Battery change: Kaden Frommelt moves from catcher to pitcher, helps send No. 4 Marion back to Class 3A state baseball tournament

MARION — Kaden Frommelt is a catcher by trade.

He said that is what he loves and has done most it of his life. The senior found himself on the other side of Marion’s battery with a state berth at stake.

“It was definitely a change of pace for me,” Frommelt said. “Anywhere this team needs me I’ll produce for them. Just get us back to the state tournament is the most important part.”

The backstop turned pitcher delivered for the No. 4 Wolves, throwing a complete game in a 4-2 victory over Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Class 3A Substate 5 final Wednesday night at Marion. Marion returns to the state tournament after a year hiatus and winning the 2021 crown.

“It feels awesome,” Marion Coach Steve Fish said. “We felt we were good enough to go last year. No blame on injuries but we just didn’t get it done. This year we had the same type of things with some injuries. These guys switched some roles.”

One of those transitions was Frommelt, who hadn’t logged a varsity inning on the mound before this season. The right-hander improved to 5-0 and held Xavier to six hits and two unearned runs. What would his reaction have been at the start of the season if you pitched him the substate scenario?

“I would have told them they were crazy,” Frommelt said. “Realistically, I was supposed to start and go three to five (innings) or somewhere in there. Then, have Myles (Davis) close it out.

“The team played great defense behind me. We got a couple of timely hits and we scored three in the bottom of the (fifth), which it iced it for us.”

Fish said Frommelt will work with pitchers throughout the offseason and throw a little himself during the workouts. Frommelt has pitched in spring and fall leagues. This was a bigger stage and one that Fish knew he could handle. After all, Frommelt started at catcher as an underclassman at state.

“He gets locked in,” Fish said. “If you watch him, he has decent stuff. He’s not going to blow it by you but will move it around and play some defense. That was awesome what he just did.”

Marion (30-6) took a lead in the first when Jake Miller singled and scored on a Frommelt base hit.

Miscues contributed to a two-run fourth for Xavier, but the Wolves rallied for three in the fifth.

Isaiah Scott led off with a single. Marion’s No. 9 batter Kaden Griffith was down 0-2 when he fouled off a few pitches to extend the at-bat and was hit by a pitch, setting up Miller’s RBI double.

“I think the key hit was from Jake,” Fish said. “He delivered. He is a heck of a little baseball player. Jake Miller is an awful good baseball player.”

Davis, the University of Iowa recruit who dazzled on defense at shortstop, punched a base hit through the infield’s right side to score Griffith and later scored on an error. Davis showed a good approach at the plate, taking what Xavier gave him.

“He’s really good,” Fish said. “He knew the situation and knew the moment. He’s another competitor when he crosses those lines, he locks in. I though his at-bats were really good, too.”

Marion returns to Duane Banks Field in Iowa City for the state tournament July 17-21. The Wolves return to the site of their first championship. One many of the current players contributed to, especially Frommelt and Davis.

“It’s a good feeling,” Frommelt said. “We’ve got a lot of experienced guys. A lot of guys on this team were part of the 2021 team and that experience will help us this year.”

The only inning Xavier moved a runner into scoring position was the fourth. Caleb Even opened with a single. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carlos Baez-Perez, who reached base when the ball was misplayed. Brody Hoffmann advanced both with a sacrifice. Preston Lang reached on an error that plated Even and Baez-Perez.

Even and Jevin Rexroth led Xavier with two hits apiece. The Saints ended the season at 18-20.