Benton Community looking to make third straight winning season

Benton Community’s baseball diamond is tucked between the high school and an old elementary building that is used for school district offices.

One of the classrooms has become a makeshift classroom, furnished with sofas, recliners, lockers, a TV and a ping pong table that seems to always be in use, according to Coach Seth Patterson.

The luxuries and amenities are just a sign of the camaraderie and bond that has propelled the Bobcats to a 14-3 overall start and a 7-1 conference mark that has them perched atop the Wamac’s West Division.

“I can hardly get them out of there,” said Patterson, noting the team has an indoor batting cage across the hall. “They want to be in the clubhouse four hours before the game and hang out for hours after the game. I think we have pretty good chemistry. They like to be around each other.”

Players will even spend time together away from the baseball field, celebrating victories with a team dinner. They simply enjoy being around each other.

“The team bond is strong,” Bobcats senior Casey Gessner said. “We’ll often go our to eat after wins. Guys show up to the clubhouse two to three hours early just to hang out and everyone’s always cracking jokes. It’s fun to be around.”

Patterson said the ping pong table is popular and hinted at a post-season tournament. Who is the best ping pong player?

“It’s a tough decision on choosing who the best ping pong player is,” Gessner said. “The top two are Kaleb Kaump and Kaleb Hupke.”

Benton won 26 games each of the last two summers and is working on its third straight winning season. It would be the longest streak since five in a row from 2012-16. The expectations were high, graduating three from a year ago and returning every other starter with two more who vied for time in 2024. Add in Cedar Rapids Prairie transfer V.J. Schulte and the Bobcats opened with a veteran group.

“We have a lot of experience,” Patterson said. “We knew we had a talented team. We’re still trying to piece everything together and get everybody on the same page. It’s a fairly good start.”

The Bobcats owned a singular focus from the start of the season.

“The only expectation we have is to win the state title,” Gessner said.

Benton is hitting .322 as a team with a .455 team on-base percentage. The Bobcats are tallying 8.5 runs per game.

Seven Bobcats have 13 hits or better already, including a team-high 24 from Schulte and 20 from junior Drew Fillenworth. They are tied with Carson Nolan with a team-best 16 RBIs. Nolan also leads the team with a .422 batting average, one point better than Schulte.

The pitching staff has combined for a 3.04. Schulte and Brooks Mitchell-Birdsell with three wins on the mound. Senior Adam Roos, Grady Frese and Hupke have two wins apiece. Mitchell-Birdsell has 25 strikeouts and a 0.84 earned-run average in 25 innings pitched.

Defense remains the bread and butter of Benton.

“Up until last night (Tuesday), our defense has been really stingy,” Patterson said. “It gives pitchers a lot of confidence to throw strikes and you get the ball in play.

At times, pitching has been outstanding and other times not. The same with hitting. … For the most part, we’ve picked each other up when one was down. The defense has been the standard and staple they’ve been doing.”

The Wamac presents a challenging schedule. The Bobcats have already split with Clear Creek Amana but 3A No. 3 Marion, Solon, Mount Vernon, Grinnell and Center Point-Urbana still loom. Benton is still trying to round out its pitching rotation and some batters are just coming into form after spring sports.

“It gets to be a long summer,” Patterson said. “There are a lot of games in a short amount of time.”

BUONADONNA BELTS 3 HRs IN JEFFERSON SWEEP

Cedar Rapids Washington’s Caiden Buonadonna erupted for three home runs and helped sweep Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 10-0 in six innings and 10-5, Monday at home. Buonadonna, a senior, has climbed into a tie for second in the state with five home runs.

Buonadonna hit a solo home run in the opener. He went 2-for-2 with six RBIs in the nightcap, hitting a two-run shot in the third and launching a grand slam in the six-run fourth. Buonadonna also hit two home runs in a doubleheader against Class 4A No. 5 Iowa City High on May 30.

“Caiden has put in a lot of time this offseason and it’s paying off for him,” Washington Coach Scott Brune said. “He’s seeing the ball really well right now.”

The Warriors return to action Thursday at Solon.

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PRAIRIE’S MCCLINTOCK LEADS STATE IN RBIS

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Collin McClintock is the top run producer in the state among all classes. McClintock has driven in 30 runs already this season, helping the top-ranked Hawks to a 17-0 record. Teammate Michael Day is tied for fourth with 23. Day and Southeast Polk’s Noah Trexel are tied for second in 4A behind McClintock.

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