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
Joe Balvanz
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