Fairfield, Pekin each pick up pair of all-GTNS baseball spots

There are some amazing players on the 2006 all-GTNS baseball team, but there are also were a number of incredible players who weren't named to the team. A number of players who led their teams to state, as well as a number of sluggers who hit mammoth home runs and fireballing pitchers were unable to make this year's squad. Because of the great talent in the area this season, the selection process was very difficult.

      Getting the nod as the captain of the 2006 all-GTNS baseball team was New London senior Dustin Powers. No relation to the "International Man of Mystery," Powers led the Tigers to their first state tournament berth. He started all 31 of New London's games this year, either playing first base or pitching. He batted .340 this season with three home runs, seven doubles and 16 stolen bases. On the mound, he went 9-2 with a 1.61 earned run average and pitched a no-hitter against Van Buren on June 27. For his accomplishments, Powers was named to the Iowa Baseball Coaches' Association Class 1A first team and the Iowa Newspaper Association 1A third team, as well as the captain of the 2006 all-GTNS baseball team.

      After coaching Mid-Prairie back to the state tournament for the third time in six years, Brian Miller was selected as the skipper of the all-GTNS baseball team. He guided the Golden Hawks to a 31-15 record this season, and his team advanced to the semifinals of the Class 2A state baseball tournament in Des Moines. Miller, who led Mid-Prairie to a 2A state title in 2004, never lost faith in his squad this past season, even when the Golden Hawks lost their seventh-straight game in late June. He told his team to stay the course. They did, and went on to win 10 games in a row before falling to Davenport Assumption in the state semis.

For a complete story read the August 18 Fairfield Ledger.