Lynnville-Sully baseball striding forward

SULLY — Lynnville-Sully’s baseball program has made strides the past two years under head coach Bob Scandridge. In 2015, the Hawks won their first postseason game in seven years.

Reaching a Class 1A District 11 semifinal game was a big stride forward for Lynnville-Sully baseball. Even with a loss, the district semifinal game is a strong statement for the progress of the Hawk program and a good place to launch the 2016 baseball season.

“We had a lot of positive things come out of that game and the season as a whole,” Scandridge said at the end of the 2015 season. “The postseason win over Colo-NESCO was a tribute to how hard these kids have worked to move the program forward.”

The Hawks return nine letterwinners, which includes six starters, from last year’s 14-12 squad. Lynnville-Sully finished at 12-7 in South Iowa Cedar League conference play, tied for fourth.

“We return a lot of experience in regard to starting time. We have seven players who started at least five games last season, which should bring a level of defense we are looking for,” Scandridge said.

Returning to the diamond are seniors Kobe Fisk, Ross Van Wyk, Noah Engle and Kyle Van Dyke, juniors Tyler Van Zante, Caden Dunsbergen and Dylan Roozeboom and sophomore Elijah Collins and Josh Dunsbergen. The four seniors, Van Zante and Caden Dunsbergen were starting players for the Hawks.

Lynnville-Sully’s top battery is back in Van Zante as pitcher and Caden Dunsbergen as catcher. Van Zante earned All-SICL first-team honors as a pitcher, going 6-1 on the mound for the Hawks with a 1.91 Earned Run Average. Caden Dunsbergen received second-team all-conference honors for his play behind the plate for the Hawks.

Van Zante allowed 27 hits, walked 20 batters , hit six batters and recorded 42 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings of work on the mound. He was one of the top hitters for the Hawks with a.269 average, driving in 15 runs on 18 hits and three doubles. He scored 16 runs and was 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts.

Caden Dunsbergen committed two errors as catcher, finishing with a fielding average of .986. He threw out five base runners on eight base stealing attempts. He connected for 22 hits and four doubles for a .328 batting average. He drove in 13 runs and scored 19. He went 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts.

“If we continue to progress offensively and defensively from the last two years, we will put a solid team not the field each day, “ Scandridge said.

Fisk, Van Wyk and Engle are outfielders for Lynnville-Sully. Fisk earned second-team All-SICL honors a year ago, committing just one error. He had a .322 batting average with 28 hits and five doubles while drive in 22 runs and scoring 17. He was 13-for-15 on stolen base attempts.

Van Wyk hit .212 with 11 hits and two doubles, and he scored 11 runs. Engle hit at a .313 clip with 10 hits and two triples. Engle hit one of the team’s three home runs last year.

Van Dyke played first base for Lynnville-Sully and had two errors defensively with a .967 fielding average. He hit .239 with 11 hits, five doubles and one triple. He had five RBIs and scored 11 runs.

Collins, Josh Dunsbergen and Roozeboom had limited varsity action. Collins did hit .217 with five hits, four RBIs and nine runs scored. Josh Dunsbergen recorded nine innings of varsity pitching, allowing five hits, walking seven and striking out four.

Scandridge said junior Isaac Collins and sophomore Carson Dunsbergen are expected to fill spots. Isaac Collins plays first base and third base while Carson Dunsbergen is another catcher.

“I believe we should be a better hitting team this season,” Scandridge said. “Our really unproven factor is on the mound. It is going to be a challenge finding the No. 3-5 spots in the pitching rotation, but we have good pitching potential. Our kids need to get innings in and prove themselves.”

Along with Van Zante, Fisk, Van Wyk, Elijah Collins and Josh Dunsbergen have pitching experience.

Other members of the team are sophomores Cody Gibbs and Corbin James and freshmen Cale Foster, Rylan James, Abrham Collins, Nick Rea and Evan Squires.

Lynnville-Sully is ready to be in the thick of the SICL conference race in 2016.

“Until someone beats BGM out of the top spot, they have to be the conference pick,” Scandridge said. “Iowa Valley, North Mahaska, Sigourney and us have several key players returning and all will be tough teams to beat.”

The Hawks open the season at home Monday against SICL newcomer Colfax-Mingo.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com