Beckman's Steger a natural at third base - and the plate

DES MOINES - It was fairly early in the 2009 season before a Wamac Conference doubleheader against Williamsburg. Dyersville Beckman baseball coach Tom Jenk Jr. approached precocious freshman Nate Steger with these words, more or less.“Son, we'd like you to play third base tonight.”Steger's eyes got real wide, because the only thing he knew about third base was how to round it. He was a catcher, always had been.“We had a senior third baseman who really wasn't doing the job he was supposed to be doing,” Steger said. “So Coach told me before the game that I was playing over there. I was scared. I'd never played third base in my life. I had like 10 ground balls hit to me that night, too. But I fielded them all.”Beckman had its third baseman for the next three years. Steger has been a star, hitting .469 this season with 25 doubles, six home runs and 66 RBIs.The doubles total leads the state, and his RBI total is second. Beckman (35-7) is the top seed in Class 2A at the state tournament with a quarterfinal match against West Branch (20-15) tonight at 6 at Principal Park.“Nate is legit,” Jenk said. “Anybody you talk to says he's legit. His work ethic is very good.”As is his batting eye, obviously. His production is off the charts, as is one other stat in Steger's hefty portfolio. He has 143 at-bats this season and has struck out just 10 times.“Our kids are pretty disciplined hitters,” Jenk said. “We've taught them the importance of patience, of working the count to 2-0 or 3-1. Nate very seldom swings at bad pitches.”Steger is 5-1 with a 2.05 earned run average as a pitcher. He's headed to a good program at Iowa Central Community College next year - as a third baseman.He never would have thought that possible three years ago.“Nate is a really good sign for us,” ICC Coach Rick Pederson said on the school's website. “He can flat our hit and comes from a true baseball community. We watched him take one at-bat last summer and were sold on him.”

CLASS 2A QUARTERFINAL

Dyersville Beckman (35-7) vs. West Branch (20-15)

When: 6 p.m. tonight

Where: Principal Park, Des Moines

Scouting Report: Beckman earned the top seed in 2A in somewhat surprising fashion, ahead of defending champion Davis County and its glossy 41-1 record. The Blazers have won 10 games in a row and 24 of 25 coming into the state tournament. Ian Ross leads the team with a .480 batting average, while third baseman Nate Steger has a state-best 25 doubles and 66 RBIs, which rank second. West Branch will have to play a better game than it did in its substate final against Mount Vernon. The Bears committed six errors and walked 14 batters but survived, 10-9. Bo Bower is WB's top hitter, coming in with a .449 average, 10 homers and 48 RBIs. Lefty Cody Brandt will likely be the Bears' pitcher tonight. He's 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA.