Baseball notes: South Winn seizes Upper Iowa Conference lead while embracing busy schedule

South Winneshiek is the defending Upper Iowa Conference baseball champion.

The Warriors are contending for another league title.

They helped their cause with a sweep of Class 1A No. 10 Lansing Kee Tuesday night in Calmar. South Winn won the opener 5-2 and followed with a 3-1 victory for its third win this season over the Kee Hawks. The Warriors lead MFL MarMac by one game, despite losing to the Bulldogs earlier this season.

“We’re starting to click,” South Winn Coach Alex Smith said. “We’ve got some guys back. We have some injured as well. We’re trying to mix our lineup the best we can to put the team that will be the most competitive on any given day.”

South Winn and Kee have fostered a strong rivalry in northeast Iowa, but the Warriors have now won the last 10 in the series, according to Bound. Braiden Todd had two hits, including a home run and two RBIs, and pitched 2/3 of an inning in relief for the save in the opener. Todd had four hits and pitched three innings for the save in the nightcap. Parker Timp allowed just one run in four innings and had two RBIs at the plate for South Winn. Carson Streeter, the Game 1 starter, had two hits, including a solo home run.

“It’s a conference rival, a team we see in the playoffs all the time,” said Smith, noting that South Winn won the first meeting on May 30 at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. “They have really good pitching and a lot of guys back in their offensive lineup.

“Braden Todd picked up two saves. He was very good in the bullpen both games. Carson Streeter and Parker Timp both threw outstanding in the starting role. … It was a well-played game on our part in all facets.”

The Warriors have posted an 11-1 conference mark but are 14-7 overall. A challenging non-conference schedule is by design. South Winn played eight games in six days last week.

Smith eased into scheduling since many players were involved in track and field and golf. The Warriors have a busy stretch designed to prepare them for the most important time of year.

“This is a big part of our schedule,” Smith said. “I tell the guys it’s not to schedule an undefeated season, it’s to be challenged in non-conference. It makes us better when it comes to seeing conference teams and playoffs. We survived a big week last week.”

South Winn played defending 2A state champion and No. 4-ranked Dyersville Beckman. The Warriors faced 4A Ottumwa and standout pitcher Tucker Long, who was on the USA Baseball 15U National Team last year, Iowa City Regina and rival Decorah. Smith said it could have been draining, but it showed their passion.

“They embraced playing,” Smith said. “They played hard. They had great energy.”

Todd is hitting .537 with 29 hits, while Timp (25), Streeter (23) and Brody Tieskoetter (22) are right behind him. Timp and Kole Hageman, who also serves as starting catcher, lead the way with three wins apiece.

“The tradition and success we’ve had is still our pitching and defense,” said Smith, who praised Hageman for being the on-field leader. “We have a number of guys who can throw strikes.

“The top half of our lineup all have a ton of varsity experience. I think they’re all hitting over .300 with some pop. They’re doing some good things. The bottom half is starting to catch on, seeing more varsity at-bats now that we’re halfway through the season.”

Another tough stretch awaits. The Warriors closed the week with games against Turkey Valley, 2A No. 6 New Hampton, perennial power Don Bosco and Sumner-Fredericksburg. The doubleheader next Thursday against MFL MarMac will likely determine the conference title.

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“It’s a group of guys who love playing the game,” Smith said. “They embrace every opportunity to get out there and try to get better every time we take the field. Hopefully, get ready for a July run again.”

North Linn’s Travis Griffth earns 500th win

North Linn Coach Travis Griffith earned his 500th career victory Monday when the Lynx swept Maquoketa Valley, 13-3 and 10-0, in a Tri-Rivers Conference doubleheader at Troy Mills. North Linn improved to 16-3 overall and 9-1 in the conference.

Griffith is in his 18th season as the Lynx head coach, following a two-year stint as head coach at Highland. He owns an overall career record of 500-217.

“I’ve been extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such great kids and parents here at North Linn,” Griffith replied to The Gazette staff on social media. “I wake up every day and love what I do.”

Griffith has led the Lynx to six state tournament appearances, including four straight from 2017-20. North Linn was the Class 2A state runner-up in 2019.

Brent Yonkovic powers West Delaware

West Delaware junior Brent Yonkovic demonstrated his power Monday in a doubleheader against South Tama at Beckman Sports Complex’s Stryten Energy Field in Manchester. He belted four home runs and drove in seven RBIs in the 12-2 and 10-0 sweep of the Trojans.

Yonkovic batted 2-for-3 with a walk in the opener, hitting a solo home run. The outburst peaked in the nightcap. Yonkovic smacked three home runs, going 3-for-3 with a walk and six RBIs. He reached base 7 of 8 plate appearances.

Yonkovic has a team-best 29 hits, including nine doubles and five home runs. He has 16 RBIs with a .414 batting average, getting on base at a .506 clip.

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