Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy Yearbook

A summer to remember at Hillcrest Academy has the Ravens continuing to fill the trophy case with postseason awards. Hillcrest head baseball coach Danny Hershberger was named Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division Coach of the Year in 2025. The Ravens won their third consecutive Division title this year, thanks to a 10-2 mark in league play, that included winning seven of their last eight contests to secure the crown by two games over second place Highland.

With the regular season championship locked up, the run continued. Hillcrest won the district championship by beating HLV, Highland then upsetting No. 2 Sigourney on the road, and clinched their first trip to the State Tournament in 17 years with a 1-0 win over Pekin. Once at State, the Ravens kept rolling, including a quarterfinal win over top ranked Remsen-St. Mary’s before ultimately bowing out in the 1A semifinals.

Hillcrest led the Superconference in RBI, total hits, total runs, fielding percentage, team ERA and WHIP, and fewest walks allowed. Individually, Seth Ours 0.68WHIP, Liam Schrock’s five walks issued and Rowan Miller’s 51 defensive assists also led the league.

By virtue of their terrific season, the entire Raven starting lineup was named to All-Southeast Iowa Superconference teams including First-teamers Ours, Mason Bender, Mason Helmuth, Liam Schrock and Rowan Miller, Second-teamers Phoenix Anderson, Lincoln Miller, and Lawson Schrock and honorable mention Bryce Bailey.

This is the third straight year Hershberger has won North Division Coach of the Year, and the fourth time overall in his career at Hillcrest.