The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball and softball teams entertain conference foe West Branch Monday. The Mid-Prairie baseball team meets the Bears in a River Valley doubleheader. The Golden Hawks are 2-4 on the year after a 6-3 Friday loss at rival Williamsburg. This year, the Hawks hit .216 as a team with a .376OBP and .257 slug. Mid-Prairie has scored 25 runs with 32 hits, 21 RBI, 35 wlks and 52 strikeouts. Brooks Weber is the individual leader, hitting .400 with a .591OBP, six runs, six hits, six walks and five RBI. On the mound, Mid-Prairie has a 5.78ERA with a 1.98WHIP, giving up 41 hits, 33 earned runs, 38 walks and 36 strikeouts. Peyton Brenneman and Kale Miller each have a win with a combined four ERA in 11 innings and .210 average against.
West Branch is 5-2 this year, coming off of a 15-5 win over Calamus-Wheatland last time out, led by a 4/4 night with a homer and four driven in for Garrett Sotzen. As a team, the Bears hit .339 with a .489OBP with 66 runs, 58 hits, 56 RBI, 41 walks and 50 strikeouts. Sotzen is the leader with a .545 average, 12 hits, 11 runs and RBI, and five walks. The Bears pitching staff has a 3.33 combined ERA, 1.67WHIP, .218 opponent average, 44 hits, 20 earned runs, 26 walks and 43 strikeouts. Sotzen is the leader there also at 2-0 with a .208 opponent average, two earned runs, 17 strikeouts and a 1.17ERA. This week, Golden Hawk head coach Kyle Mullet talked about what he wants to see for continued improvement from his team. “Right now it’s about young guys that are stepping up. I’m so proud of all of these young guys coming through that we have needed to do that. Already in week two, it feels like they are playing like upperclassmen. In the long run this is going to be good for them. Mid-season, at the end of the season, with this experience, we’re going to be a tough team to play. A bunch of young guys, but it’s very impressive to see their growth and what they’re accomplishing.”
The Golden Hawks have won 10 straight over the Bears, including sweeping the season series last year by a 40-4 combined score.
The Golden Hawk girls are 4-0 after wins over Tipton twice, Keokuk and Mount Pleasant to start the year by a combined 44-6, including a 10-3 win over Mount Pleasant on Friday. The Hawks are hitting .366 as a group with a .488OBP, .527 slug with 44 runs, 34 hits, 31RBI, 19 walks and nine strikeouts. Sophie Miller leads the Golden Hawk sticks with a .600 average, Elise Foster has nine runs scored and five walks, Claire Trimpe seven hits, and Sophia Puttmann has six RBI. In the circle, the Mid-Prairie staff of Naomi Wadsworth and Sarai Taylor has a combined 1.59ERA with a 0.91WHIP, .152 opponent average, 12 hits, five earned runs, eight walks and 27 strikeouts.
West Branch is 2-2 on the year after a 16-15 win over Cal-Wheat last time out. The Bears hit .309 as a team with a .472OBP and .351 slug with 31 runs, 30 hits, 30RBI, 28 walks and 15 strikeouts. Karly Shelton leads with a .500 average, six hits and five runs scored. Emalyn Poe has six RBI. As a pitching staff, the Bears have a 9.05ERA with a 2.35WHIP, .394 opponent average, 39 hits, 28 earned runs, 12 walks and nine strikeouts. Lander Malloy has a 1-1 record with a 10ERA. Mid-Prairie has won seven of the last nine in the series, including both games last year by a combined 24-7 score.
You can hear all of the baseball action live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Golden Hawk Baseball Pregame Show at 5p.m., first pitch of game one at 5:30 with game two to follow, live from Paul N. Bailey Field in Wellman.