March 28, 2024

Six Mustangs earn all-conference recognition

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Many new faces took the field and marched to the plate for PCM’s baseball team this summer.

After a large and talented senior class graduated the year before, the Mustangs regrouped in 2020 and finished .500 in Heart of Iowa Conference play.

For that effort, six Mustangs earned all-conference recognition.

Juniors Caleb Duinink and Andrew Mitchell and sophomore Durant Van Dyke were all first-team selections, while senior Dane Owens earned second-team honors and juniors Sage Burns and Beau Webb were honorable mention choices.

All-conference honors are based on statistics inside conference play only.

Duinink was a first-team pick at catcher. He led the Mustangs with a .488 batting average, 20 hits, three triples and 16 RBIs. He was second in on-base percentage with .510 and finished with four runs, two doubles, one homer, five walks and one hit by a pitch.

Duinink’s fielding percentage was .977.

Mitchell’s first-team selection came on the infield. He was second in batting average at .375 and led the team with a .528 OBP and a team-high six doubles, 11 walks and two hit by pitches.

Mitchell also ranked second on the team with nine runs, 14 RBIs and three stolen bases. He homered once and had a fielding percentage of .847.

Van Dyke’s first season as a varsity player ended with a .375 batting average, which ranked second on the team. Van Dyke, who was a first-team utility pick, also had a .429 OBP, scored five runs and had two doubles, five RBIs, two walks and one hit by pitch. He had no errors defensively.

Owens, who was a second-team infielder, batted .321 and had an OBP of .357. He ranked second on the team with four doubles, scored eight runs and had 10 RBIs, three walks and a fielding percentage of .988.

Burns hit .283 and finished with a .431 OBP. He led the Mustangs with 15 runs and six steals and was second with 10 walks.

Burns had nine RBIs and two doubles and was hit by two pitches. His fielding percentage was .765.

Webb hit .268 and had an OBP of .333. He finished with five runs, five RBIs, four walks, two doubles, one triple and two steals. His fielding percentage was .857.

As a pitcher, Webb finished 2-2 with an earned run average of 3.88, 10 strikeouts and three walks in 21 innings.

Heart of Iowa Conference

2020 Final Standings

Team Conf. Overall

Gilbert 12-2 21-3

North Polk 9-5 13-9

Roland-Story 9-5 13-11

South Hamilton 7-7 9-8

PCM 7-7 7-9

Saydel 6-8 10-14

Nevada 3-11 6-14

Greene County 3-11 3-12

All-Conference

First Team

Pitcher: Nolan Faber, jr., R-S; Easton Johnson, jr., Gilbert.

Catcher: Caleb Duinink, jr., PCM.

Infield: Andrew Mitchell, jr., PCM; Brock Galetich, jr., SH; Ryan Fausch, sr., NP; Nick Chasey, jr., Gilbert.

Outfield: Tucker Hanson, jr., Gilbert; Logan Engebretson, sr., NP; Logan Carney, sr., Saydel.

Utility: Durant Van Dyke, so., PCM; Alex Berends, so., R-S; Carter Hewitt, jr., SH.

Second Team

Pitcher: Joe Husak, jr., NP; Austin Pyles, sr., Saydel.

Catcher: Keaton Fry, sr., Nevada.

Infield: Dane Owens, sr., PCM; Mason Hicks, fr., Saydel; Jack Bunkers, jr., NP; Tycin Barkema, so., SH; Steven Berends, jr., R-S.

Outfield: Quinton Grove, sr., SH; Tyler Teeples, sr., GC; JD Elefson, jr., NP.

Utility: Ross Uthe, sr., Nevada; Andrew Weig, jr., NP; Ajay Twedt, jr., R-S.

Honorable Mention

Sage Burns, jr., PCM; Beau Webb, jr., PCM.