All-state baseball 2018: Solon's Luke Ira captain of Class 3A team

CEDAR RAPIDS — Luke Ira was bigger and stronger this baseball season, and the result was eye-popping power.

The Solon senior hit 19 home runs to break the school record, lead the state and cap a wonderful five-year varsity career. An infielder and pitcher, Ira has been named captain of the Iowa Print Sportswriter Association's Class 3A all-state team.

Only Derrick Loveless and Scott Shulista were previous five-year guys at Solon. Shulista pitched, thus didn't play every game, while outfielder Loveless ended up playing professionally in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, reaching Double-A.

'Pretty good company,' said Solon Coach Keith McSweeney. 'Luke and Derrick are different players. Derrick was a raw athlete playing baseball. Luke is more natural as a baseball player. His natural ability to drive a baseball was shown this year.'

Ira had a .455 batting average and led 3A with 58 RBIs. He also had 17 stolen bases and walked more times (25) than he struck out (20).

As a pitcher, he had a 6-1 record and 1.73 earned run average for a team that lost to Sioux City Heelan in extra innings in the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Ira is headed to Division I South Dakota State to play, where he'll be a middle infielder.

Western Illinois also offered him a scholarship. Iowa wanted him as a walk-on.

'It just felt like home,' said Ira, who will play this weekend in the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association's All-Star Series at the U of I. 'They care about you as a person there, as well as a baseball player.'

'Yeah, he probably was under-recruited,' McSweeney said. 'But, then again, he made his biggest strides this year and became an elite player in our state.'

Ira was one of 12 players from the Gazette area to grab first-team all-state honors.

In Class 4A, the honorees were Western Dubuque junior Sam Goodman (pitcher) and sophomore Calvin Harris (utility), Cedar Rapids Prairie senior Levi Usher (outfield) and Cedar Rapids Washington senior Jacob Bockenstedt (utility) and junior Lincoln Riley (outfield). Usher is a first-teamer for the second year in a row.

Iowa City Regina senior outfielder Ryne Schooley and Cascade junior outfielder Logan Otting were first-team selections in Class 2A. Linn County rivals Lisbon and North Linn dominated the 1A first team with two picks each: pitcher Austin Krob and catcher Bryce Werderman (Lisbon) and pitcher Jake Hilmer and outfielder Ryan Miller (North Linn).

Four more players from North Linn, Lisbon and Alburnett were named to the second team.

Ira was joined as an all-state captain by Brady Gavin of Martensdale-St. Marys (Class 1A), Jaden Snyder of West Lyon (2A) and Luke Llewellyn of Urbandale (4A). Llewellyn was the only captain to win a state championship, as he threw a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in the title game Saturday night against Cedar Rapids Washington.

Class 4A

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers — Sam Goodman (Western Dubuque), junior; Luke Llewellyn (Urbandale), senior; Clayton Nettleton (Davenport West), senior

Catcher — Tony Barreca (North Scott), senior

First base — Peyton Williams (Johnston), junior

Infield — Chris Miller (Urbandale), senior; Drew Beazley (Johnston), senior; Brooks Sunny (North Scott), senior

Outfield — Levi Usher (Cedar Rapids Prairie); Lincoln Riley (Cedar Rapids Washington), junior; Evan Martin (Southeast Polk), sophomore

Utility — Calvin Harris (Western Dubuque), sophomore; Jacob Bockenstedt (Cedar Rapids Washington), senior

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers — Duncan Davitt (Indianola), senior; Sean Nussbaum (Johnston), senior; Drew Irvine (Waukee), senior

Catcher — Noah Cook (Urbandale), senior

Infield — Brayden Frazier (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), senior; T.J. Mahoney (Des Moines Lincoln), senior; Griff Clark (Cedar Rapids Prairie), senior

Outfield — Andrew Nord (Johnston), junior; Ben DeTaeye (West Des Moines Valley), junior; Brook Heinen (Urbandale), junior

Utility — Cade Moss (Johnston), junior; Braden Houston (Iowa City West), junior

THIRD TEAM

Pitchers — Luke Patzner (Urbandale), senior; Will Moritz (West Des Moines Valley), senior; Nate Vance (Marshalltown), senior

Catcher — Lucas Karwal (Iowa City West), senior

First base — Jesse Elgert (Sioux City West), junior

Infield — Trevor Burkhart (Davenport West), senior; Tynan Shahidi (Ames), senior; Brendan Sher (Indianola), senior

Outfield — Bryce Butler (Mason City), senior; Noah Susong (Waterloo West), junior; Drake Nettles (Council Bluffs Lewis Central), junior

Utility — Harrison Cook (Cedar Rapids Prairie), junior; Carter Baumler (West Des Moines Dowling), sophomore

Class 3A

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers — Julien Broderson (Davenport Assumption), junior; Brett Sears (Harlan), junior; Max Hackbarth (Webster City), senior

Catcher — Spencer Kleene (Sergeant Bluff-Luton), sophomore

First base — Ryan Doran (Harlan), senior

Infield — Luke Ira (Solon), senior; Colin Kasperbauer (Sioux City Heelan), senior; Nate Mortimer (Carlisle), senior

Outfield — Hunter Hope (Sioux City Heelan), senior; Brady Kluender (Spencer), senior; Trevor Bormann (Algona), senior

Utility — Nic McCay (Carlisle); Nick Gottilla (Davenport Assumption), junior

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers — Cam Miller (Solon), sophomore; Jayden Gibson (Grinnell), junior; Zach Noble (Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley), senior

Catcher — Jaden Rolffs (Pella), senior

First base — Austin Simpson (Fairfield), junior

Infield — Cam Steffens (DeWitt Central), senior; Ryan Willis (Waverly-Shell Rock), senior; Gabe Lux (Cedar Rapids Xavier), senior

Outfield — Casey Young (Winterset), sophomore; Jacob Zuck (Knoxville), senior; Nick Foss (Harlan), senior

Utility — Dylan Steen (Webster City), junior; Lucas Bixby (DeWitt Central), junior.

THIRD TEAM

Pitchers — Rick Atkins (Marion), junior; Evan Appenzeller (Boone), senior; Isaiah Henrichs (Carlisle), junior

Catcher — Seth Adrian (Davenport Assumption), sophomore

First base — Spencer Goerdt (Dubuque Wahlert), senior

Infield — Drake Shelton (Decorah), junior; Gabe Eckstaine (LeMars), senior; Kyle Moeder (Cedar Rapids Xavier)

Outfield — Tanner Bedier (Bondurant-Farrar), senior; Easton Darling (Winterset), sophomore; Brady Leonard (Waverly-Shell Rock), senior

Utility — Jackson Boever (Sioux City Heelan), senior; Jack Higgans (Nevada), senior

Class 2A

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers — Alex Snyder (Alta-Aurelia), senior; Jared Townsend (Wilton), junior; Zach Miller (Denver), senior

Catcher — Ben Berg (Carroll Kuemper), senior

First base — Brock Farley (Denver), junior

Infield — Jaden Snyder (West Lyon), senior; Trace Howard (Wapello), senior; Will Dembski (Pella Christian), junior

Outfield — Preston Van Wyk (Monroe PCM), junior; Logan Otting (Cascade), junior; Ryan Schooley (Iowa City Regina), senior

Utility — Jace Davidson (Pocahontas Area), junior; Briar Rowley (Estherville-Lincoln Central), junior

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers — Colby Seuntjens (Mapleton MVOACOU), senior; Mitchell Gahan (Iowa City Regina), senior; Kyler Steinborn (South Calhoun Central), senior

Catcher — Joel Vaske (Dyersville Beckman), senior

First base — Daniel Hargrave (Centerville), senior

Infield — Zane Johnson (East Marshall), senior; Mitch Pomoery (Van Meter), senior; Jackson Bennett (Dyersville Beckman), senior

Outfield — Blake Berns (Iowa City Regina), senior; Chase Bovee (Pocahontas Area), senior; Josh Fenske (New Hampton), senior

Utility — Dean Bedell (Treynor), senior; Collin McCrabb (Wilton), junior

THIRD TEAM

Pitchers — Harris Hoffman (Cascade), junior; Evan Doyle (Central Lee), sophomore; Carter Cuvelier (Aplington-Parkersburg), junior

Catcher — Jacob Manternach (Monticello), senior

First base — Justin Ridout (East Marshall), senior

Infield — Trey Jacobson (Estherville-Lincoln Central), senior; Tyson Belloma (Centerville), senior; Gannon O'Brien (Cascade), senior

Outfield — Kaleb Sleezer (Alta-Aurelia), senior; Ryan Schott (Iowa City Regina), senior; Trenton Massner (Wapello), senior

Utility — Alex Dickey (West Marshall), senior; Ryan Manternach (Monticello), senior

Class 1A

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers — Caden Kratz (Mason City Newman), senior; Jake Hilmer (North Linn), junior; Austin Krob (Lisbon), senior

Catcher — Bryce Werderman (Lisbon), senior

First base — Brady Gavin (Martensdale-St. Marys), senior

Infield — Evan Paulus (Mason City Newman), junior; Garrett Reisz (Council Bluffs St. Albert); Kaleb Harrison (Tri-Center), senior

Outfield — Ryan Miller (North Linn), senior; Josh Fitzgerald (Mason City Newman), junior; Nick Phelps (Woodbury Central), senior

Utility — Trevor Dooley (Martensdale-St. Marys); Brad Barkema (Conrad BCLUW), senior

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers — Collin Kramer (Saint Ansgar), junior; Caleb Banowetz (Calamus-Wheatland), sophomore; Ian Boline (Alburnett), senior

Catcher — Keaton Parker (Alburnett), junior

First base — Sean Boardman (North Linn), senior

Infield — Derrick Schorg (Remsen St. Mary's), senior; Brett Givens (Lisbon), senior; Lukas Wogen (West Fork), junior

Outfield — Carter Kuchel (Remsen St. Mary's), senior; Thomas Henley (Anita CAM), senior; Trever Brown (Don Bosco), senior

Utility — Aaron Allsup (Martensdale-St. Marys), senior; Drake Buscherfeld (Algona Garrigan), senior.

THIRD TEAM

Pitchers — Cale Reicks (Turkey Valley), senior; Dan Kenealy (Tri-Center), senior; Liam Stubbe (Ackley AGWSR), senior

Catcher — Brayden Jacobs (Ankeny Christian), senior

First base — Brendan Wood (HLV), junior

Infield — Tyler Tscherter (Gladbrook-Reinbeck), sophomore; Carter Boothe (Central Decatur), senior; Cy Patterson (Council Bluffs St. Albert), freshman

Outfield — Tucker Babbitt (Moravia), senior; Ian Holmgaard (Mason City Newman), senior; Hagen Waters (Lisbon), junior

Utility — Colby Page (Southeast Warren), junior; Bryce Schares (Don Bosco), junior

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com