Three Cardinals earn all-conference baseball recognition

Newton senior Kacey Sommars led the Cardinal baseball team in six offensive categories this summer. He also ranked in the top 10 in the conference in both innings pitched and strikeouts.

For his efforts, Sommars earned first team all-conference recognition in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

Senior Drew Thompson and freshman Finn Martin both were honorable mention selections. Sommars was a first-teamer as a utility player.

The Cardinal trio ranked 1-2-3 on the team in batting average, on-base percentage and hits.

All-conference recognition is based on statistics inside conference play only.

Sommars led Newton with a .333 batting average and his .457 OBP ranked ninth in the LHC. He also ranked sixth in the league with 18 runs and nine steals, tied for 10th with 11 walks and tied for 11th with 22 hits.

Sommars also finished with four doubles, five RBIs and 26 total bases and he was hit by four pitches. His fielding percentage was .915.

As a pitcher, Sommars was 1-4 with an earned run average of 2.38. His 35 1/3 innings ranked ninth and his 33 strikeouts tied for 10th.

Thompson’s .323 batting average and .421 OBP both ranked second on the team. His fielding percentage was .929.

He led the Cardinals with 11 RBIs and added 20 hits, nine runs, 22 total bases, two doubles, seven walks and one steal and he was hit by five pitches.

Martin batted .322 and had an OBP of .412 in his first season as a starter. His fielding percentage was .923.

Martin registered 19 hits, seven runs, two doubles, seven RBIs, eight walks, one steal and 21 total bases and he was hit by one pitch.

Little Hawkeye Conference

Baseball

Final Standings

Team Conference Overall

Dallas Center-Grimes 18-3 29-6

Indianola 16-5 27-9

Grinnell 12-9 20-15

Pella 12-9 19-14

Norwalk 9-12 11-20

Newton 7-14 12-17

Pella Christian 7-14 16-16

Oskaloosa 3-18 9-25

All-Conference

First Team

Pitchers — Dayne Mauk, jr., DCG; Andrew DeWall, so., Indianola.

Catcher — Brady Coffman, so., Grinnell.

Infielders — *Clayton Campidilli, sr., DCG; *Brady Blake, sr., Indianola; Bennett Brueck, sr., Indianola; Ty Mikkelsen, jr., DCG; CJ Davis, jr., Norwalk.

Outfielders — Isaiah Kettler, so., Pella; Luke Rockhold, jr., Indianola; Logan Young, jr., DCG.

Utility — Kacey Sommars, sr., Newton; Tatin Gray, so., DCG; Corbin Westerkamp, sr., Pella Christian.

* denotes unanimous selection

Second Team

Pitchers — Trevor Hamil, sr., DCG; Luke Byers, jr., Indianola.

Catcher — Anderson Schirm, so., Pella.

Infielders — Jaylen Eitel, sr., Grinnell; DJ Harris, sr., Norwalk; Caleb Van Arendonk, jr., Pella Christian.

Outfielders — Cooper Belt, sr., Indianola; Carson Penyich, jr., Grinnell; Tate Perrin, so., DCG.

Utility — Aiden North, sr., Oskaloosa; Cole Blackford, jr., Grinnell; Nathan Carey, so., Pella.

Honorable Mention

Drew Thompson, sr., Newton; Finn Martin, fr., Newton; Keaton Fenn, jr., DCG; Eli Rupp, jr., DCG; Kaden Ritchie, jr., Indianola; Daniel Kuebler, sr., Indianola; Braxton Shaffer, sr., Grinnell; Derek Doty, so., Grinnell; Caleb Stewart, sr., Pella; Lake Cowman, so., Pella; Jackson Campbell, sr., Norwalk; Aiden Harder, jr., Norwalk; Lincoln VanderMolen, sr., Pella Christian; Eliot Menninga, so., Pella Christian; Jarrod Parks, sr., Oskaloosa; Kam Criss, sr., Oskaloosa.