After mother nature halted plans Friday, the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball team is scheduled to start the playoffs at home Monday against Monticello, in the opening round of the Class 2A District Tournament.
Mid-Prairie is 9-16 this year, after finishing 8-12, fifth in the River Valley Conference South. They enter after dropping two of the last three games of the regular season to top five Iowa City Regina. The Hawks hit .231 collectively with a .362OBP, .292 slug, and .654OPS with 108 runs, 141 hits, 90RBI, 100 walks and 161 strikeouts. Numbers leaders are Brooks Weber hitting .400 with a .506OBP, .580slug, 1.085OPS, 26 hits, 22RBI, and 14 walks. Bronx Miller has a team best 20 runs scored. The Golden Hawk team ERA is 5.72 with a 1.93WHIP, surrendering a .297 opponent batting average, 198 hits, 130 earned runs, 109 walks and 134 strikeouts. Weber leads here also at 3-0 with a 2.72ERA.
Monticello is 5-15 this year, 3-7, fifth in the River Valley North. They enter the first round with back-to-back wins over Maquoketa and Tipton. This year the Panthers hit .232 with a .348OBP, .284 slug, .632OPS, 74 runs, 107 hits, 59RBI, 62 walks and 105 strikeouts. Team leaders are Luke Welter at a .357 average and 11RBI and Hayden Hackney with 17 hits and 15 runs scored. On the mound, Monticello’s team ERA is nine even with a 2.36WHIP, .283 opponent average, 152 hits, 147 earned runs, 118 walks and 79 strikeouts. Reid Hinrichs has thrown 30 innings with a 5.93ERA. These teams have split their last 10 meetings with Mid-Prairie winning four of five, but the Panthers the most recent in 2023. This week, Golden Hawk head coach Kyle Mullet talked with KCII Sports about keys to success for his team in the postseason. “I hope that win over Regina is an eye-opener for our guys. We’ve been preaching as a coaching staff all season, and you’ve heard me talk here about it, it’s about us focusing on us. The way that we approach a game. It doesn’t matter what game it is. We’re focused on us. When we do that, and control what we can control, let the game come to us. It doesn’t matter who is in the other dugout.”
The winner of tonight’s contest advances to Tuesday’s District Semifinals to play Mediapolis at Iowa City Regina.
You can hear all of the action live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Golden Hawk Playoff Pregame Show at 6:30p.m. and first pitch at seven from Paul N. Bailey Field in Wellman.