Iowa high school all-state baseball 2023: Western Dubuque’s Isaac Then garners high honors

Western Dubuque completed back-to-back state baseball championships this year.

Isaac Then was a key contributor to the Bobcats’ success. He led the team in multiple batting and pitching categories, earning wins in Western Dubuque’s substate final, state quarterfinal and final games.

“A great leader,” Bobcats Coach Casey Bryant said the senior first baseman and pitcher. “One of our team captains. Just had a fantastic season for us and he’ll be missed.”

Then was selected to the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State Super Team, according to Thursday’s news release. He is joined on the list by teammate Brett Harris, Cedar Rapids Prairie outfielder Kade Knock, Solon third baseman Brett White and Dyersville Beckman utility player Luke Sigwarth.

Then was named Player of the year and also picked as team captain of the Class 3A team, while Sigwarth earned the honor in 2A.

Then tied for third in 3A with eight wins. He also led Western Dubuque in innings pitched (64) and strikeouts (79). He hit .423 this season, totaling 58 hits, 82 total bases and posting a .497 on-base percentage. Then had a team-high in batting average and doubles.

“Isaac just did so much for our team,” Bryant said. “He batted in the No. 4-hole and was a big RBI factor with 19 doubles.

“Defensively, with him on the mound, he struggled a little bit earlier in the year but we worked through it. We made a few adjustments and his last five or six starts he was very dominant. It gives our team a ton of confidence when you know you have an ace on the mound and a guy that can shut people down while you get your offense rolling.”

Harris, an Ole Miss commit, finished his freshman campaign with 61 hits and 41 RBIs, hitting .412 with a .517 OBP. He also had 18 extra-base hits, including 14 doubles.

Western Dubuque had four total players honored. Second baseman Jake Goodman and outfielder Caleb Klein were also first-team picks in 3A.

Knock had a banner year for Prairie. The Hawks’ leadoff batter had 63 hits and 55 runs, which ranked third and fifth, respectively, in the state among all classes. His run total and 53 singles set school single-season records but he fell one hit shy of Scott Schebler’s school mark.

Knock batted .432 with a .520 OBP and stole 25 bases in 27 attempts. Teammates Maddux Frese and Cal Sullivan received 4A first-team honors.

“It would sure be hard to pick one MVP between our three senior all-state players, but Kade put together one of the best seasons in program history,” Nelson said. “Last season, he was our most improved player from early season struggles to an all-state player at the end of the season. This year he was great from start to finish.”

Cedar Rapids Kennedy placed two on the first-team. First baseman Rowan Donels and third baseman Nolan Grawe were named to top team in 4A, helping the Cougars to 29 victories and the substate final. Grawe was fourth in 4A with 62 hits and 18 doubles. Donels was fifth in doubles with 17.

Grawe batted .440 with 46 runs, 28 RBIs and 93 total bases. Donels came in at .412, 43 RBIs and 76 total bases. Donels also pitched, compiling a 6-3 record with a team-best 75 strikeouts in 48 innings.

Marion’s Kaden Frommelt and Myles Davis made the first-team in 3A, joining White’s Solon teammate Blake Timmons.

Davis and White tied for third in 3A with seven home runs apiece. Frommelt was one spot back with six. Frommelt had 49 hits, including 20 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs and a .405 average. Davis hit .415 with a .545 OBP, 34 hits, 34 runs and 23 RBIs.

White’s numbers were off the charts. He was second in 3A with 61 runs, one behind Timmons. White batted .460 with a .609 OBP and .778 slugging percentage, amassing 58 hits, 17 doubles, 38 RBIs and 98 total bases.

Sigwarth led Beckman with a .456 average, .562 OBP, 29 RBIs, 26 walks, 12 doubles, three home runs and tied for tops with 47 hits. He overcame arm trouble to pitch the 2A title game, helping the Blazers claim their seventh state baseball title.

Ace Nate Offerman and leadoff batter Luke Schieltz also earned first-team honors for Beckman. Offerman tied for the state lead with 10 wins. Schieltz tied Sigwarth for the team lead in hits.

Cade Rausch powered Cascade to the state semifinals for just the second time in school history. He was named to the first team in 2A. They were joined by Mid-Prairie shortstop Karson Grout and Williamsburg outfielder Madox Doehrmann.

Hunter Clark played both sides of the battery for Lisbon, leading the Lions to a state runner-up in 1A. He earned first-team honors at catcher. Iowa City Regina’s Danny Gavin batted .411 with 44 hits, four home runs and 32 RBIs as a first-team outfield pick.

Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams

Super Team

Pitchers – Doug Taylor, Mason City Newman, sr.; Joey Oakie, Ankeny Centennial, jr.; Reece Wrage, North Polk, jr.

Catchers – Max Burt, Mason City Newman, sr.; Garrett Heying, Algona Garrigan, sr.

First base – Isaac Then, Western Dubuque, sr.

Second base – Addison Binnie, Clinton, sr.; Shortstop – Brady Blake, Indianola, sr.

Third base – Brett White, Solon, jr.

Outfield – Beau Gamble, West Des Moines Dowling, sr.; Brett Harris, Western Dubuque, fr.; Kade Knock, Cedar Rapids Prairie, sr.; Tyne Weeden, Johnston, jr.

Utility – Trevor Baumler, West Des Moines Dowling, jr.; Clayton Campidilli, Dallas Center-Grimes, sr.; Luke Sigwarth, Dyersville Beckman, jr.

Player of the Year – Then, Western Dubuque

Class 4A

First team

Pitchers – Carter Woolums, Johnston, sr.; Maddux Frese, Cedar Rapids Prairie, sr.; Ayden Schrunk, Sioux City North, jr.

Catchers – Nick Severson, Ankeny Centennial, sr.; Cal Sullivan, Cedar Rapids Prairie, sr.

First base – Rowan Donels, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, sr.

Second base – Bennett Brueck, Indianola, sr.

Shortstop – Cooper Nicholson, West Des Moines Dowling, sr.

Third base – Nolan Grawe, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, jr.

Outfield – Colin Driscoll, Waukee, sr.; Wrigley Matthys, Bettendorf, soph.; Caden McDermott, Pleasant Valley, sr.; Brecken Schossow, Sioux City East, sr.

Utility – Carter Greffre, Ames, jr.; Colin Coonradt, Cedar Falls, jr.; Luke Bohonek, Bettendorf, sr.

4A Captain – Oakie, Ankeny Centennial

Second team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Talon Young, Iowa City High, soph.

Outfield – Dylan Muszynski, Linn-Mar, soph.

Third team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Grant Mather, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, jr.

Class 3A

First team

Pitchers – Hunter Cook, North Polk, jr.; Beau Leisure, Knoxville, sr.; Jaron Bleeker, Sioux City Heelan, jr.

Catchers – Kaden Frommelt, Marion, sr.; Brady Coffman, Grinnell, soph.

First base – Ayden Hoag, Le Mars, jr.; Second base – Jake Goodman, Western Dubuque, jr.

Shortstop – Myles Davis, Marion, jr.

Third base – Joe Goodhue, Carlisle, sr.

Outfield – Ryan Brosius, Dubuque Wahlert, sr.; Carson Jager, MOC-Floyd Valley, sr.; Cade Sears, Harlan, jr.; Caleb Klein, Western Dubuque, sr.

Utility – Blake Timmons, Solon, sr.; Jake Eddie, Storm Lake, sr.; Reid Tigges, Spencer, sr.

3A Captain – Then, Western Dubuque

Second team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Tate Proskovec, Cedar Rapids Xavier, soph.

Catcher – Gehrig Turner, Solon, jr.

Third team

(Area players only)

Catcher – Cael Kaestner, Benton Community, sr.

First base – Korver Hupke, Independence, sr.

Second base – Maclane Morgan, Clear Creek Amana, soph.

Shortstop – Mitch Johnson, Independence, sr.

Third base – Jake Miller, Marion, soph.

Outfield – Trey Franck, Marion, jr.

Class 2A

First team

Pitchers – Nate Offerman, Dyersville Beckman, sr.; Owen Siegert, West Marshall, jr.; Jack Vanfossan, Underwood, jr.

Catchers – Ty Andrews, Des Moines Christian, jr.; Jaxson Schumacher, Treynor, sr.

First base – Ike Speltz, Van Meter, sr.

Second base – Blake Evans, Estherville-Lincoln Central, sr.

Shortstop – Karson Grout, Mid-Prairie, jr.

Third base – Dylan Aldrich, Pleasantville, jr.

Outfield – Corbin Westerkamp, Pella Christian, sr.; Nolan Cremer, Davis County, jr.; Madox Doehrmann, Williamsburg, sr.; Luke Schieltz, Dyersville Beckman, sr.

Utility – Jackson Manning, Van Buren, sr.; Garrett Luett, Underwood, fr.; Cade Rausch, Cascade, sr.

2A Captain – Sigwarth, Dyersville Beckman

Second team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Collin Miller, Mid-Prairie, sr.

Catcher – Carter Schellsmidt, Waukon, sr.

Shortstop – Mason Otting, Cascade, sr.

Third base – Nile Sinn, Williamsburg, soph.

Outfield – Alex Bean, Mid-Prairie, sr.

Third team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Jack Miller, Jesup, jr.

Third base – Noah Hatlan, Waukon, sr.

Class 1A

First team

Pitchers – Colin Homan, Remsen St. Mary’s, soph.; Connor Maston, Lynnville-Sully, sr.; Tate Mayer, Saint Ansgar, sr.

Catchers – Landon Waldschmitt, Remsen St. Mary’s, soph.; Hunter Clark, Lisbon, sr.

First base – Cal Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, fr.

Second base – Alex Schroeder, Remsen St. Mary’s, sr.

Shortstop – Jaxon Bunkers, Remsen St. Mary’s, sr.

Third base – Cael Ortmann, Remsen St. Mary’s, sr.

Outfield – Brendon Monahan, Council Bluffs St. Albert, sr.; Will DeStigter, Woodbury Central, sr.; Danny Gavin, Iowa City Regina, sr.; Gage Peterson, Mason City Newman, soph.

Utility – Corder Noun-Harder, Lynnville-Sully, jr.; Boston Doeschot, Kingsley-Pierson, sr.; William Kilburis, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, sr.

1A Captain – Burt, Mason City Newman

Second team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Keagan Streeter, South Winneshiek, sr.

First base – Landon Stolte, Lisbon, sr.

Outfield – Cael Bridgewater, North Linn, sr.; Luke Czarnecki, Lisbon, sr.

Utility – Mason Bechen, North Linn, soph.

Third team

(Area players only)

Pitcher – Caden Clarahan, Sigourney, soph.

Third base – Cam Lind, Lansing Kee, jr.

Utility – Jamie Kuennen, South Winneshiek, sr.