The hype surrounding the Ankeny Centennial baseball team appears to be justified–based on its season opener.
Ranked second in Class 4A in the preseason rankings by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association, the Jaguars kicked off the 2023 campaign with a 9-0 victory over Webster City on Monday. The non-conference game was played at Walt Anderson Field in Rippey, where former Ankeny coach Mel Murken now lives in retirement.
“Webster City’s a really solid ball club,” said Centennial coach Mark Hey. “They were limiting some of their pitchers to be able to bring them back later this week. When they had their best guys out there, they were really solid.”
It took awhile for the Jaguars to get their bats going, but the lack of early production hardly mattered. The Lynx simply had no answers for Centennial pitchers Joey Oakie and Emerson Alberhasky, who combined on a two-hitter with 18 strikeouts.
Oakie, an Iowa recruit, racked up 11 strikeouts over the first four innings.
“It was pretty good,” Oakie said of his assortment of pitches. “Everything was working. Webster City has some pretty good hitters, and they got some bats on the ball. But my stuff just overpowered them.”
Oakie (1-0) walked one batter and hit another one. He was relieved after throwing 71 pitches.
“That’s Joey,” Hey said. “One of the side effects, and there’s nothing you can do about it, is that when you strike out a lot of guys you throw a lot of pitches. Later in the season, I think he’ll be ok. But when we’re limiting his pitch count, he’s going to have to come out kind of early. But Emerson stepped in and threw outstanding behind him. I was very happy with both of those guys.”
Both pitchers also contributed at the plate. Alberhasky hit a run-scoring triple with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to break a scoreless tie.
“I was looking up in the zone,” said Alberhasky. “I was just looking to drive one to the opposite field or up the middle, and that’s what I did.”
Oakie went 2-for-3 and had a two-run single in the Jaguars’ five-run fifth inning. Alberhasky capped the outburst with a sacrifice fly that increased the lead to 6-0.
Alberhasky said he wasn’t worried when Centennial failed to score in the first three innings.
“That was great insurance from the defensive side (to have Oakie throwing),” he said. “When you have a lockdown pitcher on the mound, that helps a lot.”
Nick Severson went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Lucas Bruhl had two RBIs, while Damin Churchman doubled and knocked in a run.
“I love this team, and I think we’re going to do great things this year,” Oakie said.
The Jaguars will play another non-conference game at Gilbert on Thursday.
