After a hot start to the season, a pair of high school baseball polls see the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks make a move this week. According to IAbaseball, the Hawks are up two spots from 14th to 12th in Class 2A. The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Poll also sees the Hawks rise, from 14th to 13th.
Mid-Prairie is out to a 7-1 start to the year, 4-1 in the River Valley Conference and have outscored their opponents 65-16 through eight games. The Golden Hawks rank in 2A’s top 10 in a dozen different stats. On offense, they are sixth with 65 total hits, seventh with 65 runs scored, eighth with 50 driven in, ninth with 34 stolen bases and 10th, hitting .310 as a team and slugging .424. On the mound, Mid-Prairie is sixth with 76 strikeouts, 12 earned runs and 26 total hits allowed. Their 1.62 staff ERA and .143 opponent average against are seventh in the state and their 1.10WHIP is ninth best.
The Golden Hawks are back on the diamond Thursday when they host West Branch at Paul N. Bailey Field in Wellman.