When the Ankeny baseball team opens the season on Monday night by hosting a doubleheader against Urbandale, several major-league scouts are expected to be in attendance.
They’ll be watching the top two teams in Class 4A according to the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association’s preseason rankings: Ankeny is No. 1 and Urbandale is No. 2.
“This team is tremendously athletic,” Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz said of his squad. “We have so many multi-sport athletes in our program, and that’s a tip of the cap to the football, basketball, track, tennis and weight room coaches. Our guys are stronger and mentally tougher because they compete in so many different ways. It can be challenging to manage at times, but it’s something our baseball staff takes a great deal of pride in.”
Ankeny returns almost its entire starting lineup from last year’s team that posted a 21-9 record and placed second in Class 4A. The Hawks held a 7-3 lead in the fifth inning of the state championship game before Johnston rallied for an 11-8 victory at Principal Park.
It marked the fifth time that Ankeny has earned runner-up honors.
“Second place is a tough pill to swallow. It’s hard to describe. We don’t talk a whole lot about it,” Balvanz said. “I think it kind of goes without saying, but expectations are high and those expectations are valid. We haven’t won a conference title since the split. I think that’s a goal that can keep this group focused and also puts them in a spot to earn a top seed to get themselves is a good position to make another run at a title come postseason.
“Since these guys were freshmen, I’ve been pushing them to take the next step for the program. They played in a substate final that year against a really good senior-led Urbandale team. The following year we made state for the first time since the split. Last year we made the championship game and didn’t finish the job. We will continue to push to take one more step as a program,” he added.
Ankeny boasts a deep and talented roster that includes a trio of preseason all-Americans. Senior pitchers Brody Brecht and Weston Fulk both earned honorable mention all-American honors along with senior shortstop Jase Bauer from Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. and Perfect Game.
Brecht, who was also named to the Central Region first team that includes a 13-state area, is expected to be selected in this year’s MLB amateur draft in July. He is planning to play both football and baseball at Iowa, but he could be tempted to turn pro if he’s drafted high enough.
“We talk about it occasionally,” Balvanz said. “I think he and his family will assess the situation when opportunities arise and do what’s best for Brody and the Brecht family. I’ll continue to write his name down as long as he’s available.”
Brecht compiled a 4-0 record with a 2.45 ERA as a junior. The hard-throwing righthander tied for sixth in the state with 69 strikeouts, 16 of them in a brilliant performance against Pleasant Valley in the Class 4A quarterfinals, which ranks fifth all-time in state tournament history.
When he’s not on the mound, Brecht is also a potent weapon at the plate and as an outfielder. He batted .333 with three home runs and 27 RBIs a year ago.
Brecht has twice been named to the all-conference first team. He was also selected to the Class 4A all-state first team in 2020.
“I’ve told myself since January that I needed to take time to enjoy this season,” Balvanz said. “These are excellent ball players and tremendous young men. I could coach for a long time and not have a group like this again.”
Both Bauer and Fulk are high-end prospects as well who could benefit from a lot of exposure this summer due to the number of scouts that will be coming to watch Brecht.
Bauer batted .435 with one homer and 22 RBIs as a junior. He led the state with seven triples, which set a school record, and tied for third in the state with 40 hits.
Bauer was named to the all-state and all-conference first teams along with Brecht. The star quarterback has committed to play football for Central Michigan, but could draw the attention of MLB scouts with another outstanding season.
“Jase is a five-tool guy that certainly could play at the Power Five or professional level,” Balvanz said.
Fulk, meanwhile, went 2-1 with a 3.84 ERA last season. He also batted .341 with 14 doubles and 27 RBIs.
The lefthanded pitcher was a first-team all-conference selection and a third-team all-state pick. He is headed to Iowa to play with Brecht.
“Fulk is a guy who has worked his tail off on refining his ‘pitchability’ this offseason,” Balvanz said. “He’s also absolutely crushed it in the weight room. He’s pitched exceptionally well this spring and has big time pop at the dish. He’s going to make our lineup incredibly long this summer. I’m really proud of the work that he’s put in. I think you can expect big things from him this season. He projects very well at the collegiate level and beyond.”
Outfielders Cael Boyd, Cooper Cox and Kade Somers are also back for the Hawks along with second baseman Carter Smith, third baseman/catcher Colin Riggs and catcher Tamden Webb-Tate.
Boyd is a two-time all-conference second-team pick. He stole 22 bases as a junior while batting .295 with one homer and 11 RBIs.
Somers batted .343 with two doubles and 16 RBIs, while Smith batted .312 with three triples and 22 RBIs. They both joined Boyd on the all-conference second team.
Cox and Webb-Tate, a junior, both received all-conference honorable mention.
“This group has taken advantage of every baseball opportunity we’ve provided since early January,” Balvanz said. “Our indoor space at Parkview has been used as a cafeteria all school year due to the pandemic. We did a lot of table and chair tear down and set up during the winter months to be able to continue to hit and throw as we normally would. Winners do what it takes to be successful regardless of the situation. I’m sure they didn’t enjoy setting up tables and chairs after every workout, but I never heard one complaint. I hope they know how much I appreciative their efforts and how proud I am of them.”
Among the other returnees are senior Will Johnson and juniors Sammy Andrews and Dylan Schlee. They will provide pitching depth.
“We will need to stay healthy and humble as we pursue our goals for this summer,” Balvanz said. “Our staff is focused on pushing this group to their highest potential and end goal of a state title.”
