Tavian Soppe returns from shoulder injury to make an impact in Linn-Mar’s batting order

MARION – Linn-Mar’s Tavian Soppe has been sidelined for most of the baseball season.

A winter snowboarding accident severely injured his left shoulder, forcing reparative surgery and rehabilitation that extended into his junior campaign.

“I’ve been itching to get back since the beginning of the season,” Soppe said. “First, I was OK with it. Once the season came, and everyone was practicing, I just had that feeling I wanted to be back.”

Soppe has made an impact in his return to the Lions’ lineup. He had two RBI singles in Linn-Mar’s 5-3 win to cap a sweep of Class 4A No. 10 Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a Mississippi Valley Conference high school baseball doubleheader Friday night at Oak Ridge Middle School. The Lions won the opener, 8-4.

“It’s huge, especially this time of the year,” Linn-Mar senior Dylan Muszynski said. “Our coaches always tell us we need to peak at the right time. July is the time to peak.

“We didn’t start off too hot this season but we’re starting to build momentum … That goes with the motto of peaking at the right time and I think we’re doing that.”

Soppe appreciates the opportunity to play again. He has spent most of the season in street clothes, attempting to encourage teammates. Soppe prefers being suited up and the clean-up spot of the order. He made a key contribution in Game 2 against the Cougars.

“It feels great that the coaches trust me enough to put me in the lineup as soon as possible,” Soppe said. “They tell me I’ve got it. I’ve been coming up in big moments. It’s been nice.”

Soppe’s debut was delayed due to a mishap in December. He said he separated his acromioclavicular (AC) joint from his non-dominant shoulder and tore all the ligaments in his shoulder. Soppe noted doctors used a hamstring from a cadaver and screw to repair it.

Soppe began the arduous recovery process. The designated hitter stayed patient, making progress with his swing.

“It was supposed to be about a six-month recovery but I’m like five months into recovery,” said Soppe, who had two hits and two RBIs in his debut against Cedar Rapids Jefferson on June 19. “The swinging process was very slow. They started me off with 10 swings off the tee at 20 percent. Slowly worked my way up to off the machine, high intent, it was about a four-to-five-week process of swings every other day.”

Soppe debuted with two hits and two RBIs in the nightcap against Cedar Rapids Jefferson on June 19. In eight games, he has 10 hits and 11 RBIs. He owns a .385 batting average with a .448 on-base percentage after Friday night’s twin bill.

“Literally, we put him in the lineup to see what he could do,” Linn-Mar Coach Kyle Rodenkirk said. “The kid has been a hitting machine ever since.”

Soppe singled and chased home Kaden Harris in both the first and third innings for a 3-0 lead through the third in Game 2. Soppe said he subscribes to the “hitters hit” mantra shared by Linn-Mar assistant Mike Shipley.

“I was just looking for my pitch,” Soppe said. “Go up the middle with my hit. It worked.”

Muszynski added an RBI single in the two-run fourth for some breathing room. He also had an RBI double and two-run single in consecutive innings in Game 1. He finished with three hits and four RBIs.

”Coaches preach that seniors need to step up and make plays for us,” Muszynski said. “That was my mentality in the box. After I got the first one, I gained a little bit of confidence. The next (at-bat) we had them on the ropes. I had a chance to put them away and my mindset was to put the nail in the coffin and finish the job. I was able to get a fastball I could handle and put a good swing on it.”

Colton Bergen pitched a complete game for the win in Game 2. He scattered nine hits and stranded the tying runs on base with a game-ending popout to shortstop Kaden Harris.

”He did a nice job,” Rodenkirk said. “He battled through it. He didn’t have his stuff early on but he found it.”

Rodenkirk visited the mound before the final out. He had a message for Bergen, who was nearing 100 pitches. Bergen answered with a gut check.

“He was getting up there on pitch count,” Rodenkirk said. “I went out there to the mound for a visit. I said this is your game. Let’s get this last guy. Sure enough, he did.

“I’m proud of him and the leadership he’s brought this year.”

The Lions were without standout Charlie Sarsfield. He attended an invitation-only showcase in North Carolina. Rodenkirk said Sarsfield planned to fly back in time for the games but was asked to stay an extra day at the camp.

The Lions (15-15, 10-12) have picked each other up, having a handful of sophomores step in and fill in due to injuries. Players have bonded and matured throughout the season.

“It’s been good to see the guys rally,” Rodenkirk said. “We’re starting to play good team baseball right now. It doesn’t matter who is gone or who we have in the lineup everybody is rallying around each other. It makes it a lot more fun as a coach to do that.”

Ty Donels had five total hits, three runs and an RBI, while teammate Logan Miller had three hits, including a two-run double in the first inning of the opener for Kennedy (21-10, 14-8).

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