Gehlen Catholic makes 1A state tournament bid
By Steven Allspach, Journal sports writer | Posted: Monday, July 21, 2008
DES MOINES - IMS, sounds like an insurance company or financial institution.
What the outfit does is pay handsome baseball dividends.
Tonight (8 o'clock) in a first-round game in the Class 1A state baseball tournament at Principal Park, Le Mars Gehlen Catholic's aim is to force Iowa Mennonite School into diamond bankruptcy.
To do so, Coach Marty Kurth's Jays will have to crash a lively party of athletes who have outscored opponents in 22 of their 30 wins by 10 runs or more.
Mennonite, the second seed to top-seeded Mason City Newman, is the No. 1-ranked team and the defending champs sport a flashy 30-1 record. Gehlen, the seventh seed, is 22-10.
Keep in mind that Gehlen has never lost a first-round state tourney contest.
Seniors Craig Schlesser, Eric Rohe, Taylor Smith and Chad Macek have been at the heart of Gehlen's success this season.
"Our seniors have stepped up later in the year and in district and substate play,'' said Kurth, who has 350 wins in 20 years at Gehlen. "We have seniors that can carry the team.
"In big games, big players step up and they have done that.''
Tonight's game is the biggest of the season, thus far.
Gehlen, in its fifth trip to the finals, claimed 1A crowns in 1995 and 1999, finished second in 1994 and lost in the semifinals in 2006. Overall, the school is 8-2 in state tourney play.
Smith (8-2) or Schlesser (6-2) will start on the mound for Gehlen. Smith, who plays shortstop when not pitching, is hitting .389. Schlesser, also a third-sacker, hits .429 with 50 RBIs and centerfielder Rohe owns a .455 average and has driven in 40 runs.
Macek, the second baseman, hits .420. The Jays, with just nine home runs, rely on fundamentally sound "small ball.''
Alex Pick (right field), Austin Sitzmann (first base), Austin Langel (designated hitter), Michael Lamoureux (catcher) and Jordan Sitzmann (left field) are the other probable Gehlen starters and when Smith pitches, Aaron Schlesser plays shortstop.
Mennonite, which 10-runned Gehlen's War Eagle Conference rival Remsen St. Mary's in last year's title game, won the crown in the school's first trip to state.
Mennonite has won 21 straight, losing only to Class 3A Williamsburg. The school, located in Kalona, just south of Iowa City, combines excellent hitting, defense, pitching and speed.
Speed has been the trump card.
"That's been our mantra all season,'' said Kent Blossom, a graduate of Goshen College in Indiana in his first year as IMS coach. "We want to put pressure on their defense.
"We have the speed to do it and we're going to utilize it the best we possibly can.''
Blossom was the school's softball coach the previous six seasons.
Reggie Hochstedler (10-0) will be the starting IMS pitcher. He's struck out 90 in 58 innings and has a 0.99 ERA. The mound staff is deep, though. Danny Hershberger is 8-0 and Brooks Miller 8-1.
Shortstop Levi Ney (.576), Hershberger (.473), Miller (.474) and Ryan Bontrager (.444) are the most productive hitters. Miller is a transfer from Mid-Praire and is the designated hitter.
Hershberger plays first when not pitching. The Southeast Super Conference champs have stolen 80 bases.
What the outfit does is pay handsome baseball dividends.
Tonight (8 o'clock) in a first-round game in the Class 1A state baseball tournament at Principal Park, Le Mars Gehlen Catholic's aim is to force Iowa Mennonite School into diamond bankruptcy.
To do so, Coach Marty Kurth's Jays will have to crash a lively party of athletes who have outscored opponents in 22 of their 30 wins by 10 runs or more.
Mennonite, the second seed to top-seeded Mason City Newman, is the No. 1-ranked team and the defending champs sport a flashy 30-1 record. Gehlen, the seventh seed, is 22-10.
Keep in mind that Gehlen has never lost a first-round state tourney contest.
Seniors Craig Schlesser, Eric Rohe, Taylor Smith and Chad Macek have been at the heart of Gehlen's success this season.
"Our seniors have stepped up later in the year and in district and substate play,'' said Kurth, who has 350 wins in 20 years at Gehlen. "We have seniors that can carry the team.
"In big games, big players step up and they have done that.''
Tonight's game is the biggest of the season, thus far.
Gehlen, in its fifth trip to the finals, claimed 1A crowns in 1995 and 1999, finished second in 1994 and lost in the semifinals in 2006. Overall, the school is 8-2 in state tourney play.
Smith (8-2) or Schlesser (6-2) will start on the mound for Gehlen. Smith, who plays shortstop when not pitching, is hitting .389. Schlesser, also a third-sacker, hits .429 with 50 RBIs and centerfielder Rohe owns a .455 average and has driven in 40 runs.
Macek, the second baseman, hits .420. The Jays, with just nine home runs, rely on fundamentally sound "small ball.''
Alex Pick (right field), Austin Sitzmann (first base), Austin Langel (designated hitter), Michael Lamoureux (catcher) and Jordan Sitzmann (left field) are the other probable Gehlen starters and when Smith pitches, Aaron Schlesser plays shortstop.
Mennonite, which 10-runned Gehlen's War Eagle Conference rival Remsen St. Mary's in last year's title game, won the crown in the school's first trip to state.
Mennonite has won 21 straight, losing only to Class 3A Williamsburg. The school, located in Kalona, just south of Iowa City, combines excellent hitting, defense, pitching and speed.
Speed has been the trump card.
"That's been our mantra all season,'' said Kent Blossom, a graduate of Goshen College in Indiana in his first year as IMS coach. "We want to put pressure on their defense.
"We have the speed to do it and we're going to utilize it the best we possibly can.''
Blossom was the school's softball coach the previous six seasons.
Reggie Hochstedler (10-0) will be the starting IMS pitcher. He's struck out 90 in 58 innings and has a 0.99 ERA. The mound staff is deep, though. Danny Hershberger is 8-0 and Brooks Miller 8-1.
Shortstop Levi Ney (.576), Hershberger (.473), Miller (.474) and Ryan Bontrager (.444) are the most productive hitters. Miller is a transfer from Mid-Praire and is the designated hitter.
Hershberger plays first when not pitching. The Southeast Super Conference champs have stolen 80 bases.
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