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Washington Evening Journal
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Allison coach, Newton captain
Fairfield skipper earns nod for All-Union big school baseball team, Mt. Pleasant senior captains
The 2024 Southeast Conference baseball race ended up being a two-horse race to the finish.
Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant were neck-and-neck all year long at the top of the SEC. Washington did secure a couple of big wins, including a huge home upset of the Trojans, but in the end, it was Fairfield that stood tall.
The 2024 All-Union big school baseball selections were difficult, but the final lists reflect the final standings in the SEC, as Fairfield leads the way with the most selections. A Mt. Pleasant senior, however, earned captain’s honors.
Coach: Josh Allison, Fairfield
The 2024 Fairfield baseball team rose back to the top of the SEC for the first time since 2019.
The Trojans, led by a strong senior group, went 22-12 overall this season and won the SEC with a 12-3 record.
Coach Allison’s squad secured the conference with a huge 13-1 win at Mt. Pleasant on June 20, and a three-game sweep of Keokuk one week later, before walking off Washington in a rain out game to clinch the title alone.
Captain: Ben Newton, senior, Mt. Pleasant
Like Fairfield, the Mt. Pleasant baseball team won over 20 games for the first time since 2019, and a big reason was ace pitcher Ben Newton.
Newton went an astounding 9-1 this season on the mound, finishing the year with a 3.54 ERA. He finished the season with 55 strikeouts.
At the plate, Newton hit .341 with three doubles, one home run and 26 RBIs.
P: Dain Burkhart, sophomore, Fairfield
Fairfield’s Dain Burkhart entered the year as the expected-to-be ace, and he lived up to the billing on the bump this season.
Burkhart led the team in wins, gonig 5-3 with a 4.31 ERA on the mound this yer. He struck out 29 batters.
Burkhart was also among the top hitters for the Trojans. He hit .375 this year with four doubles and 29 RBIs.
P: Nate Konczal, senior, Fairfield
Fairfield senior Nate Konczal stepped up in a huge way in his final year on the mound for the Trojan baseball team.
Konczal finished the summer 4-2, leading the Trojan arms with a 1.82 and striking out 25 batters.
At the plate, Konczal hit .278 with six RBIs.
C: Caleb Zieglowsky, senior, Washington
One of the best players behind the plate this season again was Demon senior Caleb Zieglowsky.
Zieglowsky hit .364 on the season with four doubles, one home run and 16 RBIs. He led the Demons in both batting average and RBIs this summer.
INF: Cason Miller, junior, Fairfield
Fairfield’s Cason Miller made his return to the baseball field after being injured all of last season, and the junior made the most of his first summer back.
Miller hit .333 with a team-leading 12 doubles. He hit one triple on the year and knocked in 26 runs, while also scoring a team-leading 39 times.
INF: Luke Beenblossom, senior, Washington
Washington short stop Luke Beenblossom was the second-leading hitter for the Demon baseball team this summer. He hit .333 with two doubles and 13 RBIs on the year.
Beenblossom appeared eight times on the mound for Washington. He didn’t pick up a win this season but struck out 19 batters.
INF: Payton Hagans, senior, Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant shortstop and pitcher Payton Hagans left his mark on the Panther baseball team, hitting .337 in his senior season at the plate.
Hagans hit five doubles, two triples and a postseason home run this year, while also knocking in 25 RBIs.
Hagans was also one of the top arms for the Panthers, finishing the year 4-1 with 3.14 ER and 59 strikeouts.
INF: J.C. Sitar, junior, Mt. Pleasant
Panther first baseman J.C. Sitar was a top bat yet again for the Mt. Pleasant baseball team this summer.
Sitar hit .327 on the year and led the team with 10 doubles. He hit one triple, one home run and finished with a team-leading 30 RBIs.
Sitar promises to be a top bat in the SEC next year when he enters his senior season.
OF: Aidan Kreuter, senior, Fairfield
One of the toughest outs in the Southest Conference was senior outfielder Aidan Kreuter. He led the Trojans with a .397 batting average.
Kreuter hit three doublese this year and one triple, while knocking in 16 runs. He went 3-3 with a 5.39 ERA on the mound, striking out 24 batters.
OF: Tallon Bates, senior, Fairfield
Fairfield’s Tallon Bates had another solid year at the plate, finishing the summer with a .354 batting average.
Bates had five doubles and two home runs this year, including one in the postseason. He finished the year with 19 RBIs.
On the mound, Bates went 4-1 this season. He finished the year with a 4.97 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
OF: Payton Walker, junior, Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant junior Payton Walker was a solid bat in the middle of the order for the Panther boys this summer.
Walker hit .305 this season with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 24 RBIs. He also led the entirety of Class 3A in hit-by-pitches, with 23.
Walker was strong on the mound as well, going 4-4 with a 3.67 ERA and 50 strikeouts.
UTIL: Caden Allison, senior, Fairfield
Fairfield senior Caden Allison was one of the top RBI men of the summer in Southeast Iowa, knocking in 32 runs to lead the Trojans this year.
Allison hit .337 this season with five doubles and one triple in his final year playing high school ball.
UTIL: Zach Newton, junior, Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant junior infielder Zach Newton was one of the best hitters on the team this summer, hitting .356 to lead the Panthers in batting average.
Newton finished the season with four doubles and 27 RBIs. He was also effective on the mound, going 2-3 with a 5.15 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
