Craig Sesker - The Hawk Eye / Gaines Photography
For the second straight season, the Notre Dame Nikes led the way on the baseball diamond in southeast Iowa.
The Nikes were ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 1A for much of the season.
And Notre Dame finished another superb season with a 28-4 overall record.
Their season ended one game short of a repeat berth at the state tournament, but the Nikes still played their share of high quality baseball this summer.
That success is reflected on the All-Hawk Eye baseball team.
Six Notre Dame players have earned berths on the elite squad.
They include seniors Caden Schwenker, Spencer Brent, Jaxon Sadler and Logan Brent, and sophomores Landry Haberichter and Eli Oleson.
The All-Hawk Eye team also includes seniors Christos Kantzavelos and Gabe Robinson of Burlington, Brock Thuleen of West Burlington, Lance Ludens and Jackson Hutcheson of Mediapolis, Ben Newton of Mount Pleasant, Blake Chase of Keokuk, Hunter Cresswell of Fort Madison, Lucas Fett of Van Buren and Blake Davis of Central Lee.
Notre Dame’s Chris Chiprez is being recognized as Hawk Eye Coach of the Year. Chiprez guided the Nikes to another successful season with his team being ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the state this summer.
Schwenker had an outstanding season at the plate along with excelling at shortstop and as a pitcher. He has been selected as Hawk Eye Player of the Year.
Schwenker batted .404, scored 32 runs and drove in 37 for the Nikes. He also was 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts.
He also dominated as Notre Dame’s closer. He was 2-1 with a 1.30 earned-run average and five saves. He struck out 43 batters and walked just six in 27 innings.
Infielder Spencer Brent overcame a significant injury to still put up some impressive numbers for the Nikes.
Brent batted .458, scored 48 runs and drove in 39 more. He also stole 17 bases and had a .976 fielding percentage.
Sadler was dynamite this season as his team’s top starting pitcher.
He was at his best when it mattered most for Notre Dame. He did not allow a hit in the Class 1A district final before starting and not allowing a run in four innings against Sigourney in the substate final.
Sadler was 9-1 with a 1.33 ERA. He struck out 75 and walked 30 in 52 2/3 innings.
Logan Brent excelled at catcher as one of the leaders for the Nikes.
Brent batted .296 with 25 RBIs. He delivered a key three-run home run that broke the game open in his team’s win over Moravia in the district finals.
The speedy Haberichter, a state runner-up in the 100 meters, supplied a big spark for Notre Dame.
Haberichter batted an even .400 with three home runs and 28 RBIs. He scored 46 runs and stole 14 bases in as many attempts.
Haberichter also had a 4-1 record as a pitcher.
Oleson batted .372 with 30 RBIs. He also scored 33 runs while playing a key role for the Nikes.
Kantzavelos finished his career with a strong senior season for BHS.
He batted .376, scored 31 runs and drove in 22 more as the starting shortstop for the Grayhounds. He also contributed as a pitcher.
Robinson, a top quarterback and defensive back for the Burlington football team, fared well on the baseball field this summer.
Robinson started in center field. He batted .321 while driving in a team-leading 25 runs for BHS.
Ludens was one of the area’s best pitchers. He was 8-2 with a 1.29 ERA. He struck out 64 batters and walked just nine in 65 innings.
Ludens also batted .342 and drove in 29 runs.
The speedy Hutcheson hit .340, scored 31 runs and stole 23 bases for the Bulldogs.
Thuleen led the way for a West Burlington team that was much-improved this summer.
Thuleen batted .519 and drove in 21 runs in 21 games for the Falcons.
Newton excelled on the mound for Mount Pleasant. He was 9-1 and struck out 50 batters.
He batted .366 and drove in 26 runs for the Panthers.
Chase was the leader while playing shortstop for Keokuk coach Steve Worster’s squad.
Chase batted .491 while driving in 28 runs for the Chiefs.
Cresswell, who also excelled in basketball, had a solid final summer on the baseball diamond for Fort Madison.
He was 5-3 on the mound while striking out 57 batters in 44 2/3 innings.
Cresswell batted .304 with six doubles for the Bloodhounds.
Fett hit .400 for Van Buren. He also was 25-for-25 in stolen base attempts during his senior season.
He was 3-2 on the mound with one save.
Davis was 4-2 for Central Lee with a 1.70 ERA. The freshman struck out 67 batters in 37 innings.
Davis also batted .377 and drove in 22 runs for the Hawks.