A fond farewell to Southeast Kansas League baseball and softball for Iola High’s Mustangs and Fillies came late last week.
SEK league coaches selected the 2012 All-SEK baseball and softball teams. The honors were released following the completion of Kansas high school state tournaments.
In their final season as a member of the SEK, Iola High’s Mustangs rallied to take a share of the 2012 baseball crown. They had been the preseason favorite to win it all and came off a mid-season slump to finish in a three-way tie at 12-4 in SEK play with Pittsburg and Independence.
It was the only league title the Mustang baseball team earned.
Iola has been competing in high school baseball and softball for eight years.
The Mustangs had four players receive All-SEK first-team honors and two receiving second-team recognition. Iola ended the season at 17-6, losing to Ottawa in a Kansas Class 4A Regional Baseball Tournament championship game at Ottawa.
Iola High’s Fillies ended up eighth in the SEK in their final season in the league. They went 2-12 in league action and 4-15 overall.
The Fillies had their two seniors receive SEK honors.
Jerrik Sigg, senior pitcher and center fielder, became the Mustangs’ first three-time All-SEK first-team selection. Fellow seniors Clint Heffern and Drew Walden and junior Levi Ashmore were named to the All-SEK first team.
Sigg went 4-2 on the mound this season with a 3.15 Earned Run Average (ERA) in 33 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 20 runs on 28 hits and 17 walks, He led the team in chalking up 28 strikeouts.
Sigg hit .391 with 27 hits and drove in 26 runs. He had 10 doubles, four triples and one home run. He was 9 of 10 on stolen base attempts.
For the second year in a row, Ashmore was named to the first team. Ashmore plays at shortstop for the Mustangs and is their leadoff hitter.
Ashmore led the Mustangs in stolen bases, 22 of 22, this spring. He was a .529 leadoff hitter with 37 hits, including five doubles and one home run. He scored a team-high 36 runs. He also saw duty as a closer on the mound.
Heffern and Walden were second-team all-league selections a year ago. Both moved up to the first team this season.
Heffern played second base and pitched for the Mustangs. He was a .461 hitter in the second slot in the batting order. He drove in 26 runs and scored 26 runs with 35 hits. Heffern was 7 of 9 on stolen base attempts.
