It won’t be easy for Joe Balvanz to replace one of the best leaders he’s ever coached in the Ankeny baseball program.
Shortstop Kinnick Vos graduated last year and is now playing at Black Hawk Community College in Moline, Ill. He led the Hawks to a 14-25 record as a senior.
Voss batted .350 with five doubles and 16 RBIs while leading the team with four triples. He was named to a utility position on the CIML Conference first team and was also a second-team all-district pick.
Standout catcher Brady Carter, who threw out 13 runners attempting to steal, was among the other players who graduated. He was a second-team all-conference selection after batting .309 with six doubles and a team-high 24 RBIs.
Despite those losses, Balvanz is excited about his team’s potential.
“I think we have a strong group of seniors with plenty of varsity experience to help guide this team,” Balvanz said. “That group has already emerged as strong leaders for us. They do an excellent job leading by example in practice, competing the right way, and upholding the expectations we have for both themselves and the younger players in the program. They’re also an enjoyable group of young men to be around, which has helped create a very positive culture early in the season.”
The Hawks boast a pair of returning all-conference players in senior outfielders Easton Lowe and Jackson Romig. Lowe earned honorable mention along with Romig, who was named to a utility position.
Romig batted .272 with two doubles, two triples and 14 RBIs while also stealing eight bases in eight attempts. He will join Voss next year at Black Hawk Community College.
Lowe batted .250 with three doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. He is headed to Northeast Iowa Community College.
Among the other returnees are senior infielder Austin Hans, senior outfielder Kobe Behrens and junior outfielder Ace Parton.
Hans batted .333 with a double, a triple and two RBIs. He has committed to Central College.
Behrens batted .219 with two doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs. Parton batted .214 with two doubles and two RBIs.
“Offensively, we should have more power throughout the lineup than we’ve had in recent years, which will help balance our approach at the plate,” Balvanz said. “Overall, this is a competitive group that has shown the ability to adapt and push each other in practice. I think one of the biggest strengths of this squad will be our overall depth, especially defensively. We have good team speed, a lot of interchangeable pieces, and several talented younger players already competing for playing time.
“I’m also very encouraged by what we’ve seen from our pitching staff early on,” he added.
Junior righthander Hunter Minner could become the team’s ace. Minner, who went 1-3 and recorded 21 strikeouts in just 15 innings of work, has verbally committed to play for Indiana State.
Seniors Ryan Buffington and Brayden Kern also saw some action last year along with juniors Kyle Clevidence and Jackson Molloy and sophomore Norman Ha.
Kern went 1-1 with a 6.59 ERA. He will play for Cornell College.
Ha went 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA, Molloy went 1-2 with a 5.25 ERA, and Clevidence went 0-3 with a 5.35 ERA. Buffington, meanwhile, made eight appearances on the mound and also played in 11 other games, many of them at first base.
Senior Logan Wildebour will provide additional depth for the pitching staff. He has transferred to Ankeny from Ankeny Centennial, where he went 1-0 with a 1.24 ERA for the Jaguars.
Wildebour allowed just one earned run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He has committed to play for Indian Hills Community College along with Buffington.
Gavin Nuzum is another senior who will get some innings on the mound. The Grand View recruit made five appearances a year ago.
“Practices have been going really well so far,” Balvanz said. “We graduated a large senior class last summer, so we’ve had several younger and newer players step into varsity roles. They’ve done a tremendous job working hard, competing, and picking up on things quickly. Our senior leaders have also done an excellent job helping guide the younger players and setting the standard for what we expect in our program. Overall, the first few weeks of practice have been very competitive, productive, and encouraging for our staff.”
The Hawks will open their season on Monday by hosting a non-conference game against North Polk. Perennial power Pleasant Valley will visit Ankeny for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday.
“We’ve put together a very challenging schedule this summer that should test us throughout the season and help prepare us for postseason play,” Balvanz said.