Newton’s Sims named to first team all-state 4A softball squad

Mack Sims improved her batting average, on-base percentage and home run total from last season and committed three fewer errors this summer for the Newton softball team.

The Cardinal junior also had 26 fewer at-bats and lowered her strikeout total while increasing her slugging percentage and OPS.

The improvement at the plate and in the field pushed Sims up the pecking order in Class 4A as she was named first team all-state recently by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

Sims also was part of the 4A Southeast District team, and Newton senior Paige Benson earned academic all-state recognition by the IGCA, too.

Seniors Cade Bauer and Derek Wermager also were named to the 39th annual academic all-state team by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association on Wednesday. The Cardinal duo landed on the first team.

Joining Sims on the 4A Southeast District 13-player squad were Pella’s Emma Eekhoff and Katie Scheckel as well as four players from both Norwalk and Dallas Center-Grimes.

Sims, who was a second-team all-state player as a sophomore, batted .449 and ranked ninth in 4A with an OBP of .557 this summer.

She finished with 35 hits, 34 runs, seven doubles, seven homers, one triple, 17 RBIs, 18 walks, 65 total bases and 15 steals in 31 games and 78 at-bats.

Sims had a fielding percentage of .988. She committed one error in 80 chances in center field and was one of 30 players in 4A to have one or fewer miscues this summer.