Ankeny baseball coach Joe Balvanz wanted to use both Cameron Rinker and Chris Spear on the mound during Wednesday's doubleheader against visiting Waukee. He is also hoping to get some innings out of both pitchers during Saturday's make-up twinbill against sixth-ranked Southeast Polk. The only solution was to split Wednesday's second game between the … [Read more...] about Hawks bounce back to win nightcap, earn split against Waukee
Cameron Rinker
Hawks rally past Valley in nightcap, salvage split of twinbill
The Valley baseball team had a chance to take a commanding lead in the CIML Central Conference race on Wednesday. The Tigers posted a 6-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Ankeny, then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap. But the Hawks refused to go away. Ankeny rallied for a 9-8 walk-off win and a split of the … [Read more...] about Hawks rally past Valley in nightcap, salvage split of twinbill
Maifeld, Rinker lead Hawks to first-ever sweep over Centennial
The Ankeny baseball team had to wait 48 hours to complete a doubleheader against visiting Ankeny Centennial on Friday. It was well worth the wait. The Hawks posted a 6-2 victory in the opener, then used a nine-run outburst in the third inning to win the nightcap, 12-0, in five innings. They swept their crosstown rival for the first time since the split … [Read more...] about Maifeld, Rinker lead Hawks to first-ever sweep over Centennial
Casel tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split at Southeast Polk
Ankeny lefthander Will Casel recorded only one strikeout during the first game of a CIML Central Conference baseball doubleheader on Monday at Southeast Polk. But the senior was still very effective. Casel tossed a three-hitter and retired 13 batters on fly balls as the Hawks extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-2 victory in the opener … [Read more...] about Casel tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split at Southeast Polk
Hawks, Jaguars each win twice at Tim Heggen Invitational
Saturday was a good day for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial baseball teams as both squads won a pair of games in the Tim Heggen Invitational at Ankeny. The Hawks rolled to a 9-1 victory over North Polk, the No. 10 team in Class 3A. They later defeated Davenport North, 5-4, in nine innings to extend their winning streak to six games. The Jaguars also … [Read more...] about Hawks, Jaguars each win twice at Tim Heggen Invitational
Maifeld, Rinker hurl back-to-back gems in Hawks’ sweep over Ames
Ankeny pitcher Jayden Maifeld tossed a gem in the first game of a doubleheader against visiting Ames on Thursday. Then teammate Cameron Rinker threw another one in the nightcap, allowing the Hawks to sweep the CIML Central Conference opener. "It's fun to watch those two guys talk to each other. They kind of feed off each other," said Ankeny coach Joe … [Read more...] about Maifeld, Rinker hurl back-to-back gems in Hawks’ sweep over Ames
Talented trio of freshmen helps Hawks sweep doubleheader at East
The Ankeny baseball team returned to Des Moines East on Wednesday and avenged last year's substate loss to the Scarlets by sweeping a doubleheader, 10-0 and 8-3. The Hawks won the opener in six innings for their first victory of the season. They then completed the sweep to improve their record to 2-3, while East dropped to 1-7. "We played much better … [Read more...] about Talented trio of freshmen helps Hawks sweep doubleheader at East
Hawks boast strong foundation with return of standouts Hill, Maifeld
Ankeny baseball coach Joe Balvanz still has a lot of faith in his team despite the Hawks' 0-3 start. Ankeny posted an 18-22 record a year ago, including a 6-14 mark in the CIML Central Conference. Several key players are back from that team, led by first-team all-conference selections Drew Hill and Jayden Maifeld. "We bring back a lot of experience," … [Read more...] about Hawks boast strong foundation with return of standouts Hill, Maifeld
Hawks waste Rinker’s strong outing in loss to Saydel
It's no secret what the biggest problem is right now for the Ankeny baseball team. The Hawks dropped to 0-3 on the season Thursday with a 4-1 loss to visiting Saydel in a non-conference game. "We've got to figure out how to score some more runs," said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz, whose team has been held to a total of three runs in three games. "That's … [Read more...] about Hawks waste Rinker’s strong outing in loss to Saydel