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2025 Prep Baseball Iowa High School Team Previews: Volume 10

May 12, 2025
Rob Allison
Supervisor, Upper Midwest

Prep Baseball Iowa strives to be the most comprehensive source of player information across the state. Prep Baseball is the number one resource for high school baseball in each state that we cover through various events, boots-on-the-ground scouting staff, daily coverage, and multimedia platforms. Our multimedia platforms and events work together, creating each state's most potent high school baseball promotion source. While other organizations take a national approach, our goal is to become the authoritative voice on the ground level of each state.

As we prepare for the upcoming 2025 high school season, we will be taking a preseason glimpse at programs from around the state.

WOODBURY CENTRAL WILDCATS 

Head Coach: Andy Compton (88-37)

Class: Class 1A
Conference: Western Valley
2024 Record: 19-8 (Lost in District Semis)
X: @WCWildcatBsbl

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"We return a good nucleus from last year's team. We are still relatively young, but return a lot of experience. We have good leadership with Keaton Gernhart, Joe DeStigter, and Brody Bremer leading the way. It is an athletic group and have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions so it's fun to be able to move guys anywhere and still allow us be ok defensively. We are going to have to get creative with how we score runs this year, but I'm excited with this group. It will be fun putting the puzzle together as the season goes." 

TIPTON TIGERS 

Head Coach: Troy Smock (10 Seasons)

Class: Class 2A
Conference: River Valley
2024 Record: 6-20-1 (District Finalist)
X: @TiptonBaseball

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"After a very disappointing regular season, we made a nice run in the 2A playoffs last year. While our 2 graduating seniors were key losses we do have quite a few kids coming back. We have lots of guys who can play the game, and pitching sgould have some depth. We just need to get a good start and figure out our best lineups and how each one can help the team." 

ESTHERVILLE LINCOLN CENTRAL MIDGETS 

Head Coach: Lee Evans (16 seasons, 347-239)

Class: Class 2A
Conference: Lakes
2024 Record: 20-6 (Substate)
X: @ELCbaseball

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

  • Garrett Smith
  • Kaden Fechter

Coach's Comment:
"I expect us compete everynight, with our Senior leadership and strong schedule, we hope to be playing our best baseball in July." 

AMES LITTLE CYCLONES  

Head Coach: Nick Steenhagen (6 season, 104-81-1)

Class: Class 4A
Conference: Iowa Alliance
2024 Record: 24-16 (1st Round)
X: @ameshighball

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"We are excited for the 2025 group. They are determined after last season's first round exit. This group is extremely committed. There will be a few new names in the lineup but we are deeper than ever. Lots of guys we can trust and put into spot. Should be fun." 

WILTON BEAVERS 

Head Coach: Jake Souhrada (28 seasons, 640-229)

Class: Class 2A
Conference: RVC
2024 Record: 21-11 (State Quarterfinals)
X: @beaverbaseball1

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"We return a lot of guys who have started for 2 or 3 years on the varsity and were a big part of our run to state last year. Pitching and defense should be our strength. The key to this year will be to stay healthy and timely hitting." 

ANKENY CENTENNIAL JAGUARS 

Head Coach: Mark Hey (11 seasons, 569-289)

Class: Class 4A
Conference: CIML
2024 Record: 29-11 (Substate Finalist)
X: @ACJagbaseball

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"The team will build around several key returners but others will have to step up to fill the shoes of the graduated seniors." 

SOUTH WINNESHIEK WARRIORS 

Head Coach: Alex Smith (15 seasons, 332-152)

Class: Class 1A
Conference: Upper Iowa
2024 Record: 24-10 (State Quarterfinals)
X: None

Key Impact Players:

 Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"We have a lot of key players to replace due to graduation and injury, but look forward to our depth in our program keeping us competitive and hopefully peaking at the right time in the postseason." 

DURANT WILDCATS 

Head Coach: Colin Meyer (13 Seasons)

Class: Class 2A
Conference: River Valley
2024 Record: 17-14 
X: @Durant_Baseball

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"Will rely on a solid number of arms having multiple guys touching the 80s.  If we can find some offense this year better than we did last it could be a very fun summer." 

SOUTHEAST POLK RAMS 

Head Coach: Scot Surprenant (4 seasons, 75-51)

Class: Class 4A
Conference: CIML
2024 Record: 25-17 (Districts Round 2)
X: @BaseballSEP

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"After graduating 13 seniors in '24 we retain three crucial starting pitching spots heading into 25. I’m hopeful that this will be a strength of our team this year. Another strength will be with our up the middle defense anchored by for your letter winner, catcher Holden Hansen. We also get a player back from injury that I think will also help us this year and Teague Cantrall who will be a significant add to us both offensively and from the mound. I feel like we also gained more team speed and pitching up this year." 

BAXTER BOLTS

Head Coach: Jeremy Moffit (2 seasons, 20-25) 

Class: Class 1A
Conference: Iowa Star-South Divison
2024 Record: 10-13 (First Round)
X: @BaxterBoltsBB

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

  • Hayden Burdess
  • Liam Trent
  • Nolan Hill
  • Colten Damman

Coach's Comment:
"Baxter will be young again in 2025. Last year, we started four 8th graders at times, but managed a second place conference finish. Seven starters return and Juniors Colton Moffit and Cael Wishman will lead the way. A strong Freshman class has experience with Hayden Burdess, Liam Trent, Colten Damman, and Derek Rominger all providing significant contributions last year. Seniors Aiden Johnson, James Esqueda and Jace Bottorff are poised to take the next step." 

NORTH LINN LYNX  

Head Coach: Travis Griffith & Justin Kress (19 Seasons, 508-222)

Class: Class 1A
Conference: Tri-Rivers West
2024 Record: 24-9 (State Quarterfinalist)
X: @NLBaseball1

Key Impact Players:

Key Underclass Players:

Coach's Comment:
"Our strength for us this season should be our experience.  We have everyone back from last season and made a nice run to the state quarterfinals.  We will obviously lean on our three senior All-Staters who have had phenomenal careers.  Mason Bechen has been dominant and if his arm fully recovers, he will be one of the best all-around players in class 1A.  Cole Griffith was 1st Team All-State last season in centerfield.  He is a great defensive center fielder, was our ace on the mound last season, and is a threat offensively as a hitter and baserunner.  Cael Benesh was 2nd Team All-State as a catcher.  He is one of the best all-around catchers we’ve ever had at North Linn.  He is the leader of this team and the biggest reason our defense wins us a lot of games.  We had a lot of young kids put into tough spots last season and they figured things out as the summer progressed.  That experience should make us much stronger both offensively and defensively.  If we have all our arms healthy on the pitching staff, it could be a very special summer." 

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