Fairfield heads All-Union big school baseball team

Coming into the 2022 baseball season, there was speculation of who would come out on top between the Union areas big school baseball teams. If one thing is for sure, it’s that it was going to be a battle and it turned out that way.

This time around it was Fairfield who sported the best record out of the big three. With nine seniors, the Trojans held the most seasoned squad. While Mt. Pleasant had seven and Washington six.

As the final standings stood the trio of teams followed in that order with Fairfield leading tailed by Mt. Pleasant and Washington.

On this year’s All-Union team it’s Fairfield leading with six distinctions, with includes four seniors, one freshman and coach. Washington and Mt. Pleasant follow with four players each. Washington had three seniors and a junior, while the Panthers get a pair of juniors and seniors.

COACH: Allison: Fairfield

Fairfield head coach Josh Allison helped the Trojans to 16-16 overall record and an 11-8 Southeast Conference (SEC) record, good enough for a third-place finish in the league.

It was a big improvement for Fairfield after going 11-18 back in 2021. The Trojans couldn’t quite catch Burlington and Fort Madison in the league this past season, but Fairfield is on the up and up.

This season, the Trojans postseason was cut short with a loss to fellow SEC foe Keokuk.

CAPTAIN: Nate Smithburg- Fairfield

Fairfield’s Nate Smithburg was about as dynamic as they came this past season.

His .321 batting average was second best on the Trojans in 2022. He tallied 26 hits, 16 singles, nine doubles, 17 RBIs and one home run to go along with his 14 runs.

When not playing first base for the Fairfield defense, Smithburg was on the hill and he excelled.

Smithburg lead the Trojans on the mound and was one of the best from the hill in the Southeast Conference.

Smithburg ended the season tied for the most wins in the SEC with six and led the conference with 83 total strikeouts. He also held the top opponent batting average, holding hitters to an average of just .127.

PITCHER: Ethan Patterson- Washington

One of three juniors to make the list, Washington’s Ethan Patterson makes is on as a pitcher. He was a standout for the Demons this season.

In his six games played on the mound, Patterson gave up just 10 runs on 15 hits and 25 strikeouts on 75 batters faced.

He led Washington at the plate as well with an average .378. His 18 stolen bases were a conference best. He finished tied for second with 10 doubles and fourth in total bases with 48.

PITCHER: Jake Ensminger, Mt. Pleasant

Junior Jake Ensminger was one of Mt. Pleasant’s top pitchers this past season.

Ensminger played a total of 10 games, starting seven. He faced 178 batters on the season, allowing 37 runs, 19 earned, 17 walks and 27 strikeouts. He ended the season with a 3.91 ERA.

At the plate, Ensminger wasn’t to shabby either. He hit the ball with an average of .325 in 28 games played. He ended with 20 runs, 27 hits, 23 singles, four doubles and six RBIs.

CATCHER: Ethan Zieglowsky- Washington

Zieglowsky was a vocal leader behind the plate at catcher for the Demons. He led the Southeast Conference with 11 total thrown out runners.

On the season, Zieglowsky batted .280. He ended with 23 hits, 13 singles, eight doubles, two triples and 12 RBIs.

INFIELD: Dylan Hunter, Fairfield

Hunter put together a great senior season for Fairfield.

The Trojan infielder hit .271 on the season and his 22 RBIs were a team best. He had 19 runs, 19 hits, 13 singles, four doubles, one triple and a single home run. Inside the box, Hunter attracted the ball a lot, totaling 15 hit by pitches on the season.

Hunter was also stout at running the bases. His 11 stolen bases were third best on the team.

INFIELD: Carter Amos- Mt. Pleasant

Amos was fantastic behind the plate for the Panthers in 2022.

He finished the season with a batting average of .310. He tied for fifth with 21 RBIs and finished fourth in triples with two.

Amos ended with 27 total hits on the season and also had four doubles to go along with his stat line. His seven stolen bases were second best on the Panther squad.

INFIELD: Lucas Kroll- Washington

Washington senior Lucas Kroll was just one of three hitters to start all 27 games and hit over .300 on the season. He ended with an average of .349, third best on Washington’s squad.

Kroll finished his high school career with 26 runs, 29 hits, 17 singles, eight doubles and 19 RBIs.

He was also pretty good at getting extra bases as he led Washington with four triples.

INFIELD: Cason Miller- Fairfield

As the only underclassman to grace this year’s list, Miller is deserving. Miller was an anchor from the shortstop position.

At the plate, Miller batted .273. He was the Trojan to find his way home the most this past season, compiling a total of 27 runs. He was also one of the top hitters. His 27 hits were second best on the squad. He also had 21 singles, five doubles, one home run and nine RBIs.

OUTFIELD: Cooper Keldgord- Mt. Pleasant

Cooper Keldgord is one of two senior Panthers to make this years list. Keldgord was about as stout as they came in right field this past season.

He was also Mt. Pleasant’s top batter this year as well, notching a .338 batting average. Keldgord finished his career with 19 runs, 23 hits, 18 singles, four doubles, one single and seven RBIs.

Keldgord also saw the mound nine times this past year. He faced 161 batters, allowing 31 runs, 19 earned, on 34 hits and 25 strikeouts. He finished with a 4.38 ERA.

OUTFIELD: Connor Lyons- Fairfield

Senior Connor Lyons was stellar in the outfield for Fairfield in 2022.

Lyons led Fairfield in the box this season with an average of .346. With 27 singles he ranked third in the SEC. He was also fourth in the league with 14 stolen bases. His five sacrifice bunts were an SEC best too.

On the mound he finished fifth in total strikeouts with 44 total.

OUTFIELD: Nate Woodburn, Fairfield

Yet another Trojan senior to make the 2022 list is Fairfield senior Nate Woodburn. Woodburn is the second Trojan to take an outfield spot.

Woodburn hit .253 on the season. He had nine runs, 20 hits, 14 singles, six doubles and 15 RBIs.

UTILITY: Lincoln Henriksen- Mt. Pleasant

Mt. Pleasant senior Lincoln Henriksen was one of the top performers for the Panthers in 2022.

He finished his career with .311 batting average. He tallied 16 runs, a team high 28 hits, 23 singles, four doubles and one triple.

Henriksen was also the top Panther to bring in runs. His 23 total RBIs were a team best and third best in the league.

UTILITY: Kole Williams- Washington

Washington 1st baseman, Williams had the second best batting average for the Demons. Not only was Williams one of the biggest hitters in the league, he was also one of the top extra base hitters.

He swung the bat with an average of .373, good enough for fifth in the SEC.

He was also first in doubles with 12 and second in total RBIs with 30. With 51 total bases he was third in the conference.