Sophomore pitcher Peyten Spiegel was named to the Class 5A all-tournament team after helping the Ankeny Centennial softball team to a runner-up finish last week at Harlan Rogers Park in Fort Dodge. She went 2-0 in three appearances at the tournament, allowing four earned runs on nine hits over 10 2/3 innings while recording nine strikeouts.
Spiegel compiled an 18-1 record with a 1.38 ERA and 130 strikeouts on the season. She helped the Jaguars to a 41-4 mark and the outright CIML Conference title.
Spiegel has been named to the all-conference first team. She was also selected to the Class 5A West all-district squad by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.
Here is some inside info on Spiegel:
Congratulations on an outstanding season. I’m sure you are ready for a little break from softball. Will you be doing anything fun during the dead week?
Thank you. It’ll definitely be nice to have a little break. I’m planning on spending time with family and friends, but I’ll still be getting some work as well with more focus on offseason lifting.
Your team cruised through the first three rounds of the state tournament before dropping a 3-1 decision to top-ranked Waukee Northwest in Friday’s championship game. What did you think of the new double-elimination format? Did you like it?
I liked the double-elimination format. It made the tournament very competitive, even with some of the repeated matchups.
Your coach told me that the format might be tweaked a little bit in the future. Are there any changes that you would make to the format or the schedule?
If I could make one change, I’d make the championship double elimination too. I think that would make it feel more consistent with the rest of the tournament and give both teams the same opportunity they had throughout the week.
Your team was held to just two hits in the title game by Northwest star Sophia Schlader. I know you didn’t bat against her, but from what you could see from the dugout, what do you think was the key to her success against your team’s explosive offense?
Sophia did a good job of getting ahead in the count. I have a lot of respect for her. I played with her in club ball, and she’s always been a hard worker.
You were joined on the all-tournament team by three of your senior teammates–Mylie Hatfield, Kori Lincicum and Mady Ott. What will you miss the most about playing with the nine seniors on your team who will have to be replaced?
I’ll miss their leadership the most. They always brought energy, kept everyone together in high intensity moments and showed us what it takes to compete. They made such a big impact on our team, and I’m really grateful I got to play with them.
You made a big jump this season after going 11-2 with a 3.62 ERA as a freshman, when you had 70 strikeouts in 56 innings of work. To what do you credit your improvement?
I think it came from putting in a lot of work during the offseason. I spent a lot of time working on perfecting my pitches and getting more spin on the ball. I found a great lifting program at ETS to help me get stronger. Having great coaches and teammates who push me every day also helped a lot.
You increased your strikeout rate from 8.75 strikeouts per game to 10.66 this season, and it seemed like your velocity has definitely improved. Do you think you can continue to make more gains with your velocity as you get older?
I definitely think so. I’m still growing and getting stronger, and I plan to keep working in the weight room and on my mechanics. Hopefully, I can keep adding velocity while still focusing on location and movement.
How many different pitches do you throw, and what are they?
I throw six pitches: curve, rise, two-seam, change, screw, and fastball. I work hard on making sure I can throw all of them for strikes in different situations or working out of the zone when I’m ahead in the count.
Your teammate, Lauren Sandholm, told me that she’s looking forward to teaming up with you in the circle again next season. Do you think your team will have to rely even more on the two of you after losing so many of its offensive stars?
Lauren and I will continue to work together, but I don’t think it’ll just be on us. We’ll have a lot of players stepping into bigger opportunities, and I think everyone will contribute in different ways. I’m excited to see what our team can do. Lauren and I are a great duo, we trust each other, and we push each other. It is so fun to be her teammate. She’s always my biggest supporter, and we always have each other’s back.
Many of your teammates have already made their college choices. Where are you at with your recruiting?
Recruiting has been going well. I am going to a few camps. I’m keeping my options open and just trying to find the school that’s the best fit for me both academically and athletically.
I believe Sept. 1 is the date when college coaches will be able to start contacting you. Do you expect things to really pick up then?
I hope so. I’m excited for Sept. 1 and to see what opportunities come from it. I’m looking forward to talking with more coaches and continuing to learn about different programs while taking my time finding the right fit.