The bar Hillcrest set last year for baseball was one where they finished only one game above .500 with a 12-11 record. Surpassing that bar and shattering expectations, the 2023 Hillcrest baseball team caught fire and put together an impressive 21-5 season. 

This 20-win season, the first time they have reached the 20-win threshold since 2009, was made possible by Hillcrest’s ability to come together as a team to play at a high level. 

The Ravens roster was recognized for their talent, with Hillcrest baseball earning nine all-conference honors and five all-district selections. 

Not just limited to being a phenomenal basketball player, senior Grant Bender showed he is a force to be reckoned with on the baseball diamond.

A unanimous selection, Grant was selected first-team Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division as an outfielder. He was also selected second-team all-district as an outfielder. 

With Grant being sixth up in the batting order this gave him ample opportunities to bring in his teammates to score and he did just that. 

Grant led the team in RBIs with 39, which was also the 10th most in Class 1A. The quickest most efficient way to record RBIs is hitting home runs and Grant had no issue going that route. 

A highlight of this season for Grant was when he hit two three-run homers on senior night. He ended up with five home runs on the season, the second most on the team.

His .354 batting average was third best on the team and was ranked 10th in the SEISC North. Rounding out his prominent offensive stats he ended his season with 28 hits, second most on the team and fourth most in the SEISC North.

In the outfield Grant, as a center fielder, led the team with a 98% fielding percentage. Only committing one error he was prone to making diving acrobatic catches. He was responsible for 51 putouts, third most on the team. 

Also, a unanimous selection, senior Jace Rempel was appointed first-team all-conference as an infielder. He was also selected first-team all-district at third base. 

An all-around player, Rempel put together a solid senior season. While up to bat he connected on 23 hits, hit two homeruns, and ended his year with 26 RBIs. His 29 runs scored were the fourth most in the conference and he posted a .315 batting average.  

While he didn’t see a lot of time on the mound Rempel still ended his season with 10 strikeouts, pitching in 11 innings. He gave up only three hits and held opponents to a .125 batting average.

A testament to how much trust the team has for Rempel came in Hillcrest’s third round playoff game. After the starting pitcher reached the pitch count limit it was Rempel who was chosen to close out the game and he did, getting the two outs the Ravens needed to end the game and advance to the next round. 

Speaking of pitching, no one started more games on the mound for Hillcrest than sophomore Seth Ours. Ours was a unanimous first-team selection all-conference as a pitcher. He was also chosen first-team all-district as a utility player. 

Putting together an effective year throwing the ball, Ours’ ERA of 0.67 led the conference and was the seventh lowest in all of Class 1A. His pitching record stood at 6-1, he gave up 27 hits, and he struck out 38 batters. 

Not just limited to being a superb pitcher he was also a key part of Hillcrest’s offense. Second in the batting order Ours was tied for the second most hits on the team with 28. He recorded 21 RBIs, scored the third most runs on the team with 37, and his .354 batting average was ranked 10th in the conference. 

Following the trend of Ravens receiving the nod for a unanimous selection, sophomore Liam Schrock earned a first-team all-conference selection as a catcher. He was also selected second-team all-district as a utility player.

Possessing the distinct privilege of being Hillcrest’s leadoff batter, Liam was tasked with setting a positive tone on offense and he often delivered. He ended his stellar sophomore campaign with 28 hits, scored 38 runs, and 20 RBIs. His on base percentage of .588 was the best in the conference. 

A breakout game on offense for Liam came in the first round of the playoffs Turning a postseason game into his own personal home run derby, Liam hit three home runs, with one of them being a grand slam. He ended the year with six homers, third most in the state. 

When not on offense Liam was Hillcrest’s ever so reliable catcher. He was able to throw out 15 runners, third most in Class 1A, and was responsible for 149 putouts, while only making four errors. 

In his second year of playing baseball for Hillcrest, freshman Rowan Miller was a standout player for the Ravens his first-team all-conference selection as an infielder further solidifies this statement. 

Last year, as an eighth grader, Miller produced 14 hits and seven RBI’s. This year Miller connected on 23 hits and had 30 RBIs, second most in the conference. He made a great jump in offensive production and showed the Ravens he can be a key part of the offense going forward. 

A versatile player Miller also saw some playing time as a pitcher this year. He ended his year with a pitching record of 3-1 with 23 strikeouts and allowed six hits. His highlight performance on the mound is when he threw a no-hitter vs Lone Tree on June 9. 

Selected second team all-conference as an infielder was senior Josiah Beachy. Beachy produced 24 hits, was fifth in the conference in RBIs with 21, and scored 17 runs. As a baserunner he went 10 for 11 when stealing a base. As Hillcrest’s first baseman he was responsible for 109 putouts while only making five errors. 

Hillcrest received two honorable mentions for all-conference, sophomores Mason Bender and Phoenix Anderson.  

Mason went 14 for 68 at the plate while ending his year with a .206 batting average. He scored 15 runs and had eight RBIs. When baserunning he went eight for nine on stolen bases. 

Anderson saw a good amount of playing time as a pitcher this season.  Starting in five games and pitching in 28 innings he had a pitching record of 3-1 and struck out 17 batters while giving up 31 hits. On offense he scored 15 runs and connected on 14 hits. 

Filled with talent at every position this 2023 squad put together a historic season for Hillcrest baseball and even though they will lose four seniors in the offseason they can still be encouraged that the success they garnered this year will continue for years to come.