Prep Baseball 2011: Players To Watch

OF - Austin Christensen (Cedar Rapids Kennedy): University of Nebraska recruit was a first-team all-state pick in Class 4A by the Iowa Newspaper Association and a Super Team pick by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association. Senior outfielder-pitcher hit .492 with eight home runs and had 9-4 record and 1.94 earned run average.

P - Brandon Shulista (Solon): Helped Spartans to Class 2A state title last year with 12-0 record and 1.25 ERA. Allowed just 39 hits in 73 innings. Will pitch collegiately at Iowa Central Community College.

OF - Derrick Loveless (Solon): Hit an almost absurd .528 with 24 stolen bases last season. Will play college ball for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where his father, Derrius, was a football tight end. A Super Team pick by the IHSBCA.

IF - Marshall Koehn (Solon): Another of the five first-team all-staters returning. Had a .534 batting average last season with 54 RBIs and state-record 30 doubles. Will walk-on to the Iowa football team as a kicker-punter.

IF - Nick Day (Solon): Hit .471 with 56 RBIs, which actually was only second on team last season. Will play with Loveless at Iowa.

IF - Tyler Smith (Solon): Had 139 at-bats last season, drove in 67 runs. Not a bad ratio, really. Had 11 home runs and hit .410. 

1B - Adam Prybil (Iowa City High): The IHSBCA tabbed him as a Super Team member after a junior season in which he hit .418 with 13 home runs. Lefty hitter will play next year at Kirkwood Community College.

P - Ryan Rumpf (Iowa City West): Hit .410, but it's his prowess on the mound that is most striking. Went 11-0 for Trojans last season with 1.89 ERA. Struck out 97 in 74 innings. Will play college ball for Iowa Hawkeyes. Must overcome stigma associated with being suspended for 4A state title game last summer for violation of school policy.

P - Dakota Freese (Cedar Rapids Washington): Won six of his team's 11 games last season, striking out 91 in 57.1 innings. Three-year varsity starter will miss first part of season due to suspension for violation of school policy. Has committed to pitch at junior college in Louisiana (LSU-Eunice).

OF - Andrew Utterback (Sigourney): First-team all-stater in Class 1A by IHSBCA and INA. Hit .506 with amazing 19 home runs and 56 RBIs last season for Savages. Also stole 25 bases. Will play Juco ball at Kirkwood.

OF - Brendon Boerm (North Tama): Is there anything this multi-faceted athlete can't do? Star of Class A state title football game last fall was a first-team all-stater in baseball last season. Hit .430 with 28 stolen bases. Has decided to walk-on to Iowa football team.

IF - Kasey Semler (Marion): It's not just basketball for the senior. Shortstop hit .413 with 16 doubles last season, good enough to earn second-team all-state honors in Class 3A. Will play hoops at Kirkwood.

1B - A.J. Reuter (Monticello): Had 88 at-bats last season, produced 53 hits. That's a .602 batting average, good enough for first-team all-state honors in Class 2A by the Iowa Newspaper Association.