Ankeny Fanatic

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Baseball

Hawks ‘turn the page’ after splitting doubleheader against Roosevelt

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Ankeny baseball coach Joe Balvanz doesn't want his players to get too excited after a win. He also doesn't want them to dwell too long on a loss. Wednesday's doubleheader against visiting Des Moines Roosevelt was a perfect example of both of those scenarios. The ninth-ranked Hawks posted an 8-4 victory in the first game of the twinbill. They then … [Read more...] about Hawks ‘turn the page’ after splitting doubleheader against Roosevelt

Dowling’s Baumler overpowers Hawks, tosses 1-hitter in Maroons’ 3-1 victory

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The Ankeny baseball team didn't have an answer for Dowling Catholic pitcher Carter Baumler. Baumler tossed a one-hitter and had 12 strikeouts to lead the fifth-ranked Maroons to a 3-1 victory at Ankeny in the CIML Central Conference opener for both teams on Monday. The game was shortened to six innings due to rain, and the second game of the doubleheader … [Read more...] about Dowling’s Baumler overpowers Hawks, tosses 1-hitter in Maroons’ 3-1 victory

Hawks romp past Burlington, Davenport North to improve their record to 3-0

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Ankeny baseball coach Joe Balvanz doesn't have much to complain about. The Hawks rolled to a pair of victories in the Tim Heggen Invitational on Saturday at Ankeny Centennial and have now outscored their first three opponents by a 32-1 margin. "It's been an interesting start to the season," said Balvanz. "We played a game (at Saydel on May 23), then we … [Read more...] about Hawks romp past Burlington, Davenport North to improve their record to 3-0

Boyd sparks Ankeny baseball team to season-opening victory

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Cael Boyd appears to be a perfect fit for the leadoff hitter's role on the Ankeny baseball team. Boyd sparked the Hawks to a 13-0 victory at Saydel in five innings in their season opener on Thursday. The sophomore outfielder went 2-for-2 with a double, walked twice, stole three bases and scored four runs. "Cael did a really nice job of setting the … [Read more...] about Boyd sparks Ankeny baseball team to season-opening victory

Young, talented Hawks look to compete in rugged CIML Central Conference

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If the Ankeny baseball team can be competitive in the CIML Central Conference, then the Hawks will likely be among the top squads in Class 4A. The Central Conference boasts three of the top six teams in the preseason rankings--No. 1 Johnston, No. 5 Dowling Catholic and No. 6 Urbandale. The J-Hawks are the defending state champions. "The league is … [Read more...] about Young, talented Hawks look to compete in rugged CIML Central Conference

Ankeny pitcher Fulk commits to play baseball for Hawkeyes

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Ankeny High School's Class of 2021 appears to have multiple college prospects in a variety of sports. One of them has already made his future plans. Sophomore pitcher Weston Fulk has verbally committed to play baseball for Iowa. He chose the Hawkeyes after attending one of their winter evaluation camps. "They had open arms for me," said Fulk. "They … [Read more...] about Ankeny pitcher Fulk commits to play baseball for Hawkeyes

Ankeny’s Maifeld to play in IHSBCA All-Star Games

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Ankeny senior Jayden Maifeld will play for the Large Schools West in the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Games on Thursday through Sunday in Iowa City. Each of the four all-star teams will play a round-robin schedule from Thursday through Saturday. The consolation and championship games will then be played on Sunday. Maifeld … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Maifeld to play in IHSBCA All-Star Games

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Seth Harpenau, Ankeny baseball

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Senior Seth Harpenau helped the Ankeny baseball team to a 21-17 record. The Hawks finished their season with a 6-0 loss at second-ranked Urbandale in a Class 4A substate final on Wednesday. Harpenau batted .304 with seven doubles, one triple and 16 RBIs. He received all-conference honorable mention for the second straight year. Here is some inside info … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Seth Harpenau, Ankeny baseball

Hard-throwing Patzner shuts down Hawks in substate final

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Wednesday's substate baseball final between unranked Ankeny and No. 2 Urbandale was a classic David vs. Goliath matchup. This time, Goliath prevailed. Luke Patzner tossed a two-hitter and had 10 strikeouts to lead the host J-Hawks to a 6-0 victory in a Class 4A Substate 7 final. The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for Ankeny, which finished the … [Read more...] about Hard-throwing Patzner shuts down Hawks in substate final

Seth Harpenau’s walk-off hit allows Hawks to survive and advance

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Seth Harpenau wasn't trying to be a hero. The Ankeny senior was simply trying to drive in the tying run during Monday's Class 4A substate baseball semifinal against visiting Des Moines East. He ended up getting a walk-off hit. Harpenau stroked a two-run single into right field to give the Hawks a thrilling 5-4 victory that moved them one step closer … [Read more...] about Seth Harpenau’s walk-off hit allows Hawks to survive and advance

Maifeld hurls Hawks past Newton in substate quarterfinal

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When the Newton baseball team scored an unearned run in the first inning of Friday's Class 4A substate quarterfinal at Ankeny, it gave the Cardinals some early momentum against one of the state's best pitchers. "I was a little worried before the game--I don't know why," said Ankeny senior righthander Jayden Maifeld. "And then when that happened, I … [Read more...] about Maifeld hurls Hawks past Newton in substate quarterfinal

Homers by Brecht, Agan power Hawks past Gilbert in regular-season finale

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The Ankeny baseball team will take a five-game winning streak into postseason play after posting a 10-4 victory at Gilbert in its regular-season finale on Tuesday. The Hawks took a 4-0 lead in the first inning, then added two runs in the third, three in the fourth and one more in the fifth. They pounded out 12 hits off three Gilbert pitchers, five of them … [Read more...] about Homers by Brecht, Agan power Hawks past Gilbert in regular-season finale

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Garrett Stiles, Ankeny baseball

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Garrett Stiles of the Ankeny baseball team is the Ankeny Fanatic Sub of the Week sponsored by Blimpie. Stiles is batting .172 with one double and three RBIs. He hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to give the Hawks a 3-2 victory at then-No. 9 Southeast Polk on June 4. Stiles has helped Ankeny to a 19-16 record. The Hawks will host Newton in a … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Garrett Stiles, Ankeny baseball

Hawks show they’re ‘comfortable playing behind’ Maifeld during Monday’s sweep

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The Ankeny baseball team entered Monday's non-conference doubleheader at Des Moines Roosevelt with a .500 record. The Hawks showed in the first game, however, that they're better than that with Jayden Maifeld on the mound. Maifeld tossed five strong innings in a tune-up for postseason play to lead Ankeny to a 10-4 victory. The Hawks then completed a … [Read more...] about Hawks show they’re ‘comfortable playing behind’ Maifeld during Monday’s sweep

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Jayden Maifeld, Ankeny baseball

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Ankeny senior Jayden Maifeld is one of the state's top pitchers. He tossed a four-hitter to lead the Hawks to a 12-0 victory over Ames in five innings on Thursday. Maifeld has compiled a 4-3 record with a 1.65 ERA. He has racked up 48 strikeouts while allowing just 11 walks. Maifeld has also been the Hawks' top hitter this season. He is batting .384 … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Jayden Maifeld, Ankeny baseball

Hawks fall twice to Fort Dodge on their Senior Night

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The Ankeny baseball team was hoping to use a Senior Night doubleheader to get back above the .500 mark. Instead, the Hawks saw their losing streak extended to five games as visiting Fort Dodge swept both games of a non-conference twinbill on Tuesday, 6-4 and 2-0. The Dodgers snapped their own five-game losing streak while improving to 13-18 on the … [Read more...] about Hawks fall twice to Fort Dodge on their Senior Night

Walk-off win allows Tigers to claim outright conference title

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The Valley baseball team had already clinched at least a share of the CIML Central Conference title heading into Monday's doubleheader against visiting Ankeny. The Tigers were determined to capture the outright crown. Valley swept the twinbill by scores of 6-5 and 4-1 to finish with a 15-5 record in the league. The Tigers improved to 24-12 … [Read more...] about Walk-off win allows Tigers to claim outright conference title

Maifeld tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split against No. 6 S.E. Polk

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When Jayden Maifeld is at the top of his game, the Ankeny baseball team can be pretty dangerous. Maifeld tossed a three-hitter and had eight strikeouts to lead the Hawks to a 5-2 victory over sixth-ranked Southeast Polk in the first game of a CIML Central Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Ankeny. "I felt great," said Maifeld, who evened his record … [Read more...] about Maifeld tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split against No. 6 S.E. Polk