Baxter baseball off to best start in program history

BAXTER — Cael Wishman hit the first batter he faced with his very first pitch he threw against Clarksville on Friday.

That was his only blemish until the fourth frame for the Baxter baseball team, and his career-high 11 strikeouts helped the Bolts down the Indians, 15-1, during an Iowa Star Conference cross-division matchup.

The Bolts claimed their sixth straight win and are now 7-1, which is the best start to a season in program history.

“I think the last two seasons were pretty good, but this one feels really nice,” Baxter junior Cody Spurgeon said. “We’re at the top of the South Division through the first rotation for the first time. We have a lot of energy, play together and try our best.”

Wishman had a no hitter through three innings and he struck out eight of the first 10 batters he faced. He fanned the side in the second, third and fourth, too.

The Baxter junior walked the leadoff batter in the fourth and Jacob Johnson came around to score on Camden Behrends’ RBI double. But Wishman (1-1) earned his first win of the season after allowing one earned run on one hit, one walk and one hit batter.

Wishman also had two hits, one walk, three runs and one steal to lead the Bolts offensively.

“You just have to shake it off and make an adjustment,” Wishman said after hitting the first batter of the game. “I was trying to sit on the off speed for most of their lineup, but the fast ball was there, and I commanded it well.”

The first five Bolts reached base and scored in the first inning. Hayden Burdess reached on an error, Spurgeon, Wishman and Liam Trent all walked and Jace Bottorff had an RBI fielder’s choice.

Trent’s walk delivered the first run of the game, Wishman scored on a wild pitch, Aiden Johnson produced an RBI sacrifice fly and Cole Frasher’s RBI ground out made it 5-0.

Baxter led 9-0 after two innings but needed only three hits to get there.

In the second, Spurgeon was hit by a pitch, Wishman singled and then took second on an error and Trent walked again to load the bases.

Bottorff’s RBI sacrifice fly made it 6-0, Wishman scored on a wild pitch and Trent was plated on a Clarksville error. An RBI ground out from Colton Moffit completed the four-run frame.

Spurgeon was hit by a pitch with one out in the third but his pinch runner, Nolan Hill, was retired at third following a fielder’s choice by Trent.

After Wishman singled with two outs, he moved to second on the fielder’s choice and then stole third before Trent swiped second on a double steal.

Bottorff walked to load the bases and Johnson came through with an RBI on a bases-loaded walk. Trent scored on a wild pitch and then Moffit delivered a two-run single in front of back-to-back hits by Damman and Blake Maxwell.

The hit from Maxwell produced the first RBI of his varsity career. His twin brother Brecken Maxwell delivered his first career varsity RBI in the fourth.

“I thought we’d struggle offensively and with the glove coming into the season, but those have been bright spots,” Baxter head baseball coach Jeremy Moffit said. “We put the ball in play and don’t strike out a lot.

“We’re fielding it a lot better. Our strikeouts are up from our pitchers, but when they do put it in play, our fielding percentages are better.”

The fourth inning started with Hill reaching base on a dropped third strike. He went to second on a balk and then scored on Brecken Maxwell’s RBI single.

The Bolts, who scored their fifth straight win over Clarksville, out-hit the Indians 8-2 and the visitors committed four errors.

Moffit collected two hits and three RBIs and Damman added two hits and one walk. Damman is batting .556 in nine at-bats this summer.

Damman also relieved Wishman in the fifth and allowed one hit and struck out two in his one inning.

Spurgeon finished with one walk and two runs and he was hit by two pitches. He leads the team with eight hit by pitches this summer. His career total is 18 hit by pitches and the single-season school record is 14.

“I do stand pretty close to the plate, but I’m up there to get on base any way I can,” Spurgeon said. “I’m not trying to get hit, but it also doesn’t faze me if I do.”

Trent walked twice, scored three runs and stole two bases, Johnson walked twice, scored one run and had two RBIs and Bottorff walked once, scored two runs and totaled two RBIs.

Bottorff leads the team with 10 RBIs, while Wishman has a team-most three home runs, 12 runs, 19 total bases and seven steals.

“It’s been all right,” Wishman said. “I’ve had a few unlucky line outs, but I think I’m hitting it pretty well. I’m just trying to stay consistent and trying to barrel it up.”

Brecken and Blake Maxwell both had one hit and one RBI in their pinch-hit at-bats, Frasher totaled one RBI and Burdess, Hill, Derek Rominger and Tate Schnathorst all scored one run. Miles McCord stole one base.

Baxter 11, GMG 1

BAXTER — Trent had three hits, Colton Moffit stayed unbeaten on the mound and the Bolts used a seven-run first inning to down GMG on Monday.

Baxter needed only five innings to down the Wolverines as it won the Iowa Star Conference South Division contest, 11-1, at home.

“We’re reading a book called ‘Win in the Dark’ by Joshua Medcalf and it has good stuff on mental toughness that I think has helped us,” Coach Moffit said. “We do a chapter at every practice and every game. We have to win with effort, win with attitude and win with mental toughness. We have to be the first team that moves on after a mistake. We have to be the team that’s always hustling and bringing energy.”

The Bolts led 7-0 after one inning and then scored two runs in the third and fourth. GMG’s run was scored in the top of the fourth.

Baxter out-hit the Wolverines 10-3 and the visitors committed three errors.

Trent finished with three hits, two runs and one RBI, Burdess registered two hits, one run and three RBIs and Wishman collected one hit, one run and one steal and he was hit by one pitch.

Damman finished with one hit, one run, one walk and one steal, Frasher collected one run, two RBIs and one steal, Johnson chipped in one hit and one run and he was hit by one pitch and Colton Moffit added one hit and two RBIs.

Bottorff tallied one hit and one RBI, Hill scored one run and stole one base, Schnathorst scored two runs and McCord crossed home plate once.

Colton Moffit earned the win on the mound after striking out five and allowing no runs, no hits, no walks and no hit batters in three innings. He needed 35 pitches to get through three frames.

Wishman pitched two innings and surrendered one earned run on three hits and one walk. He struck out five.

“He worked really hard in the offseason and his velocity is up about five miles per hour,” Coach Moffit said about his son Colton. “He’s throwing in the 80s now. With that extra velocity, it’s helped him on the mound. And he’s been good at not walking people, too.

“(Wishman) is pitching well. He’s taken a huge step forward and his velocity is also up. Nolan Hill and Colten Damman have taken steps forward, too. We have pitchers besides Colton Moffit who can get guys out.”

Joaquin Williams led GMG (0-5, 0-4) with one hit, one RBI and one stolen base.

Baxter 6, Colo-NESCO 2

ZEARING — Colton Moffit tied a school record with 15 strikeouts, and a five-run sixth inning pushed the Bolts past Colo-NESCO on Wednesday.

Baxter led 1-0 through three and trailed 2-1 after five before rallying for a 6-2 road victory during Iowa Star Conference South Division action.

“I was gassing guys up pretty well and the overhand curveball was moving pretty well to get a lot of chases,” Colton Moffit said. “The umpire wasn’t calling the high strikes, but I think I did well hitting the low spots.”

The Royals are 10-9 against Baxter since 2009, but the Bolts have won six straight in the series.

They out-hit Colo-NESCO 5-2 and the Royals committed four errors at Duane Newton Field.

Colton Moffit struck out 15 batters and allowed two runs — one earned — on two hits and one walk in seven innings. He totaled 111 pitches and improved to 4-0 with an earned run average of .61.

He’s fanned 39 batters in 23 innings this season.

Colton Moffit’s 15 strikeouts is now tied with Carter Nelsen for the most in a single game in program history.

Moffit thinks he’s been better this year than he was last year as an all-district pitcher. He still has eight total pitches from two different slots.

“The curve ball is moving just as well and the side arm stuff has been equal to last year, too,” Colton Moffit said. “I’m mostly better than last year because my velocity is up.”

Hayden Burdess led the offense with one hit, one run, one RBI, one walk and one stolen base.

Bottorff added one hit and two RBIs and he was hit by one pitch, Frasher had one hit, one run and two RBIs and Spurgeon collected one hit and one walk and was hit by a pitch.

Damman chipped in one hit, one run and one walk, Wishman walked once, scored one run and stole one base and Johnson, Colton Moffit and Trent all drew one walk. Moffit’s four walks is tied with Burdess for the team lead.

Johnson added one RBI, Trent scored one run and Hill scored one run and stole one base.

Jonas Porter led the Royals (3-4, 1-4) with one hit and two RBIs.

Baxter 8, Twin Cedars 7

BAXTER — Wishman slugged his third homer of the season, Trent collected two hits and Hill and Johnson combined to strike out nine batters during the Bolts’ 8-7 non-conference win over Twin Cedars on Thursday.

Baxter scored all eight of its runs in the first two innings and then held on for the home win.

“It’s been great,” Wishman said. “We all show up every day with a lot of energy, and we’re all just having a lot of fun.”

Twin Cedars (2-5) plated two in the second, two in the fifth and three in the seventh but came up one run short.

Wishman added two runs and two RBIs to his team-best third homer. He also leads the team with 19 total bases.

Trent and Spurgeon both scored two runs, Spurgeon added one hit was hit by a pitch and Bottorff collected one hit and two RBIs.

Colton Moffit, Damman, Frasher and James Esqueda all had one hit, Moffit and Esqueda scored one run and drove in another, Damman posted two RBIs, Frasher walked once and Burdess walked twice and stole one base. Rominger also drew one walk.

Burdess is now tied with Moffit for the team lead with four walks. McCord also stole one base and eight of the Bolts’ nine hits were singles.

Hill (2-0) earned the pitching win after allowing four runs — three earned — on six hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six.

Johnson registered his first career varsity save after surrendering three earned runs on three hits, one walk and one hit batter in 2 2/3 innings. He fanned three.

“Everybody has to be a pitcher here,” Coach Moffit said. “We’re a small school so it’s crucial that everyone can pitch. I think we’re deeper. They started on September 30 of last year and it’s shown up in games. The guys who have come in regularly are pitching well.”