July 10, 2018 By Chris Varney
The High School Baseball playoffs continue tonight with doubleheader action on 1410 KGRN and myiowainfo.com. I will be live from Brooklyn as Iowa Valley meets Lone Tree in Game One at 5 pm and HLV plays BGM in Game Two at 7 pm. Both games in Class 1A, District 9. Here’s a preview of both games:
Iowa Valley Tigers (11-9) v. Lone Tree Lions (9-17)
Its Lions versus Tigers (Oh my!) in the first game of our doubleheader. These two teams met last Monday with Iowa Valley slugging out a 15-11 victory. Head Coach John Bowlin has already said he will be starting lefty Junior Ryan Becker (5-3, 3.11). Becker throws strikes, he is usually all around the plate — he has allowed 72 hits this year but has only walked 9 on the year so a big key will be whether Lone Tree will get hits or make outs. The Lions have three hitters who are dangerous — Sophomore Brady Dauber (.405, 1 HR, 9 RBI), Junior Avery Knock (.433, 0, 21) and Junior Bryce Houser (.356, 3, 12) are the leaders in the Lone Tree den. There’s also Sophomores Keegan Edwards and Harmon Miller who have driven in 20 RBI apiece and are hitting just under .300.
Lone Tree does not have a sure thing number one starter when you look at the stats. The guess is that they will go with experience with Senior Dakota Smith (4-2, 3.72). Walks have a problem for the Lone Tree pitchers — 142 bases on balls in 154 innings this season. That ranks 13th in Class 1A. Iowa Valley pitchers have just 60 walks in 134 innings. The Tigers have a lot of confidence after putting 15 on the board against three Lion pitchers last week. Iowa Valley’s line up is led by Senior Blaine Jordan (.375, 1, 21) and Sophomore Derek Leonard (.393, 0, 7). The last three losses by the Tigers were by shutout to Sigourney, Keota, and Gladbrook Reinbeck so offense has been up and down this season.
BGM Bears (9-15) v. HLV Warriors (18-6)
HLV will try to make it three in a row against BGM when the play in the first round of the playoffs tonight. It was all Warriors in the first two meetings, winning 18-8 at Victor on June 1 and taking the rematch at Brooklyn on June 27 14-6. Defense has been a major problem for BGM this year, committing a total of 105 errors, which is tied for the third most in Class 1A. BGM pitchers have allowed 155 runs this year but only 69 of which are earned. That means every time BGM commits an error, there is a good chance it will lead to a run. For pitching BGM, will use either Senior Kyle Doty (1-4, 2.83), Sophomore Noah Beck (3-1, 1.73), or Junior Scott Tibbetts (4-3, 2.17). Head Coach Jordan Ely was leaning to a combination of pitchers as of Monday afternoon but that could change. Whomever BGM uses on the mound, they will face one of the best hitting teams in Class 1A. The Warriors are batting .383 as a team led by Junior Dean Schaull (.517, 0, 18). HLV actually has more stolen bases than BGM (96 to 81) with Schaull leading the way with 29 in 31 attempts.
The Warriors will use either Senior Mitchell Thys (7-0, 2.81) or Sophomore Carson Cheney (3-3, 2.69). Head Coach Wes Warwick was leaning towards using a combination of both pitchers in the game but was uncertain as of Monday afternoon. Junior Cody Frohm (2-0, 1.69) will be a key pitcher used in relief. BGM’s hitters will have develop confidence early in the game — the Bears are led offensively by Beck (.464, 0, 18) and 8th grader Jake Moel (.386, 0, 14). Doty leads the team in RBI with 21. Senior Keegan James (.367, 0, 4) missed the first part of the season with a hamstring injury suffered during track and field season.
Historically it has been BGM with the best record after their recent dominance of the South Iowa Cedar League and HLV is the new kid on the block. HLV is young with just one senior on their roster. The Warriors have not been blown out this year, their closest loss was 13-6 at Gladbrook Reinbeck with their other 5 defeats all by 2 runs or less.
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