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
Jayden Maifeld
Ankeny’s Maifeld, Centennial’s Vermeer named to Central Conference first team
Heading into the 2018 baseball season, Ankeny senior Jayden Maifeld was already established as one of the state's top pitchers. Sophomore Ryan Vermeer of Ankeny Centennial didn't have a reputation to match Maifeld's, but he quickly developed into one of the CIML's top catchers. Both Maifeld and Vermeer have been named to the CIML Central Conference … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Maifeld, Centennial’s Vermeer named to Central Conference first team
Hard-throwing Patzner shuts down Hawks in substate final
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
Maifeld hurls Hawks past Newton in substate quarterfinal
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
Centennial game moved up to 5 p.m.; Ankeny will play at 7 p.m.
Thanks to a threat of rain, fans of the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial baseball teams won't have to choose which postseason game to attend on Friday night. They'll be able to watch both the Hawks and the Jaguars. Ankeny (19-16) will host Newton (11-20) in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal at 7 p.m., while Centennial (20-18) will host Mason City (18-21) in a … [Read more...] about Centennial game moved up to 5 p.m.; Ankeny will play at 7 p.m.
Hawks show they’re ‘comfortable playing behind’ Maifeld during Monday’s sweep
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
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
Maifeld tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split against No. 6 S.E. Polk
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
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
Hawks open season with doubleheader loss at Johnston
The Ankeny baseball team was hoping to open its season at home with a strong performance against a quality opponent. It didn't work out that way. After Monday's doubleheader was moved to Johnston because of a wet field, the Dragons swept both games of the twinbill by scores of 11-2 and 9-0. They completed the sweep with a pitching gem in the nightcap, … [Read more...] about Hawks open season with doubleheader loss at Johnston