Raiders rank 2nd in batting average in Class 3A

WILLIAMSBURG -- The Class 3A No. 2 ranked Williamsburg softball team is 18-5 through its first 23 games this season in its quest for a third straight state championship.

All the Raiders’ losses this season have come to ranked teams — West Liberty and Mount Vernon in 3A, Van Meter in 2A, North Polk in 4A and Ames in 5A.

Several ranked wins are also on the Raiders’ resume, most recently a split with Mount Vernon Wednesday and an 8-1 win Friday over 5A No. 14 Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

The Raiders went 2-2 in their stint at the Fort Dodge Invite, dropping both games Saturday to North Polk and Ames.

More challenges await the Raiders the rest of the regular season before postseason play begins in July.

Here are four takeaways from the Raiders’ season so far.

1. Balanced hitting

Following Saturday, the Raiders were second in batting average in 3A, hitting .402.

Averages range from .326 to .482 for the team’s eight main starters who have started 21 or more games.

The Raiders are not only getting on base, but they are driving in runs, lots of them. Their 167 RBIs rank second in 3A, and their 220 hits rank third.

Nine different players have 10-plus hits, and six have over 20.

Alley Gorsh leads in hits and RBIs with 29 and 26, respectively. Other players with more than 20 RBIs are Taylor Sanchez (22), Jersey Metz (21) and Carly Rich (20). Three more players have 14-17 RBIs.

2. Plotz, Becker help form solid pitching trio

Metz is the team’s ace on the mound again this season.

Metz holds a 9-3 record through 61 1/3 innings pitched this season, with a 2.51 earned run average and .231 opponent average at the plate.

Metz pitched 178 innings last season, and the Raiders wanted to take some of that load off this season.

Braylee Plotz and Kaylin Becker have helped with that.

Plotz is 6-1 in 38 1/3 innings pitched, posting a 3.47 ERA with 34 strikeouts.

Becker, in 22 1/3 innings, has a 2.51 ERA.

3. Stolen bases aplenty

Aggressive baserunning has been a staple for the Raiders in recent years, and that remains the same this season.

The team’s total of 94 stolen bases ranks second in 3A. Thirty-four of those have come from lead off batter Makenna Hughes. Ava Hocker has 16.

4. Minimum errors

One of the biggest reasons the Raiders have gone back-to-back is their low number of errors.

Last season the Raiders committed 43 errors in 45 games. In 2023, it was 51 in 45 games.

This season, through 23 games, the Raiders have a total of 15. That ranks first in 3A.