We’re nearly one month into the Iowa high school baseball season and there have already been plenty of memorable performances.
A few of the state’s top players were expected to do big things before the campaign started. A few surprises have sprouted as well.
Now that a good chunk of the season is in the books, let’s take a look at who The Des Moines Register deems as the Top 10 performers of the year (so far).
Here’s a list of top performers (alphabetically) and their stats heading into week five of competition.
Trever Baumler, Dowling Catholic, utilityman/pitcher
Baumler, a Texas Christian commit whose older brother plays in the minor leagues for the Baltimore Orioles, has picked up where he left off following a huge sophomore season. During his first 13 games, he hit .447/.569/.632 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
Rowan Donels, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, pitcher/infielder
Donels is one of the top producers in Class 4A, and his rank statistically backs it up. He ranks first in the class in runs batted in (28), is alone in second with 38 hits while he’s struck out the third-most batters (49). Overall, Donels is hitting .487/.574/.692 with 13 doubles. He’s also 4-2 on the hill with opponents hitting just .173 against him.
More: 10 Iowa high school baseball players to follow during the 2023 season
Nolan Grawe, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, infielder
Grawe, just a junior, is one of the most consistent hitters in the state. He ranks first in the state in hits (39) and doubles (14), second in total bases (58) and is tied for fourth in runs scored (14).
Brett Harris, Western Dubuque, utilityman/pitcher
Harris is just a freshman but is already a captain, already committed to Ole Miss and is in his second season as a starter. He’s hit .392/.516/.486 with five doubles and 26 runs driven in. Harris has also swiped eight bags and boasts a 1.48 ERA on the mound.
Sam Harris, Urbandale, infielder
Harris, a Duke commit, is one of the biggest power hitters in the state. He ranks first in home runs (nine) and is tied for third in total bases (55). The left-handed hitting Harris has also ripped 15 doubles and tallied a slash line of .448/.549/.948.
William Kiburis, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, utilityman/pitcher
Kiburis has done it all this season. The Class 1A star leads the state in stolen bases (30), wins (six), strikeouts (73), runs scored (32), walks (25) and innings pitched (34.2).
Joey Oakie, Ankeny Centennial, pitcher/infielder
Oakie has lived up to the hype as one of the top pitchers in the state. Through his first four starts, he went 4-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 0.57 WHIP with 50 strikeouts across 23 innings. Opponents are hitting an abysmal 0.067 against the future Hawkeye. Oakie is also hitting .308 at the plate.
Doug Taylor, Mason City Newman, pitcher/utilityman
Taylor, who will also play for the Hawkeyes, has been a run-producing and run-stopping machine. He ranks first in the state in RBI (32) and is hitting .409/.594/.659 at the plate. He’s 4-0 on the mound with a 1.40 ERA and 43 strikeouts in just 20 innings.
Carter Woollums, Johnston, pitcher
Woollums has once again proven himself as one of the top hurlers in the state. He’s compiled a 3-0 mark with a microscopic 0.93 ERA and 0.66 WHIP in four starts. Woollums has also tallied 34 strikeouts and just six walks across 22.2 innings.
Noah Scott, North Scott, catcher/outfielder
Young has had a powerful start to the season. He ranks first in the state in total bases (59) and is tied for second in homers (six). He also ripped seven doubles, two triples and hit .441/.519/.868 at the plate.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at [email protected] or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The top performers from the start of the Iowa high school baseball season