Joe Balvanz

This year's edition of the Ankeny baseball team isn't the most talented squad that Joe Balvanz has coached during his tenure with the Hawks. But it might be one of the grittiest. Ankeny bounced back from a 15-11 loss at fourth-ranked Johnston on Monday with an 8-7 victory in the second game of a doubleheader. The Hawks snapped their three-game losing … [Read more...] about ‘It’s hard to win over there’: Hawks salvage split at No. 4 Johnston with 8-7 victory

Wednesday's doubleheader at 10th-ranked Dowling Catholic might have been a turning point for the Ankeny baseball team. The Hawks used a seven-run eighth inning to post a 12-5 victory in the first game, then erupted for 11 runs in the first inning of the nightcap and went on to complete a sweep with a 12-2 win in five innings. "I hope it's a confidence … [Read more...] about ‘They can play that way all the time’: Hawks erupt for 24 runs, sweep Dowling

The Ankeny baseball team got a quality start from senior righthander Jack Clevidence, but it wasn't enough to produce a victory on Monday at Valley. After the Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, Valley answered with three runs in the fourth and then held on for a 3-2 win to snap a six-game losing streak. The Tigers improved to 2-7 in the CIML … [Read more...] about Hawks drop 3-2 decision at Valley despite quality start, 3 hits from Clevidence

The Ankeny baseball team bounced back from a 7-5 loss to Davenport Central with a 16-1 victory over Davenport West in five innings on Saturday at Davenport. The Hawks are now 7-13 on the season after splitting the non-conference games. "I was glad to come back with a win, but I was certainly hoping for two," said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz. Ankeny had … [Read more...] about Hawks erupt for season-high 16 runs in five-inning victory over Davenport West

Desperate for a win, the Ankeny baseball team refused to quit. Trailing 10-0 in the second game of a doubleheader on Thursday at Urbandale, the Hawks were three outs away from a run-rule loss that would have stretched their losing streak to seven games. Ankeny extended the contest by scoring three runs in the fifth inning and added five more in the … [Read more...] about Hawks rally from 10-0 deficit to beat Urbandale, snap 6-game losing streak

It's too early for the Ankeny baseball team to panic. The Hawks just need to get their bats going. Ankeny dropped both ends of a CIML Conference doubleheader against visiting Waukee Northwest on Monday. The ninth-ranked Wolves posted a 6-2 victory in the opener before completing the sweep with a 4-1 win. "I didn't think either of their starters was … [Read more...] about ‘We’re just not scoring enough runs’: Hawks struggle at plate, fall twice to NW

The seventh-ranked Southeast Polk baseball team used a five-run fourth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit and went on to beat host Ankeny, 6-4, in a CIML Conference game on Friday. The Hawks lost despite another big night from junior outfielder Evan Irlmeier, who went 3-for-3 for the second straight game and drove in a pair of runs. After a slow start to the … [Read more...] about Irlmeier stays hot, but S.E. Polk uses 5-run 4th inning to post 6-4 win over Hawks

The Ankeny baseball team allowed just six hits in a game against visiting Johnston on Thursday. But the top-ranked Dragons took advantage of six walks and six hit by pitches to post a 7-3 victory, extending their winning streak to 21 games dating back to last season. "We gave them 12 or 13 free bases, and that's an experienced lineup of juniors and … [Read more...] about Two-time defending champs top Ankeny, extend their winning streak to 21 games

A road trip to Ames resulted in back-to-back shutouts for the Ankeny baseball team on Wednesday. The Hawks posted a 12-0 victory in the opener, then completed a sweep of the non-conference doubleheader with a 9-0 win. They improved to 5-6 overall. "The boys played pretty well tonight," said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz. "We turned like three or four double … [Read more...] about Gerstel, Davies toss back-to-back shutouts in Hawks’ sweep at Ames

The Ankeny baseball team rallied for a 10-8 victory over Davenport North before dropping a 4-2 decision to North Polk in the Tim Heggen Invitational on Saturday. The Hawks used a seven-run fifth inning to erase a 5-3 deficit against Davenport North (4-2). The Wildcats had taken the lead with a five-run fourth. "We responded to their big inning with a 7 … [Read more...] about Hawks rally past Davenport North, but then fall to North Polk at Heggen Invite

The Ankeny baseball team scored three runs in the seventh inning to post a 7-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday at Waukee. The Warriors then followed with a 6-2 win in the nightcap to earn a split of the twinbill. They are now 2-1 in the CIML Conference and 4-2 overall, while Ankeny's records are 1-2 and 2-5. "We didn't play … [Read more...] about Hawks use 3-run 7th inning to beat Waukee, but Warriors salvage split

The Ankeny baseball team appeared to be on the verge of a huge victory on Monday night. But sixth-ranked Dowling Catholic refused to go away quietly. The host Hawks scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie, but Dowling then answered with two in the seventh to force extra innings. The Maroons later erupted for six runs in the ninth … [Read more...] about Dowling rallies to force extra innings, then erupts for 9-3 victory over Hawks

The Ankeny baseball team got off to a good start in Saturday's non-conference game at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Unfortunately, the fifth-ranked Cougars responded. Kennedy erased an early 4-0 deficit to post a 13-8 victory. The Cougars improved to 6-0 on the season, while Ankeny's record dropped to 1-3. "We gave up two three-run bombs, and that was tough … [Read more...] about ‘It was just a day for us to grow’: Hawks take early lead, then fall to C.R. Kennedy

Visiting Bettendorf erupted for seven runs in the seventh inning and defeated the Ankeny baseball team, 11-5, in a non-conference game on Thursday. It was the home opener for the Hawks, who dropped to 1-2 on the season. "The wheels kind of fell off at the end," said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz. "It took us 74 pitches to get through the sixth and seventh … [Read more...] about ‘The wheels kind of fell off’: Bettendorf defeats Hawks with 7-run 7th inning

A year ago, the Ankeny baseball team came up one victory shy of qualifying for the Class 4A state tournament. Coach Joe Balvanz and the Hawks are hoping to clear that hurdle this season. "The practices have been going great," said Balvanz. "The players are working hard every day to improve their skill set and baseball IQ. This group has … [Read more...] about ‘This group has been dedicated’: Ankeny baseball team boasts high hopes