The Allen County area spring sports season is about to crank into high gear with a number of area baseball programs working to make their teams known this year.
Five of the local high schools will field baseball teams this spring in Iola, Humboldt, Crest, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center. Iola and Crest will serve as the area’s baseball powerhouses while Marmaton Valley and Yates Center will reach for a .500-record.
Iola
The Mustangs bring the same goal of winning a state championship into the new year. Iola has three senior leaders on this team to lead the way in Brandon McKarnin, Jarrett Herrmann and Carter Hutton. They all bring a load of starting experience to the table.
Last season, Iola won their Class 4A regional tournament but lost to Ottawa in the first round of the state tournament, 5-3. First-year head coach Levi Ashmore believes he has a team in place capable of making another state tournament run, similar to what he did at Iola in 2013.
The arms of Korbin Cloud, Mac Leonard and McKarnin will lead Iola on the mound and defensively. McKarnin is expected to start on opening day against Independence. Herrmann, McKarnin and Hutton should also be the Mustangs most reliable hitters.
Humboldt
Humboldt will rely on its starting pitching to help them most this spring. That’s because the Cubs return three game-changing starters from last year’s squad in Trey Sommer, Kyler Isbell and Logan Page.
Top hitters this season will include Sommer who slashed a .435 batting average last season and was named an All-League selection. Junior Sam Hull also hit to the tune of a .395 batting average and sophomore catcher Jacob Harrington looks to step up.
After losing some key bats at the plate over the offseason, head coach Mike Miller believes his team has a good balance of older and younger hitters who can produce. Humboldt has made reaching the state tournament their mission this spring after falling just short last year.
Crest
Crest’s fiery offense and shutdown pitching return this year with seven players with valuable starting experience from their Three Rivers League championship title run a year ago. The Lancers won their regional championship before taking fourth place at state.
Senior hurler Trevor Church has already signed to play baseball at Fort Scott Community College next year. Church went 8-0 with a .074 ERA one year ago. Senior catcher Avery Blaufuss has also signed a national letter of intent to play ball at McPherson College.
Stetson Setter will be a force on the mound again and Jack White also returns with pitching experience. Holden Barker, Rogan Weir Jr. and Blaufuss will be counted on as some of Crest’s most dependable hitters.
Marmaton Valley
The Wildcats have winning on their mind but also the importance of improving every day and building strong character on the diamond. That’s what Marmaton Valley head coach Adam Borth wants to see most from his players this year.
Marmaton Valley has made a jump from 10 to 15 players this season and their approach at the plate will be their strong suit. Wildcats Daniel Fewins, Chase Smith and Dominic Smith will all look to have good seasons at the plate as well as in the field, including Smith at catcher.
The Wildcats fell to Colgan in the first round of the Class 1A-I substate last season and the head coach believes Crest is a favorite to win the state championship this year. A pair of seniors in Dylan Drake and Wyatt Arndt look to elevate the Wildcats this season.
Yates Center
Yates Center’s baseball team is also being led by a first-year head coach, Jared McVey. McVey is an alum of Yates Center and was on the baseball team when he was in high school.
This year’s Wildcat squad has 18 players, with four coming from Altoona-Midway due to a team not being fielded there. The mission for McVey’s bunch will be to grow their mindset and get better through the wins and losses as a unit.
