Iowa Valley League

Stars win second IVL title in row

It was poetic justice that it happened where so many of them honed their skills in high school.

Sunday's Iowa Valley League doubleheader between the Stars and Watkins was played at Herkelman Field on the Cedar Rapids Kennedy campus. Many of the Stars played as preps for the Cougars under Coach Bret Hoyer and the late Bill Herkelman, for whom the field is named.

The Stars looked right at home Sunday, winning a pair of hard-fought games, 4-1 and 2-1, to clinch their second IVL title in a row with one week left in the regular season. The sweep pushed the Stars to 13-5 while Watkins, which has lost six one-run decisions this summer, fell to 6-10.

Seven of the 12 players who played in Sunday's twinbill are Kennedy graduates.

"It's fun, the friendships you have built up, playing with past Cougars," said catcher Matt Berst, now a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes. "It's just so special to have fun and play the right way."

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All six IVL teams likely to make state

Loras Schulte spends a lot of days this time of year gathering information.

As the president of the Iowa Amateur Baseball Association, Schulte is the man ultimately responsible for putting together the annual IABA state tournament, contested over the first two weekends in August.

The Iowa Valley League is always well-represented in the tournament. Last year, the final three teams came with the IVL with the Stars eventually downing Red Top to capture the crown.

When the 12-team tournament field is finalized sometime next week, it is almost certain that half the field will consist of the six IVL teams.

"I can't remember the last time the league has been this competitive from top to bottom," Schulte said. "We've had 18 one-run games and seven two-run games. There have also been more extra inning games than I can ever remember."

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Stars lead the way at 11-5 with Norway bring up the rear at 6-10. Williamsburg was the only team to not make the tournament last year, but the Red Sox have rebounded with a solid season in 2018.

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Delzell, Kraus toss gems in IVL

Kevin Delzell of Walford and Brady Kraus of Watkins turned in  outstanding performances on the mound in the Iowa Valley League on  Sunday.

Delzell pitched all 10 innings and allowed only three hits as Walford  nipped Norway, 1-0, in the second game of their doubleheader at Walford.

Kraus tossed a one-hit shutout as Watkins blanked Red Top, 5-0, in the first game of their twinbill at Watkins.

WALFORD SWEEPS NORWAY

WALFORD - The Walford Hogs swept their doubleheader against Norway to  reach the .500 mark for the season at 8-8.

Walford won the first game, 4-2, despite getting only hit in the contest thanks to a pair of untimely errors by the Bandits. Jake  Gilbert was the winning pitcher for the Hogs.

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Copeland prepares for Notre Dame

Ethan Copeland playing college baseball for Notre Dame is about to become a reality.

The thought of Copeland playing college baseball at any level seemed remote two years ago after a varsity career at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

A solid performer for the Hawks, Copeland was an infielder who helped Coach Todd Rima's team to a 38-6 finish and Class 4A state championship in 2016. The desire to continue playing was there for Copeland. However, the were few offers.

"I wasn't recruited out of high school very much at all," he said. "I had no athletic scholarships offered to me at any point during high school."

Now, two years later, Copeland is playing in the Iowa Valley League, keeping his skills sharp as he prepares to enter Notre Dame in the fall as a junior.

Copeland's original plan had him joining the program at Quincy University in Illinois as a walk-on.

"I wasn't super-happy with the coaching staff and the amount of attention and support they gave me," he said. "I also was probably going to have to red-shirt my first year and I wasn't too excited about that either."

Then, near the end of his senior season at Prairie, he got a call that would change his career path.

"My old USSSA coach, Brian Furlong, told me that he got the head coaching job at Heartland (Community College) in Illinois and wanted me to go with him," Copeland said. "He knew I was signed but just wanted to run the idea by me. I told him about my issues and concerns with Quincy and how they were handling me.

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Stars cling to top spot in IVL

The Stars surprised a few folks in the Iowa Valley League last season  by winning the regular-season title and capturing the IABA state crown  a short time later.

They could be doing it again, but this time it's not a surprise.

The Stars split their showdown with Red Top on Sunday at Iowa City  West High School to stay in first place in the IVL standings with  three weeks left in the season.

The Stars have a 9-5 record, followed by Williamsburg (7-5), Red Top  (7-7), Norway (6-8), Walford (6-8) and Watkins (5-7) in the compact  standings. The Stars have another big twin-bill on tap this Sunday at  Williamsburg in another showdown.

Austin Czerwiec, the Pitcher of the Year in the Iowa Valley League  last season, tossed another complete game Sunday as the Stars trimmed  Red Top, 2-1, in the first game of their doubleheader.

Cody Williams and Matt Berst had two hits for the Stars in the  victory. Berst collected an RBI and Alex Hayden had a key double.  Connor McCaffery socked a solo home run for Red Top for his third  homer in three weeks.

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Brown walk-off part of fireworks in Watkins

WATKINS - There were fireworks going off all night during the annual Iowa Valley League holiday doubleheader between Norway and Watkins.

Most of the blasts were of the traditional variety with loud booms and blasts. Nick Brown provided one to remember on the field.

The former University of Iowa standout hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night to give Watkins a 7-5 victory and a sweep of the twinbill before an overflow crowd at Gabe Kuester Memorial Ball Park.

The Mud Hens (5-7) got a two-run single from Jonny Frese in the bottom of the third to rally past the Bandits (6-8) for a 3-2 win in the opener.

Brown completed his career at Iowa in 2012. He played for the Mud Hens for part of that summer before returning to the Chicago area. Brown moved back to Iowa and has been on the Watkins roster full-time since  2014.

And when was the last time Brown had a walk-off homer?

"Not since my freshman year in high school," he said with a smile  before heading off to sit with his family on the field for the spectacular 25-minute post-game fireworks display.

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Schulte has worn many hats in IVL

Justin Schulte has been a prominent member of the Iowa Valley League for nearly four decades as a player, coach and umpire, but it actually began when he was a young kid in Norway.

Schulte was one of the boys who chased foul balls into the corn field  and front yards that surround the famed Norway baseball field. Now 46 years old, he figures he got started when he was about 7.

You still see kids chasing those foul balls and returning them for a quarter at Norway.

"It was probably a dime back then," he said Sunday after umpiring a pair of IVL games at Mount Mercy. "Inflation got it up to a quarter."

You'd need a family three to unravel all the Schulte brothers and cousins who have played ball in Norway. If you grew up in Norway, you played as soon as you quit wearing cloth diapers.

"I don't know if it's pre-ordained, but there are a heck of a lot of Schultes that played baseball," said one of the best. "A lot of families.

"Probably the highlight of my career was playing with all three of my brothers in the Iowa Valley League, to be honest with you. It's one of the highlights of my baseball career."

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McCaffery helps Red Top sweep Bandits

NORWAY - Connor McCaffery enjoyed a big day at the plate Sunday to  help Red Top sweep an Iowa Valley League doubleheader from the Norway  Bandits in Norway.

McCaffery belted a three-run homer to help Red Top win the first game,  5-4, and his sacrifice fly in the second game proved to be the  game-winning run in a 6-4 victory and the sweep.

The outcome left Red Top and Norway tied for third place in the IVL  standings with 6-6 records.

The Stars swept Walford Sunday to take sole possession of first place  with an 8-4 record. The scheduled doubleheader featuring Watkins at  Williamsburg was canceled due to wet grounds.

McCaffery's three-run homeer in the first game followed singles by  Ross Kramer and Kirby Kerr. Red Top added two runs in the fifth on a  walk by Izaya Fullard, a single by Kramer and a double by Kerr.

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Czerwiec hears the sounds of success

Austin Czerwiec was born with a severe hearing disability that was not discovered until he was three years old.

He got a late start on basic sounds, vocabulary and reading, but once he was fitted with hearing aids he worked hard to catch up.

The late start did not stop him from becoming a top athlete at Muscatine High School and an accomplished baseball player at Mount  Mercy University, graduating in 2015 with a degree in business management and human resource management.

Czerwiec was honored as the Pitcher of the Year in the Iowa Valley League last season and he's excelling again for the Stars, the 2017  league and state champions.

Czerwiec tossed another complete game Sunday as the Stars topped  Walford, 6-2, in the first game of their doubleheader at Mount Mercy.

The Stars won the second game, 5-1, to remain in first place with an 8-4 record.

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3 teams still tied for IVL lead

The 2018 Iowa Valley League campaign has reached the mid-point of a  20-game season and there's still no breathing room at the top.

Williamsburg, Norway and the Stars are all tied for first place with  6-4 records with 10 games left in the season. Walford is just a game  back at 5-5, with Red Top lurking at 4-6.

RED TOP, WILLIAMSBURG SPLIT

IOWA CITY - The Toppers and Red Sox traded one-run victories in  well-pitched games at Iowa City West High School on Sunday.

Red Top won the first game, 3-2, on a three-run double by Kirby Kerr  in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hunter Porterfield picked up the  victory in relief of Tanner Lohaus.

Hogan Penny belted a two-run homer for Williamsburg for an early 2-0  lead. Tanner Jansen pitched five shutout innings for the Red Sox  before yielding to a relief pitcher.

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