Washington Evening Journal
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Van Buren County to play at new digs
Doug Brenneman
Jun. 15, 2020 1:00 am
KEOSAUQUA - It is said that change is inevitable.
The Van Buren County High School baseball and softball teams found that out when it was announced that they will have a new home starting this season. Instead of playing home games at the high school, they will play at the newly opened Mildred and Eddie Ferguson Sports Complex and Sunset Trail at 1017 Franklin Street in Keosauqua on the northwest side of town.
'The coaches wanted to play there and a 28E agreement was voted on and approved by both the City Council and School Board,” Van Buren County superintendent Jeremy Hissem said.
The high school is located at 405 Fourth Street. The distance to the new complex is about one mile.
'The teams practice at both sites as necessary and our junior high programs will continue to use our fields on our campus,” Hissem said.
The baseball team was 14-8 last year and 10-2 in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division, good for second. Central Lee was the South champion at 11-1 with the only loss a 7-1 defeat by Van Buren.
'Approximately six of the 2020 Van Buren Warriors' baseball roster will consist of freshmen,” Warriors head coach Chad Scott said. 'For the Warriors to have a successful abbreviated season it will be imperative for upperclassmen to possess leadership both on and off the field and underclassmen to follow that leadership and improve daily.”
Scott is in his 13th year at the Warriors' helm and has a career record of 262-72.
Leading returners are seniors Tony Davison (outfielder and pitcher with .290 batting average and 19 runs batted in) and Jonah Heckenberg (infielder and pitcher with 2-1 record and 1.88 earned run average). Ryan Wolf, infielder and pitcher, was fourth in the South last year as a sophomore with a .420 batting average and tied for third with 26 RBI. Catcher Treyton Bainbridge hit .232 with 10 RBI last year as a sophomore. Freshmen Jackson Manning (. 167 BA) and Casey Yochum (.243 BA) are expected to contribute after seeing varsity time as eighth-graders.
The Warriors softball team saw Chelsey Huff lead the South in home runs with five, place third in RBI with 26 and finish fifth in batting average at .438 last year as a sophomore. Lexi Jirak was fourth in batting average at .441 and fifth in RBI with 22 as a junior. She hit eight doubles and two home runs. Isabel Manning hit .374 with three doubles, three triples and two home runs last year as a sophomore. Ella Jirak had a .410 on base percentage as a sophomore.
Huff was also a threat on the mound, finishing second in ERA at 2.51 with a record of 8-8. Eighth-grader Ally Cambell was fifth at 2.93 with a record of 7-4.
The Warriors were 15-12 overall and tied for second in the South at 5-5.
Van Buren County schedules
Baseball
June 16 Van Buren at West Burlington
June 19 Mediapolis at Van Buren
June 20 Van Buren at Davis County
June 22 Van Buren at Cardinal
June 23 Central Lee at Van Buren
June 24 Van Buren at Highland
June 25 Van Buren at Danville
June 26 Winfield-Mt. Union at Van Buren
June 30 Van Buren at New London
July 1 Davis County at Van Buren
July 2 Notre Dame at Van Buren
July 7 Ft. Madison at Van Buren
July 8 Van Buren at Centerville
July 10 Keokuk at Van Buren
Softball
June 16 WB/ND at Van Buren
June 18 Van Buren at Wapello
June 19 Van Buren at Mediapolis
June 20 Van Buren at West Liberty
June 22 Cardinal at Van Buren
June 23 Van Buren at Central Lee
June 24 Highland at Van Buren
June 25 Danville at Van Buren
June 26 Van Buren at Winfield-Mt. Union
June 29 Van Buren at Holy Trinity
June 30 New London at Van Buren
July 6 Van Buren at Centerville
July 9 Davis County at Van Buren
Chelsey Huff recorded a win for Van Buren last season in the Class 2ARregion 8 first-round playoff game at Highland. (Doug Brenneman/The Union)