyler Crow and infielder Grady Gunn. Xayvion Breuer and Grant Hilton received an honorable mention.
West Burlington came in fifth in the league with a 4-8 record. The Falcons Jace Figuereo made the first team as an infielder and Hayden Vandenberg was first-team utility. Brady Diewold was a second-team outfielder. Emry Watson and Brock Thuleen received honorable mentions.
For Danville, which finished seventh with a 1-13 mark, Kessler Whaley was a first-team outfielder, and Jaden Bauer was a first-team infielder. Deken Huff made the second team as an outfielder, and Henry Bellrichard was a second-team infielder. Quentin Stotlar and Addison Clayton received an honorable mention.
Rounding out the first team: pitcher Taylor Sprouse, infielder Manning and outfielder Anthony Duncan, of Van Buren; catcher Tate Welcher and utility player Brendan Richey, New London.
The rest of the second team: pitcher Dylan Richardson, catcher Izaak Loeffler and infielder Lucus Fett, Van Buren; catcher Bo Herdrich and utility player Corbin Pohren, Central Lee; and infielders Gavin Menke-Bailey and Memphis Watson, New London.
First-team stats
Notre Dame
(Stats before the state tournament)
Schwenker, a junior, led his team with a .431 average (.608 slugging). He had eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs and drove in 37 runs. He also led the Nikes in drawing walks with 18. He stole 13 bases.
Spencer Brent, a junior, hit .381 (.517 slugging) and hit 13 doubles and one home run. He led in RBIs with 38 and struck out just 10 times in 118 at-bats. He stole 12 bases.
Haberichter, a freshman, batted .343 (.528 slugging). He had 13 doubles, two triples, and a home run.
Logan Brent, a junior, hit .330, with seven doubles and two home runs. He stole 13 bases.
Sadler, a junior, went undefeated in all six starts, and he pitched in eight others. His ERA was 3.03, and he struck out 61 and walked 20.
Shipley, the only senior on the team, started 11 games and went 8-1. He had a 1.43 ERA, the lowest of the regular hurlers. He struck out 52 and walked 26.
West Burlington
Figuereo, a senior, hit .531 for the Falcons (.703 slugging). He had three doubles and four triples to go with 27 singles in 64 at-bats. He and Vandenberg each walked 14 times. Figuereo struck out just three times in 64 at-bats.
Vandenberg, a senior, hit .483 but his 18 doubles and six home runs helped him get a .867 slugging percentage.
Mediapolis
Stotlar, a junior, led the Bulldog starters in hitting at .365. He hit three doubles and led the team in RBIs with 24.
Hutcheson, a junior, hit .354 with four doubles and 14 RBIs.
Ludens, a sophomore, hit .338. He had two doubles, two triples, and four home runs. He struck out eight times in 80 at-bats.
Danville
Whaley, a sophomore, hit .518 to lead the Bears (.607 slugging). He hit five doubles.
Bauer, a sophomore, hit .392 and led the team in RBIs with 17.
Final standings
Notre Dame 11-1, 26-6
Van Buren, 11-2, 26-3
Mediapolis, 8-5, 17-9
Central Lee, 7-5, 15-8
West Burlington 4-8, 9-10
New London, 2-10, 8-15
Danville, 1-13, 2-17