College Commitments

Class of 2022

  • Nate Smithburg (Fairfield)

It was a strong season in 2021 for Fairfield talent Nate Smithburg and as a result, he found a collegiate home with Indian Hills CC baseball. The commitment became official recently as he becomes one of the first ’22 grads from Fairfield to commit collegiately to baseball. He hit .383 offensively with 23 hits and 12 RBI. Smithburg also had a charge on the mound where he tossed 21 strikeouts across 16 innings pitched. He will join an Indian Hills squad that has produced over 200 players that have gone on to the MLB ranks. They come off of a strong season in 2021 where they produced their second 40-plus win campaign in the past ten years.

  • Bryce Haessig (Ballard)

It’s been quite the past few months for Ballard High School baseball and Central College baseball. Not too long after teammate Jayden Cattell punched his ticket to be a future player in Pella, Bryce Haessig did the same, committing to the Dutch after a strong 2021 campaign. That season included 24 hits offensively with 12 RBI across 27 total bases on the year. To add to that, along with his eight successful stolen bases, Haessig was strong on the pitching mound where he tossed 40 and 1/3 innings of work which ranked highest among Ballard pitchers in 2021. From that work load, Haessig tossed 29 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.08 while limiting the opposing bats to a .208 average. He will join a Central College squad looking to get back to 2019 status where they posted a seven year high in wins with 24.

  • Keegan Schmitt (Independence)

The top rated catcher within the Class 3A ranks has officially found a collegiate home. Independence’s very own Keegan Schmitt, the seventh ranked overall ’22 catcher, officially committed his future talents to Mount Mercy University baseball in Cedar Rapids. In helping the Mustangs reach their highest win total in over 15 years, Schmitt posted a Class 3A third-best 58 hits which just so happened to be the top mark among all Class 3A catchers. From that, he drove in 38 runs while producing 82 total bases. Schmitt struck out just eight times all season long, while dialing in a .436 batting average overall. On top of that, Schmitt successfully swiped 20 bases on the season as well. The All-State catcher will soon join a squad fresh off of a 29-win campaign; second time in three years where the team has posted 29 wins or more.

  • Gavin Rumelhart (Ankeny Centennial)

Officially becoming the second ’22 prospect from Ankeny Centennial to commit collegiately, the one and only Gavin Rumelhart has pledged his future services to Midland University baseball. The right-handed third-basemen/shortstop showcased his talents well in 2021. He sported an exit velocity just over 86 mph with a hand speed of 21.9. He has also shown his speed with a 60-yard dash time of 6.78 seconds. He is now set to join the future Ranks of Midland University, a program looking to expand upon nine straight 20-plus win seasons.

  • Luke Kehril (West Delaware)

Nearing closer and closer to the season ahead, the West Delaware baseball fans got even more to be happy about as Luke Kehril, the fifth ranked 2022 first basemen (according to PBR Iowa)committed his future talents to Mount Mercy baseball. It comes after a strong junior campaign for Kehril in which he led the Haws with 31 RBI across his 23 hits. His offensive skill also produced 60 total bases as he struck a season batting average of .235. On top of that, his presence on the mound was impressive with 31 strikeouts across 22 innings pitched, limiting opposing bats to a mere .183 average. He will join a squad fresh off of a 29-win campaign; second time in three years where the team has posted 29 wins or more.

  • Carter Snyder (Estherville Lincoln Central)

For the second straight day, an ELC talent has made the collegiate jump. This time it was RHP/C in Carter Snyder, who committed his future talents to Iowa Lakes CC baseball. It was another solid year for Snyder who posted 46 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA on the mound. He limited opposing bats to a mere .220 on the season, and went 5-1 on the year through 42 innings pitched. At the plate, Snyder posted a mark of .313 with 21 hits, 20 of which resulted in an RBI.

  • Seth Busch (Estherville Lincoln Central)

It’s not hard to wonder why Estherville Lincoln Central baseball has been so strong when it comes to recent seasons. With people like Seth Busch helping out, it’s no surprise at all to see the Midgets produce their sixth 20-plus win season over the past seven years with the only non 20-plus win season being the pandemic shortened 2020 season. Recently, Busch announced he will be hitting the future collegiate ranks with his commitment to Buena Vista University baseball. Busch helped the Midgets tie for their lowest loss total over the past ten years and he did so by adding 24 hits and 17 RBI to the overall winning equation. On the mound that included 22 strikeouts and a 0.98 ERA. He will now join a Beaver squad fresh off of their third 20-plus win season in the past five years, which does include the pandemic stricken 2020 campaign.

  • Nate Cagley (Jesup)

Following a strong season in 2021, the talented Jesup product Nate Cagley has found a collegiate home for his future talents. Recently, the utility star committed his future talents to Simpson College baseball, becoming the tenth Iowa ’22 prospect to commit to the Storm. He also becomes the third baseball player from Jesup to commit collegiately to baseball over the past four years. It was a great season for Jesup as the J-Hawks posted over 20 wins for the first time since the 2016 campaign, and tied the best record for the program in the past 15 seasons. Cags played a part in that for sure, leading the team with 37 RBI across a .500 average for the season. He struck 48 hits, 11 of which were for extra bases while totaling 60 bases for the campaign. Cagley struck out 52 on the mound through over 60 innings pitched on the year, sporting a 0.92 ERA in the process. He will now join a Simpson squad fresh off of a 22 home run season offensively and a lot to like coming back defensively.

  • Jaqson Tejada (Marion)

Following a championship season, Marion High School baseball product Jaqson Tejada has added more excitement to his list. Recently, the right-handercommitted his future talents to Des Moines Area Community College baseball. The commitment comes after Tejada sported a .345 average complete with 52 total bases and 32 RBI across 40 total hits. The future Bear also totaled 14 strikeouts across a mere nine innings of work, clearly giving DMACC a versatile player when he steps foot on the collegiate baseball diamond. He now becomes the fourth 2022 prospect from Marion to commit collegiately to baseball and second such prospect to commit to the Bears, joining Jake Trca.

  • Kaleb Bleil (Woodbury Central)

Becoming the second Iowa ’22 prospect to commit to Morningside College, Woodbury Central product Kaleb Bleil has officially hit the future collegiate scene. Bleil touched up 57 total bases across his junior campaign while sporting a .373 average. He totaled 24 RBI across his 41 total hits while successful in 26 of his 27 stolen base attempts. That’s without mentioning his 29 strikeouts across 35 innings of work while holding opposing bats to a mere .197 average. He will join a Mustang squad fresh off of just a 3 loss season and a winning percentage over .700.

  • Devon Stoakes (Webster City)

Following the spectacular season that was for Webster City baseball, they now get to witness one of their own hit the future collegiate ranks. This comes as right-hander Devon Stoakes commits his future talents to Iowa Central CC baseball. It comes on the heels of a .344 average with 17 RBI offensively for Stoakes, who becomes the fourth Lynx since 2018 to commit to baseball collegiately. Stoakes also swiped a perfect seven bases on seven attempts across 2021. He will now join an Iowa Central team fresh off of a 32-win season in 2021 taking the team all the way to the Region XI Tournament championship bout. The 2021 season also marked the second (non-COVID-19) season of 30 or more victories.

  • Weston Barber (Waukee)

Officially becoming the fifth Waukee Warrior to do so, the talented Weston Barber has committed his future talents collegiately. This comes with his commitment to Southwestern CC baseball in Creston. He will now soon join a Southwestern squad fresh off of their best power seasons over the past five years with a team slugging mark of .454 and home runs with 54.

  • Chance Dreyer (Assumption)

Now make it three ’22 Iowa prospect to hit the future collegiate scene for Davenport Assumption baseball as right-hander Chance Dreyer has committed. He will be taking his future talent to coach Casey Klunder and Central College baseball in Pella. It comes on the heels of a strong 2021 campaign where offensively he touched up 57 total bases with a mark of .365. Across his 42 hits for Davenport West, Dreyer touched up 20 RBI while striking out just ten times with a slugging mark over .400. That’s along with 11 stolen bases along with a team-best 52 total strikeouts and with teams hitting a mere .226 average against. He will join a Central College squad looking to get back to 2019 status where they posted a seven year high in wins with 24.

  • Nolan Schroeder (Dubuque Hempstead)

Officially becoming the fifth ’22 Iowa prospect to make their commitment to Cedar Rapids, Hempstead product Nolan Schroeder has officially committed to becoming a Kohawk. Recently, Schroeder became the seventh overall ’22 commit for Coe baseball. Schroeder comes off of a 2021 campaign where and the rest of the Mustangs propelled the program to its 15th state tournament appearance in school history. That came amid a historic moment as Duane Banks Field in Iowa City became the 3A and 4A state tournament site for the first time in history. As for Nolan, he saw his 2021 campaign end with 33 strikeouts spread out across 27 innings of work. Throughout all of that, he held opposing bats to a mere .180 average collectively. He will soon join a Coe College squad in a time of much success, coming off of back-to-back American Rivers Conference regular season titles and a few years removed from a regional championship. The Kohawks struck up 36 victories last season, the fourth time in 13 seasons sporting 30 or more wins.

  • Carter Bleil (Woodbury Central)

It’s been a day marked in history as Woobury Central product Carter Bleil has committed his future talents to Kirkwood CC baseball. Bleil becomes the first Wildcat since 2015 to make a collegiate baseball commitment. He also sits as the first ’22 Wildcat to commit collegiately. Bleil had a strong 2021 campaign in high school where he paced the team with 55 total hits, broken down into a team-best 41 RBI and 73 total bases at a clip of .534. Bleil sported 14 extra base hits across his junior campaign, leading to an OPS mark of .709, nearly a full 300 points above the next hitter in line. Showing off his speed, Bleil also paced the Wildcats with 42 stolen bases on the base paths. On top of all of that, Bleil also aided things on the mound where he tossed 12 strikeouts across eight innings of work. He will now be set to join a Kirkwood squad fresh off of perhaps their best year to date, striking an NJCAA Division 1 World Series appearance, the sixth in program history.

  • Jack Rogers (Cedar Rapids Washington)

Another Cedar Rapids Washington star is headed to the future collegiate ranks. The 2021 Warrior RBI leader in Jack Rogers is officially taking his future talents to Cornell College in Mount Vernon Iowa. Rogers is currently ranked as the eighth-best second-basemen according to Prep Baseball Report Iowa. Rogers had a strong season in 2021 and that included his 27 RBI and 41 total bases to pace the entire squad. Across his 27 hits, Rogers struck out just 15 times while striking an on-base percentage of .384. The versatile Rogers also had shining moments on the mound where he struck out 13 batters across 27 innings of work. He will now become the third Iowa ’22 commit to pledge their future services to Cornell College.

  • Casey Stecker (Indianola)

The 2022 Iowa high school season seems just around the corner but there is plenty of excitement as we approach a new campaign. Part of that excitement, stemming from Indianola High School is the collegiate commitment of righty-hander Casey Stecker. Becoming the fourth ’22 Iowa prospect to commit collegiately to baseball, Stecker officially pledged his future services to Coe College in Cedar Rapids. The 6′-1″ righty was a strong presence on the pitching mound in 2021 and caught the eyes of the Kohawks with 47 strikeouts and a 1.97 ERA through 49 innings pitched, holding opposing bats to a mere .192 average themselves. Stecker allowed just 14 earned runs while sporting a win-loss record of 7-1. He will soon join a Coe College squad in a time of much success, coming off of back-to-back American Rivers Conference regular season titles and a few years removed from a regional championship. The Kohawks struck up 36 victories last season, the fourth time in 13 seasons sporting 30 or more wins.

  • Jacob Fynaardt (Des Moines Christian)

As if the upcoming 2022 season wasn’t exciting enough for Des Moines Christian baseball, there’s even more! The talented right-hander Jacob Fynaardt has committed his future services to Dordt College baseball. He becomes the second ’22 commit for the Defenders from the state of Iowa and tenth overall ’22 commit. Fynaardt had a strong campaign across 2021 where he posted a career-best season with 22 RBI and 33 total bases. Fynaardt posted a .415 on base mark all while posting up 35 strikeouts on the heels of a 3.32 ERA on the pitching mound. He allowed just 16 walks while limiting opposing bats to a mere .223 average. Fynaardt will join a Defenders squad fresh off of a 16 win season, their largest win total since 2017.

  • Benjamin Amador (Ames)

The first Ames High School baseball talent from the ’22 class to hit the collegiate scene is off the board. The talented Benjamin Amador has recently committed his future talents to Southwestern Community College in Creston. Amador posted one of his best seasons to date as he led the Little Cyclones with 51 strikeouts through 43 and 1/3 innings of work. That’s all while holding opposing bats to a mere .266 average. Amador now becomes the seventh ’22 commit to pledge their services to the Spartans. He will now soon join a Southwestern squad fresh off of their best power seasons over the past five years with a team slugging mark of .454 and home runs with 54.

  • Jayden Hansen (Johnston)

And just like that, the 10thJohnston High School baseball player from the ’22 class has made the collegiate jump. That comes after Jayden Hansen officially pledges his future services to Wartburg College baseball. Hansen comes off of a strong campaign and now looks to dive into a strong Wartburg program just four years removed from back-to-back-to-back 30-plus win seasons with three consecutive D3 Regional appearances.

  • Brandon Kron (Kingsley-Pierson)

The third ’22 commit for the Briar Cliff University Chargers has been solidified as Kingsley-Pierson star Brandon Kron has pledged his future services to the Chargers. Kron looks to be a very strong pickup for the Chargers, a guy who in the 2021 season hit .324 with 12 RBI offensively. With his arm, the right-hander matched his inning total with 41 K’s while limiting opposing bats to a .144 average. Kron sported a 1.71 ERA throughout his junior campaign and looks to be a big piece of the future pitching rotation for the Chargers. Speaking of the Sioux City housed Chargers, they come off of their second 30-plus win season over the past 12 years.

  • Jayden Cattell (Ballard)

Ballard High School baseball has come to be known as quite the baseball program. There is even more exciting news from the Bombers as Jayden Cattell has officially narrowed his baseball future. That comes as he commits his future talents to Pella and Central College. He’s the third ’22 Iowa commit to pledge their future services to coach Klunder and the Dutch. Cattell also becomes the first ’22 prospect from Ballard to commit to collegiate baseball. He had a strong 2021 campaign with 26 hits and 17 RBI. He will join a Central College squad looking to get back to 2019 status where they posted a seven year high in wins with 24.

  • Easton Stusse (Hinton)

It was only a matter of time and now that time has come for Hinton baseball star Easton Stusse. We’re talking about a collegiate commitment of course, which comes as Stusse has recently committed his future baseball to Doane University baseball in Crete Nebraska. He becomes just the second Iowa prospect over the last five-plus years to commit to Doane. He also becomes the fourth Hinton player to commit collegiately since 2015. Across his 30 hits in 2021, Stusse struck a .455 average complete with 11 extra-base hits and 24 RBI with the bat. With his multiple talents, Stusse also helped out on the mound where he tossed 15 strikeouts through 20 innings of work. He joins a Tigers squad fresh off of their best season (35 wins) since the 2013-14 campaign.

  • Caleb Sauser (Monticello)

Hailing from Monticello High School, exciting news on the baseball front as Panther star Caleb Sauser has narrowed down his collegiate options. Recently, Sauser committed his future baseball services to Wartburg College baseball in Waverly Iowa. He becomes the fourth ’22 commit from Iowa to land with the Knights. There has been a lot to like with Sauser and that included from the 2021 campaign where he struck for 30 hits including 19 RBI at the plate. He also stole 15 bases while also tossing 38 strikeouts on the mound, marking the second consecutive year of 20 or more K’s in a season. He joins a Wartburg squad just four years removed from back-to-back-to-back 30-plus win seasons with three consecutive D3 Regional appearances

  • Louie Hartkop (Waukee)

More Waukee Warrior baseball talents heading to the next level! This time, the one and only Louie Hartkop has taken the collegiate jump, committing to Southwestern CC baseball in Creston, Iowa. He will join a Spartan squad fresh off of their highest win total since the 2016-17 campaign. Kartkop becomes the fifth ’22 commit from Waukee and also becomes the sixth ’22 commit from Iowa to pledge their future services to the Spartans.

  • Jack Pettit (Van Meter)

The wait is finally over for fans of the multi-talented, multi-sport phenom known as Jack Pettit. The Van Meter product had his hands into almost every sport imaginable but recently made the commitment to pursue baseball at the next level with a commitment to St. Olaf College in Northfield Minnesota. For most of his high school baseball career, Pettit has known nothing less than state titles with the Bulldogs capturing the crown in each of the last three seasons. Last year Pettit continued to make a name for himself with his best year yet with career highs in hits (44), RBI (32), and total bases (55) among other stats. He also swiped 17 bases to go along with a 1.99 ERA and 30 strikeouts on the mound. Pettit becomes the 11th Bulldog to commit to baseball since 2014 and is also the second ’22 commit for Van Meter, joining teammate Gannon Archer. Pettit will join a St. Olaf College squad fresh off of their highest win-total season since 2014.

  • Eli Elsbecker (Fort Dodge)

More great news from Fort Dodge High School as the talented Eli Elsbecker has hit the future collegiate scene. He did so by committing to Northeast CC baseball in Norfolk, Nebraska. He becomes the second ’22 Iowa commit for the Hawks and also becomes the only 2022 baseball commit from Fort Dodge. Elsbecker totaled 43 bases across his 2021 season with 21 RBI to go along with it. Ten of his 28 hits went for extra bases as well as sporting a .452 OBP and 22 walks. He also swiped nine bases and tossed seven strikeouts across the 2021 season. He will be joining a Northeast squad fresh off of their second 35-plus win season over the last three years.

  • Alex Foster (Madrid)

Just when you thought Simpson College baseball couldn’t be any 🔥 on the recruiting trail, they strike again. This time, they pick up a commitment from Madrid lefty-hurler Alex Foster. It was a pretty compelling season for Foster in 2021, touching up 41 strikeouts through 36 innings pitched, leaving opposing bats to a mere .218 average, all while sporting a 2.72 ERA. Offensively, Foster was strong with a .266 average and nine RBI through 21 total hits on the year. He now becomes the 10th Iowa ’22 commit for the storm. He’s also just the third Madrid Tiger to commit to collegiate baseball since 2015.

  • Michael Delzell (Camanche)

More big news in the way of Camanche High School baseball as Michael Delzell has set a collegiate path. This comes as the left-handed bat committed his future talents to coach Todd Rima and Kirkwood CC baseball. Delzell becomes the fifth Camanche prospect to commit to collegiate baseball since 2018. The Eagles continued to blaze through the recruiting trail with Delzell, a talent who led all Camanche hitters with a .495 average and ranked fourth among all Class 2A hitters with 48 total RBI’s. Through his Class 2A ninth-most 50 hits, 21 came by way of extra-bases, thus helping to aid in the 83 total bases collected through the 2021 campaign alone. On top of that, Delzell was flawless on the base paths, swiping all 12 of his stolen base attempts. He will now join a Kirkwood squad as the second Eagles recruit from the ’22 Iowa class within a two days time frame. Delzell also joins a Kirkwood team fresh off of a World Series appearance and second 40+ win season in the past four seasons.

  • Max Nemickas (Cedar Rapids Washington)

Becoming the second Cedar Rapids Washington product from the ’22 class to commit collegiately to baseball, Max Nemickas has made his future plans. At the moment, that means committing his future talents to the NCAA JUCO Division 1 2021 World Series attending Kirkwood Eagles. Nemickas becomes the 14th such ’22 Iowa prospect to commit to the Eagles so far. The 6′-1″ righty comes with some buzz surrounding his name including being ranked as the eighth best ’22 outfielder in Iowa according to Perfect Game Iowa. He will now become a future Eagle fresh of a World Series appearance and second 40+ win season in the past four seasons.

  • Carter Seaton (Iowa City High)

More move on the baseball front for Iowa City High. This time it comes as ’22 graduate Carter Seaton committed his future talents to Southeastern CC baseball. He becomes the 16th such Iowa ’22 prospect to commit to the Blackhawks. Seaton had a strong season in 2021 where he hit .357 at the plate with a team-high 63 total bases. Seaton also sported a team-high 51 hits which aided in 27 RBI. Season also sported his multiple tools, stealing 15 bases on the base paths and tossing 22 strikeouts on the pitchers mound. Season now joins a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record

  • Ryan Sanders (North Scott)

Another North Scott Lancer has come off the collegiate boards as Ryan Sanders has made his commitment. Recently, the 6’2″ right-hander committed his future talents to Cornell Ram Baseball in Mount Vernon, Iowa. It comes on the heels of a season where Sanders hit .391 at the plate with 14 RBI across 34 hits. That also takes into account seven successful stolen bases. He becomes the second 2022 Iowa prospect to commit to Cornell. He will join a Rams squad looking to get back to their 2019 ways when they sported a ten-year high in wins with 26.

  • Noah Day (Cedar Rapids Prairie)

Another talented Cedar Rapids Prairie star is off the collegiate board! This comes as Cedar Rapids Prairie star Noah Day pledges his future services to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Day becomes the fourth Iowa ’22 commit to becoming a future Knight. Across his junior campaign, Day touched up 22 RBI and 44 total bases throughout 26 total hits. Day hit .255 with 14 extra-base hits. He joins a Wartburg squad just four years removed from back-to-back-to-back 30-plus win seasons with three consecutive D3 Regional appearances

  • Alex Neal (Cedar Rapids Xavier)

There are certain things in life that are perfect marriages and recently, that scenario rang true. That happened when All-State pitcher Alex Neal committed his future talents to coach Marc Rardin and Iowa Western CC. It comes at a good time too as the Reivers were dubbed the top-rated JUCO squad heading into the 2022 season by Perfect Game. Certainly a match made in heaven as Neal comes off of one of his best seasons to date. On the mound, Neal sports a strong three-pitch mix which he used to dial up 86 strikeouts to the tune of a 1.56 ERA. Through his 63 innings pitched, Neal limited opposing bats to a mere 1.82 average. Offensively, Neal struck for a .378 average and 67 total bases. Across his 45 total hits (second-most for the Saints), Neal hit 15 extra-base hits which helped to support his team-leading 43 RBI which ranked 10th most among Class 3A hitters. Neal will now join a Reiver squad with 15 D1 commits from the 2022 class. Iowa Western is also coming off of a 50-win campaign.

  • Kael Blauwet (West Lyon)

It was only a matter of time before West Lyon’s very own Cael Blauwet found himself a future collegiate home. Following a strong junior season, the 175 pound righty officially committed his future talents to Mount Marty University baseball in Yankton, South Dakota. It comes on the heels of another strong campaign from Blauwet who showed quite the talent, sporting 33 strikeouts and just four walks across 25 innings pitched on the mound. With the bat, Blauwet was also pretty strong, producing a .381 average across 24 hits which amounted to 19 RBI. He will now join a Lancers squad fresh off of their third 25-plus win season in the past five years.

  • Dawson Roberts (Urbandale)

Becoming their second ’22 Iowa commit within a weeks time, Urbandale’s very own Dawson Roberts has committed his future talents to Southwestern CC baseball. Roberts officially becomes their first ’22 Iowa third base commit and brings with him quite a lot of talent. He struck for 21 RBI across 31 hits during the 2021 campaign. Roberts also went perfect on the base paths touching up eight stolen bases on eight attempts. That also included 11 extra-base hits to go along with 18 walks on the season. He will join a Spartan squad fresh off of their highest win total since the 2016-17 campaign.

  • Noah Johnston (Indianola)

Following another strong season, the Indianola baseball talent known as Noah Johnston has added to his resume by committing to Southwestern CC baseball. He becomes the fourth ’22 Iowa commit to pledge his future services to Creston. His commitment comes on the heels of .326 season at the plate with 54 total bases. He was quite impactful when he struck a hit, producing 16 extra-base hits among his 28 total hits on the year which helped produce 30 RBI. He will join a Spartan squad fresh off of their highest win total since the 2016-17 campaign.

  • Cole Hillman (Pella)

More good news to share out of Pella High School as baseball talent Cole Hillman officially found a start to his collegiate career. Recently, the ’22 talent committed his future talents to Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson Kansas. Hillman surely did himself several favors across 2021, ranking second on the Dutch squad with 50 assists. At the plate, Hillman sported a .260 average complete with 36 total bases, 25 total hits, and ten RBI. He will join a Hutchinson squad fresh off of their seventh straight 30-plus win season.

  • Dylan Schlee (Ankeny)

Another strong pairing has been established as Ankeny High Schools’ very own Dylan Schlee has committed his future talents to Simpson College. The Storm have been quite strong on the recruiting trail as of late, and the addition of Schlee just goes to prove it. He now becomes the ninth Iowa ’22 commit for the Storm as well as the second Ankeny Hawk to join the Storm. On the mound last season, Schlee proved to be a strong piece to the puzzle, striking out 30 batters with a 2.42 ERA. Through 34 innings pitched, Schlee held opposing bats to a mere .237 batting average. He now joins a Simpson squad fresh off of a 22 home run season offensively and a lot to like coming back defensively.

  • Ben Orr (Durant)

After a standout 2021 campaign on the baseball diamond, Durant baseball star Ben Orr has secured himself a collegiate future. Recently, the ’22 prospect committed his future talents to the Duhawks of Loras College. He becomes the 15th overall ’22 commit for the Duhawks as well as the fifth such from Iowa. He’s also the second Durant High School player from the 2022 class to commit their future talents to Dubuque, joining Ethan Gast. For Orr, he certainly had a season worth noting as he led the Wildcats with a .500 average at the plate complete with 56 total bases. Across his 38 hits, he was quite efficient with 34 RBI and just seven strikeouts all season, all while slugging .737. On the mound, his talents were just as great striking out 51 while sporting an ERA of 1.97. Or will now join a Loras baseball squad fresh off of their second 25-plus win season in the past five years.

  • Cael Hodges (Marion)

After helping the Marion High School baseball team to a Class 3A state title, the Wolves’ very own Cael Hodges has added another big event to his list, committing his future baseball talents collegiately. Recently, Hodges committed to Iowa Central CC baseball. He becomes the third Marion star to commit collegiately to baseball. Hodges had a strong 2021 campaign as he hit .356 at the plate with 58 total bases. Across his 47 hits he produced 26 RBI and nine extra-base hits. Hodges also sported a good season from the mound with a 3.30 ERA 22 punch outs through 29 innings pitched.

  • Alex Good (Davenport Assumption)

For the second time in a calendar year, Davenport Assumption HS will have two 2022 graduates committing to play college baseball. The most recent has gone to none other than 5’9″ right-hander Alex Good who committed to play future collegiate baseball at Coe College. Across his 2021 campaign, Good struck .333 at the plate complete with 53 total bases and 30 RBI. Out of his 40 total hits on the season, 25 percent came by way of extra-bases. He will join a Kohawk squad in a time of much success, coming off of back-to-back American Rivers Conference regular season titles and a few years removed from a regional championship. The Kohawks struck up 36 victories last season, the fourth time in 13 seasons sporting 30 or more wins.

  • Tucker Nauman (Western Dubuque)

What many new to be a matter of time finally arrived for Western Dubuque baseball star Tucker Nauman recently. The 6′-3″ righty officially made his collegiate path solidified as he committed to Southeastern CC baseball. Last year a lot of talk centered around brother Sawyer Nauman, Tucker certainly showed why he is a player worth noting as well across 2021. In his junior campaign, he struck an average of .324 at the plate complete with 23 RBI. That equated to 40 total bases with an on-base mark of .420. On the mound he was certainly no slouch boasting an ERA of 2.69 with 31 strikeouts compared to just nine walks allowed all season. Tucker Nauman becomes the 13th Iowa 2022 commit for the Blackhawks. Nauman now joins a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record

  • Brayden Sawyer (Grundy Center)

At long last, the long awaited moment for Grundy Center baseball star Brayden Sawyer has arrived. After a strong 2021 campaign, Sawyer will be taking his future talents to coach Casey Klunder and Central College baseball in Pella. Sawyer becomes one of the first Spartans since 2016 to collegiately commit to baseball as well as the second ’22 prospect from Iowa to commit in two days time. Sawyer had a more than solid campaign across his junior season, touching up 23 RBI on 32 hits at the plate. He also totaled 38 bases with just one strikeout the entire season. On the mound he sported a 1.89 ERA with a jaw-dropping 82 strikeouts across 70 innings pitched. He will join a Central College squad looking to get back to 2019 status where they posted a seven year high in wins with 24.

  • Kaden Haller (Cedar Rapids Jefferson)

Following what has been a strong 2021 campaign, the Kohawks of Coe College have struck solid on the recruiting trail as they acquire the future services of Cedar Rapids Jefferson talent Kaden Haller. He becomes the first ’22 prospect from Jefferson to commit to collegiate baseball and 13th overall since 2015. Haller had quite the 2021 season to impress where he hit .302 with 49 total bases. Across 32 hits he struck 14 RBI and of those hits, 13 went for extra bases. Haller also sported nine stolen bases and a 2.32 ERA on the mound. He will join a Kohawk squad in a time of much success, coming off of back-to-back American Rivers Conference regular season titles and a few years removed from a regional championship. The Kohawks struck up 36 victories last season, the fourth time in 13 seasons sporting 30 or more wins.

  • Jaden Kramer (Cedar Falls)

Becoming one of the first 2022 commits to pledge their future services to the Dutch, Cedar Falls’ Jaden Kramer officially checked that mark by committing to play for first-year head coach Casey Klunder and Central College. Kramer struck a .292 average offensively complete with 27 total bases and 14 RBI across 21 hits. He will join a Dutch squad looking to get back to 2019 status where they posted a seven year high in wins with 24.

  • Conner Julius (Lincoln High School)

Becoming the first Lincoln HS product since 2018 to commit to college baseball, Conner Julius has officially declared his future plans by committing to Marshalltown CC. He also becomes the second ’22 prospect from Iowa to commit to the Tigers. Julius struck a .300 average at the plate across the 2021 season. He joins a Marshalltown CC squad just five years removed from a 34 win season and a Region XI tournament title game appearance.

  • Jai Jensen (Clinton)

Officially becoming the 15th such 2022 prospect to commit to DMACC baseball, Clinton High School’s very now Jai Jensen has committed his future talents to the Bears. Jensen comes off of a 2021 season sporing a 1.75 ERA with 55 strikeouts and just 15 walks across 44 innings pitched. Through that season, he held opposing bats to a mere .168 average with just 11 earned runs. That’s without mentioning his team-leading 10 stolen bases and 62 total bases earned. Jensen also touched up a .449 batting average which consisted of 48 hits, 31 RBI, and 20 walks.

  • Tamden Webb-Tate (Ankeny)

One of the hardest hitting 2022 prospects has officially found a collegiate home. Ankeny High School’s very own Tamden Webb-Tate has committed his future talents to St. Charles CC in Missouri. Tamden had a strong rise and heading into the 2022 campaign, will be ranked as the 5th-best 2022 catcher according to PBR-Iowa and ranked second among ’22 catchers according to Perfect Game. He’s been a strong backstop for quite some time, improving his pop-time mot 2.02 as of late while sporting an offensive exit velocity around 97 mph. Across his ’21 campaign, Webb-Tate hit .271 with 23 RBI across 29 hits and 49 total bases. He will now join a Cougars squad fresh off of a strong ’21 season of their own. St. Charles CC captured their first regional tournament appearance since 2006 and first back-to-back .500 seasons since the 2005-2006 seasons. It also was the first time for the Cougars hosting a sub-regional in program history.

  • Zach Walker (Prairie)

After several interested parties, Cedar Rapids Prairie talent Zach Walker has found a future collegiate home with Cornell College out of Mount Vernon Iowa. There has certainly been a lot to like about what Walker brings to the table, including a pop-time sitting around 2.13 seconds. He has sported a catcher velocity of 72 mph with solid accuracy to the bag. He will join a Rams squad looking to get back to their 2019 ways when they sported a ten-year high in wins with 26.

  • Teegan McEnany (Independence)

If it wasn’t evident before, the commitment of Independence HS star Teegan McEnany definitely made it obvious that Simpson College baseball has been on fire with it’s 2022 recruiting. McEnany officially becomes the eighth 2022 prospect to commit to the Storm. He also joins Mustang teammate Marcus Beatty as the only two 2022’s from Independence to commit collegiately to baseball. Off the mound, the talented left-hander sported a mark of 51 strikeouts across his 2021 junior campaign. Through 42 innings pitched, McEnany allowed opposing bats a mark of just .200 at the plate while allowing just 32 hits and a mere 17 earned runs. Offensively, McEnany wasn’t too shabby as well, sporting a .321 batting average with ten RBI. He now joins a Simpson squad fresh off of a 22 home run season offensively and a lot to like coming back defensively.

  • Brandon Sullivan (West Des Moines Valley)

Becoming the 34th West Des Moines Valley baseball star to commit collegiately since 2015, Brandon Sullivan officially cemented himself among future collegiate players with his commitment to Iowa Central CC. Across his limited action in 2021 he did strike 10 hits and earned 5 RBI at the plate. He will be joining an Iowa Central team fresh off of a 32-win season in 2021 taking the team all the way to the Region XI Tournament championship bout. The 2021 season also marked the second (non-COVID-19) season of 30 or more victories.

  • Christian Prull (Wahlert Catholic)

It’s been exciting to watch Clarke University baseball as of late, but it’s going to get even better in the future. The Pride have officially secured the future services of former Bellevue Marquette and current Dubuque Wahlert Catholic talent Christian Prull. The 174-pound backstop has sported a pop-time around 2.18 seconds and joins a Clarke University squad looking to expand from their recent run.

  • Cody Sunny (North Scott)

From a stellar 2021 season, the ever talented North Scott product Cody Sunny has officially hit the collegiate ranks. On the eve of Christmas, Sunny officially committed his future talents to Loras College baseball. He now becomes the 4th Iowa 2022 commit to pledge his services to the Hawks. He is also the second Iowa 2022 shortstop to commit to Loras. That stellar 2021 season for Sunny included the pitching side of things with a 3.06 ERA and 41 strikeouts. He held opposing bats to a mere .252 average along with just eight walks allowed. At the plate he also had a strong showing, sporting a .360 average with 25 runs driven in, not to mention a total of 64 bases earned, 22 of which came by way of walk. Sunny joins a Loras baseball squad fresh off of their second 25-plus win season in the past five years.

  • Reid Ortiz (Cedar Rapids Washington)

In a move made just before the start of the new year, Cedar Rapids Washington talent Reid Ortiz punched his ticket to the future collegiate ranks. He did so with his commitment to Wartburg College in Waverly Iowa. It’s a big moment not just for Ortiz but Cedar Rapids Washington as well, becoming the eighth Warrior since 2017 to commit to collegiate baseball. It was another strong season for Ortiz in 2021, sporting a .247 batting average with 16 RBI across his 22 hits. He joins a Wartburg squad just four years removed from back-to-back-to-back 30-plus win seasons with three consecutive D3 Regional appearances

  • Jake Hubner (West Des Moines Valley)

There’s more big news on the baseball front for West Des Moines Valley as right-hander Jake Hubner has committed to Graceland University baseball. He becomes the sixth 2022 Valley Tiger to collegiately commit.

  • Owen Hueghnergarth (Beckman Catholic)

Within a span of 24 hours, the Blackhawks of Southeastern CC had quite the commitment spree. Their second commitment within a days time came from Beckman Catholic star Owen Hueghnergarth. The 2022 star had quite a bit to do with the hot season in 2021 for the Trailblazers. He struck a .333 batting average which included a whopping 46 RBI (fifth in Class 2A) across 37 hits. That helped in giving Hueghnergarth 56 total bases and a slugging percentage of .505. He also dished out 25 strikeouts across a mere 21 innings of work, limiting opposing bats to nothing more than a .156 average at the plate. Huehnergarth also is set to join a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record. It marked the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the Blackhawks ended the year with north of 35 total victories.

  • Carson Chiprez (Burlington Notre Dame)

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the future of Southeastern CC baseball. That gets really amped up after Burlington Notre Dame talent Carson Chiprez has committed to the Blackhawks. It seems like quite the addition for the Blackhawks as Chriprez touched up a .367 average at the plate complete with 22 hits and 29 total bases. He also led the Nikes in stolen bases going 27 out of 29 for the 2021 campaign. That’s without mentioning his 20 strikeouts thrown through a mere 10 innings of work. Chiprez joins a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record. It marked the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the Blackhawks ended the year with north of 35 total victories.

  • Eli Lehrman (Anamosa)

The Des Moines Area CC baseball program sure had a strong month of recruiting especially after acquiring the future services of Anamosa baseball talent Eli Lehrman. Becoming the 14th such 2022 Iowa committee to do so, Lehrman also becomes the first Blue Raider to collegiately commit in over 10 years. Lehrman struck a .317 batting average which included 26 RBI and 63 total bases as part of his 38 hit season. He ranked fourth across the 2021 campaign within Class 2A with 17 doubles on the season, marking a career high. He also added seven stolen bases across his junior campaign.

  • Cole Conlon (Sergeant Bluff-Luton)

A lot of big things are expected of future Northwestern College baseball teams especially after the recent recruiting they’ve done. One of the recent recruits that highlights those efforts is none other than Cole Conlon of Sergeant Bluff-Luton. Conlon becomes the third Warrior from the 2022 class to commit to the Red Raiders. It was another strong campaign for Conlon who totaled 15 stolen bases and 32 hits across the 2021 season. He joins a Red Raider squad looking to expand upon its 22 home run season across 2021.

  • Jaylen Ziegler (Urbandale)

Ranked as the 12th-best outfielder among 2022 players in Iowa, the talented Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale officially found a collegiate home. Among a plethora of interested parties, the right-handed talent chose to take his future talents to Des Moines Area CC baseball. Upon his announcement, he became the 13th 2022 commit to pledge their future services to the Bears. Ziegler had quite the 2021 campaign to get the notice he’s been getting. After all, he did strike a .337 average at the plate with 20 RBI through 31 total hits. Of those 31 hits, 12 came by way of extra-base hits. He also showcased some speed as was evident with his 18 successful stolen base attempts on the campaign.

  • Ian McGhiey (Ankeny Centennial)

Another Ankeny Centennial Jaguar is off the collegiate books as the 6′-2″ righty known as Ian McGhiey has committed to Illinois Central. McGhiey will join an Illinois Central squad that already has Iowa ties. First, he becomes the second Ankeny Centennial player to commit to the Cougars. Secondly, he joins the alma-mater of current Baltimore Orioles Triple-A star Mason McCoy. Illinois Central also happens to be the alma-mater of MLB Hall of Famer Jim Thome. McGhiey currently ranks as the 10th best first-baseman in the Iowa high school ranks according to PBR-Iowa.

  • Lane Spieker (CAM)

Becoming the first CAM player to make a collegiate commitment in quite some time, Lane Spieker has committed his future talents to Iowa Western CC baseball. Spieker comes off of a strong 2021 campaign where he was as strong on the mound as he was in the batters box. With that bat, he struck a team-leading .538 average with 96 total bases on the season. He was Class 1A’s leader in home runs with 12 which went along nicely with his 25 extra-base hits and 54 total RBI. He also sported a 2.84 ERA on the heels of Class 1A’s fifth-best mark of 97 strikeouts. Through 56 innings pitched, opposing bats hit just .144 against Spieker.

  • Easton Dunwoody (Ankeny)

From a very talented Class 4A semi-finalist Ankeny Hawks baseball team, another member has made the future jump to collegiate athletics. The most recent comes from hurler Easton Dunwoody. The 5′-10″ 170-pound righty has decided to take his future talents to Simpson College in Altoona. That marks another strong pickup for the Storm, the third 2022 commit this month alone. Dunwoody joins a Simpson squad fresh off of a 22 home run season offensively and a lot to like coming back defensively. As for Dunwoody himself, he had a solid showing during his time at the varsity level this past season. Across over nine innings of work, Dunwoody struck out 12 while allowing just four walks one one earned run across the plate. That helped in producing a 0.72 ERA on the season.

  • Trever Baumler (Dowling Catholic)

It has become a normal occurrence lately to associate the Baumler last name with a lot of success in the baseball world. That family tradition continues on as Trever Baumler officially makes his collegiate decision, committing to Texas Christian University. A lot of interesting stuff going on there as not only the second Baumler to commit to TCU in recent seasons, he’s one of just four 2024’s in Iowa to commit collegiately. He’s also the second Dowling Catholic Maroon in that class to commit collegiately, following left-handed star Blake Larson who has also committed to the Horned Frogs. There’s a lot that has enticed coaches of all levels about Baumler who currently sports a max fastball velocity in the upper 80’s (destined for 90’s). He’s sported a spin rate of 2,234 RPM which is well above average for the national scene. That’s on top of a strong four-pitch arsenal. He joins a Horned Frogs squad that has made five college World Series appearances since 2010 and who’s fresh off of their second 40-plus win season since 2017, ironically the last time the Horned Frogs made it to Omaha.

  • Bennett Spronk (Pella Christian)

The wait is finally over for Pella Christian’s very own Bennett Spronk as he committed his future talents to Dordt University baseball. The 6′-3″ righty officially became the third Eagle to commit to become a Defender since 2015. Definitely talent in his tall frame with a 6.76 second 60-yard dash time while also sporting an average hitting distance of 293 feet. Spronk sported a .309 average at the plate in 2021, complete with a team leading mark of 28 RBI. That was helped with 15 of his 29 hits going for extra bases. Spronk will join a Defenders squad fresh off of a 16 win season, their largest win total since 2017.

  • Gage Martin (Prairie HS)

Hailing from the state tournament-team in Prairie High School, the talented right-hander known as Gage Martin has officially joined the future collegiate ranks. This comes with his official announcement of committing to Wartburg College in Waverly. He joins a Wartburg squad just four years removed from back-to-back-to-back 30-plus win seasons with three consecutive D3 Regional appearances. As for the 5′-11″ righty himself, Martin was pretty solid in 2021, delivering on 28 strikeouts through 32 innings pitched while opponents hit just .200 off of him.

  • Tyson Fairbanks (Akron-Westfield)

Becoming one of the first collegiate commitments from Akron-Westfield baseball in over five years, Tyson Fairbanks officially etched his name into the future collegiate ranks with his commitment to Marshalltown CC. Fairbanks acquired 22 total hits across the 2021 season, ten of which came by way of extra bases. He also sported an exit Velo of 82 mph at the prospect ID showcase. Behind the plate, Fairbanks has proven strong with a pop-time ranging from 2.25-2.40 seconds which helped him record 151 total putouts on the season. He joins a Marshalltown CC squad just five years removed from a 34 win season and a Region XI tournament title game appearance.

  • Brady Steward (Grinnell)

Becoming the second ’22 Grinnell Tiger to commit collegiately, Brady Steward officially made his jump to the next level by committing to Simpson College. As Steward joins the list of seven ’22’s to pledge their future services to the Storm, he does so coming off of an All-State caliber season. In 2021, the junior posted a career-high 72 strikeouts while allowing just 15 earned runs all season. Those 72 K’s marked a top-16 mark across all Class 3A hurlers. Steward joins a Simpson squad fresh off of a 22 home run season offensively.

  • Chance Dreyer (Davenport West)

The wait for a collegiate path finally came to an end for the talented Chance Dreyer as he officially committed his future talents to Southeastern CC baseball. Following a strong 2021 season with Davenport West, Dreyer will become the 11th 2022 talent from Iowa to commit to becoming a future Blackhawk. He chose Southeastern over several other programs including Luther and Simpson. On the mound, Dreyer sported a 2.27 ERA with 52 total strikeouts on the season, good enough for top-32 among Class 4A pitchers. Dreyer totaled 51 innings of work and allowed a mere 17 earned runs all season. At the plate, the 6′-2″ righty, who is ranked 11th among third basemen in Iowa high school, struck 42 hits on the season for a year-round average of .365 and 20 RBI. Dreyer totaled 57 bases on the year. He joins a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record. It marked the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the Blackhawks ended the year with north of 35 total victories.

  • Keegan Shovlain (Davenport Assumption)

Becoming just the second Iowa-born player to commit to Spoon River JC in the past 10-15 years, Assumption’s very own Keegan Shovlain continues to set his own path. Shovlain really showed his stuff in 2021 and was a work horse for the Knights, sporting 53 innings pitched on the season. Through those 53 innings worked, Shovlain totaled 43 strikeouts while walking just 19.

  • Hunter Essmann (West Des Moines Valley)

For the second time in a matter of just 24 hours, another Valley Tiger joins the future collegiate ranks. This happens as the six-foot right-handed Hunter Essmann commits to Simpson College in Indianola. Essmann joins a Storm squad fresh off of a 22 home run season. For the Storm, they’re getting a strong player behind the plate with a pop-time ranging from 2.25-2.34 seconds. Essmann becomes one of seven 2022’s from Iowa to commit to the Storm.

  • Kasey Carter (Indianola)

Hailing from a storied Indianola squad, the talented Kasey Carter has officially hit the future collegiate scene. The talented 170-pound righty, comes off of a strong 2021 campaign where he paced Martensdale St. Marys with a .473 average at the plate. With that, Carter struck for 43 hits, 21 of which came by way of extra bases. From that, he delivered on 34 RBI and 77 total bases. He becomes the 10th ’22 commit to secure his future services with the Southeastern CC baseball program. Carter joins a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record. It marked the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the Blackhawks ended the year with north of 35 total victories.

  • Cade Grevengoed (West Des Moines Valley)

It’s official, another West Des Moines Valley baseball product is off the collegiate board as Cade Grevengoed committed his talents out of state to Northeast CC. The Hawks are getting a strong talent as Grevengoed struck for a .299 average while co-leading the Tigers with 25 walks on the season. Across 29 hits he delivered 10 RBI, all while producing 12 stolen bases on the season. He will join a Hawks squad entering its fifth season of existence, just three removed from an NJCAA DII World Series appearance and a 30-plus win season.

  • Bryce Stalder (Greene County)

The process to find a collegiate path is officially over for Greene County’s very own Bryce Stalder. The ’22 product joins some rarified air with his commitment to Grand View University, becoming just the fourth Ram since 2018 to commit to baseball collegiately. Stalder was a leading bat for the Rams last season, pacing the team with a .417 batting average on 30 total hits. He struck for 13 extra-base-hits and 19 total RBI on the season. He will join a Vikings program looking to get back to their normal winning ways after absent of a .500 or better season since 2018.

  • Evan Bender (Iowa City Liberty)

Following interest from several programs, Liberty product Evan Bender has officially hit the collegiate path with his commitment to Coe College in Cedar Rapids. This is a BIG step for both parties as Bender joins a Kohawk squad fresh off of back-to-back American Rivers Conference regular season titles. That includes back-to-back 30-plus win seasons. It’s a good time to be a member of Coe College baseball, a program that has produced at least seven All-Conference players across the past two seasons. As for Bender himself, he continues another year with Liberty baseball, a program that struck for their second 20-plus win season in three years.

  • Garrett Kadolph (Western Dubuque-Epworth)

For the second instance in a months time, Augustana University baseball has extended their reach from Sioux Falls South Dakota to the Iowa area. Most recently, that has meant Western Dubuque talent Gerrett Kadolph committing to the 2018 Division 2 national champions. Kadolph recently comes off of a 2021 campaign where he touched up a .262 average with 14 RBI, not to mention being one of the top DH’s across the 2021 season for Wahlert Catholic. He will soon join an Augustana squad fresh off of their eight straight season of 35 wins or more and third straight Central Regional appearance (not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 season). That includes the miraculous 2018 season for Augustana where they were crowned D2 National Champions for the first time in program history.

  • Ashr Harris (Linn-Mar)

The Mount Mercy University baseball program has steadily gained traction as a notable name to watch out for recently. That was bolstered with the commitment of Linn-Mar right-hander Ashr Harris. A strong presence with good hand speed (20.3 max) among other qualities, Harris became one of three 2022 Iowa commits to become a future Mustang. He will join a squad fresh off of a 29-win campaign; second time in three years where the team has posted 29 wins or more.

  • Marcus Beatty (Independence)

Ranked as the second-best 2022 outfielder in Iowa (behind only Tommy Specht), it was only a matter of time before Independence’s very own Marcus Beatty found a collegiate home. Recently, that came in the form of a commitment to Iowa Western Community College baseball. Interestingly enough, this comes fresh off the heels of a first-team All-State football selection. Even though Beatty could have gone to the next level in several different sports, he chose the baseball diamond and with it, he becomes the seventh 2022 Iowan to commit to Reiver baseball. His 2021 season was another solid one as Beatty captured 47 total hits en route to a .367 average and 80 total bases. He’ll join a Reivers squad just three years removed from a sixth place finish at the JUCO World Series.

  • Sam Skarich (North Scott)

Talk about a multi-tooled talent, after a strong football season, North Scott’s own Sam Skarich has found a collegiate path, and it’s with Southeastern CC baseball! After all the offers had settled, Skarich narrowed his vision to Burlington Iowa, home of the Blackhawks. It’s no wonder that Southeastern among others were in the hunt for Skarich’s services. After all, he did pace the Lancers with 66 K’s, a 2.53 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.24. Opposing bats had little to no chance being limited to a .210 average through 58 innings of work on the mound by Skarich. On top of all that, Skarich was on 🔥 offensively, sporting 39 RBI which aided in a nice .396 average at the plate. Twenty-one of his 53 hits went for extra bases. He now joins the future ranks of the Blackhawks, becoming the ninth Iowa 2022 commit to make that decision.

  • Tucker Beving (Norwalk)

Officially becoming the fifth Norwalk Warrior to hit the collegiate trail, the 5′-11″ left-handed bat of Beving has committed to the University of Wisconsin-Stout baseball. Beving had quite a junior campaign to stand out as was evident by his team-leading 0.69 ERA. Through his 20 innings pitched, Beving struck out 29 while limiting his walk count to a mere nine for the season. He also held opposing bats to a mere .110 average and nine hits. He joins a Blue Devils squad fresh off of their second 20-plus win season following a four-year drought below .500.

  • Jaxon Brooks (Mediapolis)

Ranked as the second-best 2022 third-baseman in Iowa, it’s no surprise to say that Mediapolis star Jaxon Brooks has found a future collegiate home. Following his high school playing days, he will head to Mesa Community College in Arizona. Brooks was a strong piece to the 2021 puzzle for Mediapolis, posting a 0.95 ERA with 61 strikeouts and just four earned runs allowed on the season, all top-marks for the Bulldogs. His junior season also included a .427 average offensively with a team-leading 27 RBI on 32 hits, 15 of which went for extra bases. He will join a Thunderbirds program just two years removed from an NJCAA Nationals second-place finish and seven years removed from a National championship.

  • Sam Young (Clear Creek Amana)

It’s been pretty clear that Clear Creek Amana baseball has been a force to be reckoned with over the last few seasons and it continues to show with collegiate commitments. The most recent Clipper baseball player to make the collegiate jump via commitment is infield star Sam Young. The 5′-10″ 165-pound right-hander put up another solid season with CCA amassing 39 total bases en route to a .327 average at the plate. Across his 33 hits for the season, 21 of them equated to a run (RBI). He tied for the team lead in walks with 20 while on the mound, allowing eight free passes. Meanwhile, he dished out 30 strikeouts for his junior campaign. Young will be a member of Augustana University in Sioux Falls in the near future and a program fresh off of their eight straight season of 35 wins or more and third straight Central Regional appearance (not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 season). That includes the miraculous 2018 season for Augustana where they were crowned D2 National Champions for the first time in program history.

  • Caleb Wulf (West Liberty)

Hailing from West Liberty baseball, the talented Caleb Wulf has found his collegiate future, committing to Southeastern Community College baseball. Wulf joins a Blackhawks squad that ended the 2021 campaign ranked 17th in the nation with a 39-18 overall record. It marked the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the Blackhawks ended the year with north of 35 total victories. Six of those seasons ending in over 40 total victories. As for Wulf himself, he did quite a lot as a work horse for the Comets. On the mound, he totaled a top-20 mark in Class 2A of 73 strikeouts while sporting a 1.41 ERA with a mere ten earned runs allowed across 49 and 2/3 innings pitched. As a left-handed bat he was just as impressive, totaling 62 bases with a mark of 33 RBI, both of which led the Comets on the season. With an exit velocity noted at 92 mph off the bat, it’s not hard to see how Wulf totaled 18 extra-bases hits out of his 39 total hits across 2021.

  • Aidan Sieperda (Sergeant Bluff-Luton)

For the third time within the same month, the Northwestern College Red Raider baseball team has secured a strong Iowa-based talent. Following a plethora of offers from Morningside, Briar Cliff, Dakota Weslyan and others, the talented bat of Aidan Sieperda has found a future collegiate home with the Red Raiders. Sieperda had quite a breakout season across 2021 and included a team-leading .362 average comprised of 42 hits, a Class 3A tenth-best RBI total (43), and 28 walks. The All-State selectee is now one of three Iowa-born 2022 commits to join up with the Red Raiders

  • Bryce Click (Sergeant Bluff-Luton)

The Northwest College Red Raider baseball team has bulked up in a big way with the recent commitment of SBL’s Bryce Click. The Warrior product came amongst a string of strong commitments and his future presence adds quite a lot to the Red Raider dugout. Across the 2021 campaign alone, Click accounted for a .347 average and a team leading 65 total bases. He garnered a strong combo of 36 RBI and 27 walks. That’s without mentioning 16 of his 41 hits went for extra bases. Click joins a Red Raider squad just four years removed from a GPAC Conference title and a NAIA championship tournament berth.

  • Jackson Smith (Johnston)

Another strong Johnston Dragon hitting the collegiate trail! Recently that came in the form of 5′-8″ right-hander Jackson Smith. Among the many programs interested in Smith’s services, he ended up finding a future collegiate home with Des Moines Area Community College baseball. Smith provides a strong three-pitch mix and a fastball spin-rate reaching up to 1,968. A mid-80’s fastball helps Smith solidify himself as a solid pitching option totaling 18 strikeouts and an opposing batting average slightly above .200 across the 2021 campaign.

  • Tanner Short (Des Moines Roosevelt)

The Iowa Central CC Tritons will officially be getting another strong piece for the future as Des Moines Roosevelt product Tanner Short has made his commitment! Iowa Central has been in the driver seat with commitments as of late and the addition of Short certainly adds to that streak. Last season alone, Short totaled 31 RBI with 60 total bases on the season. Eleven of his 44 total hits went for extra bases en route to a .349 average, complimented by ten stolen bases on the year. He has been ranked ninth among 2022 third-basemen in the state according to PBR-Iowa. He has also shown improvement in speed, taking off nearly a full second in his 60-yard dash time to a mark of 6.98 seconds in 2021. He will be joining an Iowa Central team fresh off of a 32-win season in 2021 taking the team all the way to the Region XI Tournament championship bout. The 2021 season also marked the second (non-COVID-19) season of 30 or more victories.

  • Nicholas Orr (Assumption)

Another Assumption Knight has taken the next step to the collegiate level! This time, the talented Nic Orr has made the jump, committing to the College of DuPage. Orr has shown quite a bit of talent, especially within the 2021 campaign. The 5′-8″ righty has sported an exit velocity averaging 86 mph while sporting an average bat speed around 68. As a durable catcher, Orr has accumulated a pop-time around 2.21-2.28 according to Prep Baseball Report-Iowa. Ultimately, a talent you want behind the plate as a collegiate coach. He will be joining a DuPage squad coming off of their second 27 win season in the past four years.

  • Carson Krogulski (West Des Moines Valley)

The West Des Moines Valley Tiger baseball team has had quite an offseason month. Within the first 15 days of November, the Tigers will have two collegiate commitments. The latest comes from Carson Krogulski who committed his future to Buena Vista University. The Beavers are getting a talented bat that includes a strong arm, ranked in the top-15 of 2022 and 2023 grads in outfield velocity (75 mph). That’s not to mention holding the third-fastest 60-yard dash time among 2022 grads and top outfield time of 6.62. He joins a Beaver squad fresh off of their 11th 20+ win season in the past 13 years. Krogulski looks to be another piece to a puzzle that aims to send the Beavers back to the NAIA College World Series for the second time since 2011.

  • Thomas Debrower (Ankeny)

The wait for Ankeny Hawk Thomas Debrower has finally come to an end and there is a collegiate path ahead. Recently, the 6′-3″ righty committed to play future ball at St. Ambrose University. Debrower will join a St. Ambrose team fresh off of their second 20+ win season, dominating the CCAC conference with a 28-7 record.

  • Isaac Short (Dallas Center Grimes)

From a team that brought plenty of excitement on the baseball diamond for 2021 comes another collegiate commitment. Following the likes of now former Dallas Center Grimes stars in Caleb Dicken and Jordan Sedivec (among others), now senior Issac Short has joined the growing Mustangs at or headed to the collegiate ranks. That comes after Short committed to Northwestern College baseball. Short joins a Red Raider squad just four years removed from a GPAC Conference title and a NAIA championship tournament berth. So far Short is on of the only Iowa 2022’s to commit to the Red Raiders but follows strong commitments from players such as former MOC-Floyd Valley stars Eli Haverdink and Colton Korver, not to mention Des Moines Christian star Colby Shelton among others. Short struck up 13 total bases and nine RBI in his 19 games played in 2021.

  • Nash Holmgaard (Mason City Newman Catholic)

It should come as no surprise that the strong power bat known as Nash Holmgaard has come off the collegiate board! That comes fresh off of the right-handed slugger committing to North Iowa Area Community College baseball! For the Trojans, it’s a BIG pickup of a bat who hit for the home run cycle across the 2021 season. Homgaard tied for the Class 1A lead in long balls with 12 home runs to go along with a .429 average and 101 total bases earned on the season. He will join a Trojan squad not too far removed from a five year run of 30 wins or more, not to mention back-to-back NJCAA Division 2 World Series appearances (2015 & 2016).

  • Sam Wilt (Anamosa)

The multi-talented Anamosa baseball star known as Sam Wilt has officially found a future collegiate home. Recently, Wilt made his decision to continue his baseball career with Kirkwood Community College. The Eagles have certainly been on fire 🔥 and that includes the recent inclusion of the explosive right-handed hitter. A 91 mph exit velocity helped produce a .495 average with a Class 2A leading 107 total bases. Across his junior campaign, Wilt was second in the class in both RBI (52) and home runs (11). That also included 29 extra-base hits. What also brings excitement to the table with Wilt is his multi-talented approach which includes the pitching mound. With a spin rate of over 2,500 (FB), Wilt posted 61 strikeouts and held opposing bats to a mere .110 average off of his three pitch mix. He will join an Eagles squad fresh off of a World Series appearance and second 40+ win season in the past four seasons.

  • Jake Trca (Marion)

From the reigning Class 3A champion Marion High School baseball, the one and only Jake Trca punched his future to the collegiate level. That came with his commitment to Des Moines Area Community College. It comes fresh off of a strong junior campaign for Trca in which he struck for 38 RBI and ranked fourth in all of Class 3A with 33 walks. When it mattered most Trca’s offense was stellar including a 4-for-10 mark with 7 RBI across three state tournament games en route to a Marion title. It’s been ten years since the Bears went to the JUCO World Series for the fourth time in five years and the addition of Trca among others seems like they are well on their way back. Trca has been solid behind the plate as well sporting a strong pop-time (1.99-2.03) while utilizing a strong exit velocity that can match that on the offensive end (92.0 mph).

  • Alex Smith (Grinnell)

Following the process of looking at several interested parties, the Grinnell baseball talent known as Alex Smith has found himself a collegiate home. When he moves on from wearing the orange and black, Smith will become a member of Luther College baseball. He becomes the second 2022 player to commit to the Norsemen. There was a lot to look at and like with Smith across his junior campaign as he hit .330 with 53 total bases across 109 at-bats. Smith connected on 36 hits and delivered 22 RBI (including 11 extra-base-hits). On top of that, Smith also tied for the team lead in walks with 22. Solid hand speed (22.70) and exit velocity off the bat (81 mph) have made Smith a tantalizing prospect who now will don the blue and white. The Norse are looking to improve upon their second 30+ win season over the past five years.

  • Hayden Vickroy (Iowa City Liberty)

Becoming a bit of a trend setter, Iowa City Liberty’s Hayden Vickroy became the first Iowa high school talent in over ten years to commit to Spoon River CC. He joins Spoon River after posting 15 strikeouts through 31 innings pitched across the 2021 campaign. That limited opponent bats to a mere .212 average. At the plate himself, Vickroy sported a .271 average with 10 RBI.

  • Nick Meyer (West Des Moines Valley)

From the always dangerous West Des Moines Valley Tiger baseball team comes yet another talented bat en route to the collegiate level. The most recent of which is none other than 5′-8″ right-hander in Nick Meyer. With a pop-time between 2.07-2.20, there’s a lot to like with Meyer behind the plate. His 77 mph catcher velocity ranks among the better marks across the state of Iowa. Meyer has good presence at the plate as well with the ability to hit opposite field. Across 2021 Meyer slugged 16 RBI while sporting 13 extra-base-hits and a whopping 14 walks. Now, after several suitors came calling, Meyer has found his collegiate home in Mount Mercy University. The Mustangs themselves are coming fresh off of a 29 win campaign across the 2021 season.

  • Keefer Saddoris (Norwalk)

Another Norwalk Warrior has hit the collegiate trail. Keefer Saddoris recently became the fourth 2022 Norwalk player to make a collegiate commitment. His commitment is the the JUCO powerhouse known as Kirkwood. Saddoris joins an Eagles squad fresh off of their second World Series appearance in four seasons. As for Kirkwood, they’ll be obtaining a strong pitching talent with a strong four-pitch mix that delivered 40 strikeouts and a 1.25 ERA across the 2021 season. Opposing bats hit just .204 against Saddoris while he allowed just six earned runs through 33 innings of work.

  • Jordan Bly (South Tama)

The time has officially come for South Tama star Jordan Bly to hit the future collegiate ranks. The 6′-4″ right-handed third basemen/catcher is set to join Simpson College baseball. It was a strong season that helped propel Bly into the collegiate ranks as he struck 52 total bases with 38 total hits and 20 RBI. He led the Trojans with a batting average of .373 while on base at a clip of .429. Bly has been documented with an exit velocity sitting at 89 mph while behind the plate defensively, sporting a pop-time of 2.20-2.34. He joins a Reivers squad fresh off of a 50-win season and not too far removed from a 9th place finish at the JUCO World Series.

  • Carter Gallagher (Columbus Catholic – Waterloo)

With a long, level swing and quick hands (bat speed at 23.80), the talented Carter Gallagher made his way from the uncommitted ranks to the collegiate commitment ranks. Following a number of suitors, Gallagher will be taking his talents to Iowa Western Community College. It’s really not hard to see why his talents were desired, after all, he did post the second-fastest 60-yard dash time (6.65 seconds) and fifth-best infield velocity marks (86 mph) in the PBR-Iowa Top Prospect games back in August. That all came after a very strong summer campaign for the 6′-1″ right handed slugger. A first-team All-State season where he ranked third in all of Class 2A with a .529 average complete with 49 RBI (third best in 2A), 90 total bases (sixth best in 2A), and of course, a class leading 20 doubles.

  • Trenton Johnette (Lewis Central)

For the fourth time in the past few weeks, the Lewis Central Titan baseball team will have four collegiate commits to their name. The most recent being the talented Trenton Johnette. Across his junior campaign, Johnette was a solid arm, showcasing his stuff in a big way with 22 strikeouts and just six walks through 25 and 1/3 innings pitched. He will be soon joining a Blue Devils squad fresh off of a fourth season in five years with 30 or more wins and 30 or more team home runs.

  • Owen Dawson (Johnston)

From the juggernaut that is Johnston baseball, another Dragon has found himself off the collegiate board with a commitment. This time, its ’22 grad Owen Dawson who added a big boost to Kirkwood Community College baseball by committing to be an Eagle. He joins a Kirkwood squad fresh off of their second DII World Series appearance in the past four years. Discounting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, the 2021 campaign marked the eighth straight 30+ win season for the Eagles. The 5’10”, 165 pound catcher has a lot of upside with plenty of excitement yet to come for both the Dragons and as a future Eagle.

  • Alex Sandoval (Central Lee)

Few Hawks were better for Central Lee across the 2021 season than Alex Sandoval. Across a .340 average during his junior season, Sandoval posted 18 RBI. That mark was the second-best total on the Central Lee squad across the season. From all that and more, Sandoval attracted the attention of many, including Loras College, his now future collegiate home. Very solid hitter with an exit velocity in the mid-80’s while maintaining a solid fielding season. Sandoval has become the second Loras commit in Iowa over the course of the month of October.

  • Mitchell Roeder (Maquoketa)

Becoming the first Maquoketa Cardinal of the 22 class to make a collegiate commitment, Roeder continues to blaze his own trail. While posting up 28 strikeouts, he was able to hold opponents to a .272 batting average on the season. Jumped up 13 mph on his average fastball velocity since the 2018 campaign; sitting mid-80’s with the fastball with the ability to change speeds very effectively. He sports a curveball in the high 50’s along with a mid-to-high 70’s change-up and slider. Roeder also collected 108 total put-outs on the season while unblemished on the base paths, successful in all four stolen base attempts.

  • Nathan Waknitz (Dallas Center Grimes)

On a Mustang squad that has had their fair share of big names as of late, Nathan Waknitz has certainly etched himself onto that list. Waknitz totaled seven extra-base hits as part of a 14 RBI campaign during the summer of his junior campaign. With hand speed of 21.60 and an average of 255 ft. per hit, he’s been an easy target to go after. Lots of upside that includes patience at the plate as Waknitz led the Mustangs with 22 walks all while accumulating 33 total bases on the season. He’ll be joining a Grand View team not far off from a 20+ win campaign. With Waknitz on the horizon, things are definitely going to continue to improve.

  • Ben Swails (Clear Creek Amana)

He may be hurling the pig skin all over the football field right now, but once the collegiate years come around, Clear Creek Amana’s Ben Swails will narrow his focus to football. The multi-sport star officially announced he’s hitting the future collegiate ranks as a member of the Iowa Western Community College baseball team. A lot to like about Swails who hit .327 with 18 RBI in his freshman season alone. He has since elevated his game to a .386 average and a team-best 23 RBI across his junior campaign. Swails has proven himself to be an asset and that has manifested into being ranked 5th among 2022 catchers in the state of Iowa according to Prep Baseball Report. He joins a Reivers squad fresh off of a 50-win season and not too far removed from a 9th place finish at the JUCO World Series.

  • Kael Swarts (Newton)

One of the biggest pitching highlights for the Newton Cardinals in 2021. In his junior campaign, Swarts posted a team-high 28 strikeouts to go along with a mere 13 walks. He’s been a subject of many pursuits from various other collegiate programs including Simpson College, Coe College, Bethal University, and Buena Vista University among others. In the end, it was coach Brian Nikkel and the Norsemen of Luther College that took the proverbial cake for Swarts. Ultimately there’s a lot to like about Swarts who sits low to mid-80’s with his fastball velocity on average and a fastball spin rate of 2,074. Swarts ranks 31st in the state among right-handed pitching according to PBR-Iowa.

  • Jaden Morris (Des Moines Roosevelt)

The wait is finally over for Roosevelt Roughrider star Jaden Morris, who chose Ellsworth Community College over several other landing spots. It’s not hard to see why he was so strong on the Panthers’ radar, using his hand speed of 23.50 to strike 34 RBI including nine extra-base-hits in his junior campaign in 2021. That also included a near perfect mark on the base paths at 10/11 in stolen bases. Morris is one of those athletes who could prove himself a useful multi-tool player as he has in high school. During his junior campaign alone, Morris used a three-pitch mix with a fastball spin rate of 2104 to put himself as the 18th best righty in the 2022 class. A mid-80’s fastball shows there’s still a lot of upside along with the current talent for Morris.

  • Carter Thomas (Mason City)

After going through the list of options, the Mason City Mohawk baseball star known as Carter Thomas narrowed it down to one. Always bound for the collegiate path, Thomas will now take his talents to Wayne State College following high school. That marks just shy of 60 2022’s committed to the collegiate ranks and it’s not hard to see why Thomas was one of them. In his 2021 campaign alone, Thomas rocked the base paths with a team-leading mark of 27 successful attempts. While batting .412 on the year, Thomas cranked out 32 RBI and 16 total extra-base-hits. His six triples finished second only to Ankeny’s Jase Bauer in all of Class 4A baseball. He slugged .595 while on base at a clip of .530 and was one of only two 4A players to record at least 27 stolen bases while being issued at least 30 walks.

  • Devin Doyle (Waukee Northwest)

A four pitch mix hurler who can play the finess and the power game, Waukee Northwest’s Devin Doyle has found himself a collegiate commitment. When the college days start, Doyle will be playing for Grand View University. Doyle sported 19 strikeouts on the season while teams hit just .254 against him all season.

  • Kaleb Gengler (Sioux City Bishop Heelan)

Helping to represent the Eastern side of the state, Bishop Heelan’s very own Kaleb Gengler has made his commitment to the baseball collegiate ranks. Gengler, the 5’10” 175-pound lefty has been on the radar of several teams recently, but in the end, it was the Bears of DMACC who landed the talented hurler. A mid-80’s fastball combined with a strong four-pitch mix with a 3/4 arm slot, Gengler established himself as a really tough opponent on the mound. He led the Crusaders with a 1.33 ERA and limiting teams to a mere .131 average. His 71 strikeouts on the season ranked 17th among Class 3A hurlers with just 24 walks across 47 1/3 innings pitched in 2021.

  • Jake DeJoode (Pleasantville)

The long awaited time for Pleasantville star Jake DeJoode to make his commitment has finally arrived. After being pursued by multiple programs, in the end it was Southwestern CC who captured his attention the most. DeJoode becomes a Spartan after a strong 2021 campaign where he tossed over 53 innings, posting an ERA of 1.83. All that included 57 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks while holding opposing bats to a mere .188 average.

  • Kinnick Pusteoska (Solon)

It comes as no surprise that the top 2022 Iowa first-basemen has come off the wish list of multiple collegiate teams. Solon slugger Kinnick Pusteoska has paved his collegiate path and it comes D1-style with a commitment to Tennessee Tech University. There’s a lot that teams liked about the 6′-5″ lefty with above average defense and a strong yet quick swing. After all, it did accumulate in a .404 average with 51 RBI on 42 total hits across his 2021 campaign. He posed a top-ten mark in slugging (.731) across all Class 3A bats which helped stem from 76 total bases earned on the season. He will join a team currently with ten conference titles and six trips to the NCAA postseason tournament. That also includes five regional and one super-regional appearance as a program.

  • Jake Porter (Winterset)

Perhaps one of the more prolific left-handed hurlers in the state, Jake Porter has been highly sought after (19 schools in pursuit in all) but he officially went off the board when notable JUCO power Johnson County secured his services. Porter officially committed to the Cavaliers as the second-ranked 2022 pitcher in the state according to PBR-Iowa. A solid three-pitch mix with a fastball averaging mid to high-80’s with a curveball dropping into the low to mid-70’s. Porter has routinely sported impressive numbers, one of which includes a fastball spin rate noted at 2,118. Led the Huskies with a 1.35 ERA across his junior campaign while tossing 64 strikeouts and holding opponents to a mere .202 average offensively. He joins a Cavalier squad coming off of their eight-straight season as a nationally ranked team. It’s a squad who has totaled 64 players being drafted or signed by a professional franchise. With great control, speed, and command, there’s no reason to think Porter won’t immediately impact Johnson County in a big way. Until then, the state of Iowa will enjoy another year of watching the talented left-hander deal!

Class of 2023

  • Rowan Donels (Cedar Rapids Kennedy)

As the 2022 campaign draws closer, there’s more and more excitement. That officially bumped way up with the recent commitment to the collegiate ranks for Cedar Rapids Kennedy talent Rowan Donels. After several offers from multiple programs, Donels decided to remain in the Hawkeye state and commit his future talents to the University of Iowa. He will soon join the Hellerball movement, especially after posting a strong 2021 season. In that campaign, Donels helped the Cougars earn their first 20-plus win season in the past six years. His 20 hits produced 15 RBI and 24 total bases across his sophomore stint. Perhaps the biggest impact was had on the mound where he tossed over 38 innings of work, striking out 38 as he limited opponents to a .238 average. He has topped out at 90 mph on the radar run and utilizes all of his four pitch mix for maximum impact. That has helped him to be the sixth-rated talent among 2023 graduates according to Perfect Game. He will join an Iowa squad fresh off of its eighth straight season of 25 wins or more.

  • Solen Munson (Dubuque Hempstead)

Arguably one of the most coveted prospects coming out of the 2023 class in Iowa, the talented Dubuque Hempstead backstop known as Solen Munson has found a future collegiate home. Following a stellar 2021 season in which the left-handed bat hit .259 with 15 RBI and 22 stolen bases through 14 hits. So much to like about the third Iowa 2023 committee sporting a pop-time as low as 2.00 and an outfield velo around 86 mph. Munson has clearly paved his own way into the division one ranks and has done so with a lot of work. He’s even had some MLB ties as father Eric Munson, a first-round selection out of USC, played nine seasons at the major league level, striking a .214 average with 89 extra-base hits. There is no doubt Solen is following along those footprints on a path of his own, one that 21-time conference champ Arizona State University is very excited about.

  • Sam Harris (Urbandale)

It’s hard not imagining the top-ranked 2023 player in Iowa not landing on division one radars. After lots of offers came in, the 6′-4″ left-hander known as Sam Harris committed to Duke University baseball. Harris has routinely turned heads with his 106 mph max exit velocity and a bat speed of 82.4 mph. Across his sophomore 2021 campaign, Harris struck for a .314 average which included compiling 66 total bases with 33 RBI and 20 walks, both third-best on the Urbandale J-Hawk squad. That came after his commitment to become a Blue Devil which came to be on February 10 of 2021. Prior to that, collegiate teams were looking at his strong freshman campaign.

Class of 2024

  • Karson Grout (Mid-Prairie)

More striking while the iron’s hot for the University of Iowa baseball program on the recruiting trail. This comes after securing the future talents of Mid-Prairie freshman star Karson Grout. The six-foot right-handed hurler becomes the third 2024 graduate to commit their future services to coach Rick Heller and the Hawkeyes. That also means Grout is the third overall 2024 graduate in Iowa to commit collegiately for baseball across the state. There is a lot of talk regarding Grout and rightfully so. He’s ranked as the fourth best 2024 prospect and top middle-infielder in the state, according to Perfect Game. His 2021 season consisted of a strong showing from both the mound and the batters box. As on of the Golden Hawk’s top hurlers, he struck out 31 batters through 24 innings pitched. That held opposing bats to a mere .189 average. With the bat in his hands, Grout hit .432 with 53 total bases across 41 total hits. 33 RBI also came with that strong base. He will join an Iowa squad fresh off of its eighth straight season of 25 wins or more.

  • Joey Oakie (Ankeny Centennial)

Becoming the second 2024 prospect in Iowa to commit collegiately, Ankeny Centennial’s Joey Oakie has officially pledged his future services to the University of Iowa baseball program. Ranked as the number two prospect in the state and 77th nationally among 2024 pitchers, Oakie has certainly earned the amount of hype he’s been receiving. He’s also ranked 59th nationally according to Prep Baseball Report. Across his freshman campaign in 2021, Oakie posted 36 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks across 31 innings pitched. With the bat, he was pretty strong as well, delivering on a .250 batting average which resulted in 17 RBI for the season. He will join an Iowa squad fresh off of its eighth straight season of 25 wins or more.

Myles Davis (Marion)

One of the most electric young bat in Iowa has come off the board D1 style. The University of Iowa baseball team officially extended their roster invite to Davis who has officially committed to become a future Hawkeye. The 6′-1″ right hander has all the intangibles and skills colleges are looking for. He’s the number one rated shortstop in the state of Iowa and third overall prospect for the 2024 class. Davis has ranked in the 90th percentile in both fastball velocity and infield velocity (according to Perfect Game Iowa) along with an exit velocity at 90 mph, also in the 90th percentile of the 2024 class. Davis has certainly proven himself to be a jack of many trades and showed that especially well in 2021, ranking 4th in Class 3A as just a freshman with a .496 batting average. He drove in 51 runs, also a top 5 mark in the class, not to mention top-5 in doubles (16), singles (50), not to mention becoming the Class 3A leader in total hits (70), all while striking out just three times all season. He also tossed 36 strikeouts through 28 innings while limiting opposing bats to a .152 average. He will take his future services to the University of Iowa where head coach Rick Heller and company have touched up 20-plus victories for the tenth straight season.

Class of 2025

Class of 2026

  • Tucker Long (Ottumwa)

The top talent from the 2026 class has officially come off the board as Ottumwa’s very own Tucker Long has committed his future services to the University of Iowa baseball program. After the Bulldogs made their way to their eighth state tournament berth in 2021, they were recently able to celebrate Long’s commitment to the Hawkeyes. The first such 2026 prospect to commit his future talents to the collegiate level, let alone the division one level. The 6′-0″ right-hander has already touched up a fastball velocity in the mid-80’s, ranking among the 99th percentile according to Perfect Game.

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