TIPTON 

Through the first week of the prep baseball season, Mid-Prairie clearly has strong pitchers.

What will really make the Golden Hawks a potent, dangerous team will be an offense to match. Thursday night at Tipton High School, the signs were there.

“The difference tonight for us was our growth at the plate,” Mid-Prairie Coach Kyle Mullet said after the Golden Hawks routed Tipton, 13-3, in a River Valley South Conference game. “We came out ready to hit tonight and that is what we struggled with in the doubleheader on Monday with this team. We weren’t there mentally and physically with our swings. We obviously put it together tonight.”

The game was Mid-Prairie’s third in four games against Tipton (3-3, 3-2 RVC). In the aforementioned May 26 home doubleheader, the Golden Hawks managed just five runs and eight base hits total in the two games (a 3-2 loss and a 3-1 win). In Thursday’s game alone, Mid-Prairie piled up 13 runs and 14 base hits.

“We just had a lot better, more competitive at-bats as a whole team,” said Mid-Prairie senior slugger Tatem Telfer, who recorded four hits, scored twice and drove in two runs. “We put the ball in play. Good things happen. Put a lot of runs up on the board and that was good to see.”

Telfer was hitless in the May 26 doubleheader, so any hint that he might be rounding into his 2024 form – in which he batted .382 with five home runs and 31 runs batted in – will be a welcome sight.

“He is kind of struggling right now a little bit,” Mullet said. “He is going through some things with his swing. I think it is more the mental side of his approach to the game right now, which is fine. It’s good. The only thing is, it is up from here.”

On the mound, sophomore Brooks Weber (3-0) collected his second win of the season by allowing five hits and two runs with five strikeouts in three innings. By the time he exited the game, his offense had staked him to a 10-2 advantage.

“It’s amazing,” said Weber, who added three hits, two runs and four RBI at the plate. “Knowing that you are going out on the mound with the bats working and everything clicking, it’s an amazing feeling. I pitch with more confidence knowing that it is OK to give up a run or two because the bats and everyone is contributing on the offensive side.”

Senior Landry Gingerich allowed one hit and one run in four innings of relief for Mid-Prairie (7-1, 4-1 RVC), which followed up the Tipton win with a 7-6 home win against Williamsburg Friday night.

Telfer (2-0) struck out eight in five innings pitched against Williamsburg, while senior Blake Swart drove in two runs.

Mid-Prairie continued its offensive awakening Monday by scoring 28 total runs in a doubleheader sweep at West Branch, highlighted by senior Brady Weber’s home run and five RBI in the first game (a 19-1 Mid-Prairie victory). The Golden Hawks will host West Branch on Thursday and Fairfield on Friday.

“Offensively, I think right now that is our big key,” Mullet said. “For us to play good games and come out with a W, we are going to have to produce offensively.”