Ankeny junior Brody Brecht has received a prestigious honor on the baseball field, even though it appears that football will be his future sport.
Brecht, who recently announced that he will choose between scholarship offers from the Iowa and Iowa State football programs, has been named a third team Preseason Underclass all-American as an outfielder. The teams were chosen by Rawlings and Perfect Game to recognize the top underclass high school baseball athletes in the classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Brecht was one of three Iowans to earn all-American honors. He was joined on the third team by Waukee pitcher Jackson Wentworth, a Kansas State recruit, while Dubuque Wahlert catcher Ian Moller–who has committed to LSU–was a first-team selection.
As a sophomore, Brecht batted .371 with three home runs and 30 RBIs. He was also one of the CIML’s top pitchers, compiling a 6-3 mark with a 2.46 ERA and 70 strikeouts.
Brecht led the Hawks to a 21-18 record and the school’s first state-tournament appearance since 2013, when Keaton McKinney was one of the stars of the team. McKinney was the last Ankeny player to be honored by Rawlings and Perfect Game.
The Preseason teams recognize 300 players from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Each team consists of 100 players who are currently juniors, sophomores or freshmen in high school.
“With more than 450,000 high school baseball players in the nation, the Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American players represent the very best in their class,” said Mike Thompson, chief marketing officer for St. Louis-based Rawlings. “Rawlings and Perfect Game are synonymous with the game of baseball, and the preseason awards allow us to recognize and reward these elite athletes for their hard work and contribution to the game.”
Brecht is also being recruited by Iowa’s baseball program. He could potentially play both sports for the Hawkeyes.
“To receive the Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-American Award is a tremendous achievement for these high school student-athletes,” said Jerry Ford, president of Cedar Rapids-based Perfect Game. “We are proud to recognize their talent as they prepare for their careers playing collegiate or professional baseball.”