Iowa's best high school baseball players: Meet the state's top pitchers

Some of Iowa's top prep baseball pitchers

By Barry Poe 

Iowa is loaded with talented pitchers and many of these excel at other positions as well. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as there are hundreds of outstanding pitchers statewide. 

Carter Woollums, Johnston, Sr.

Woollums went 10-0 on the mound with a 1.52 ERA and 78 strikeouts while leading the Dragons to the Class 4A state championship. The righthander, who allowed just 12 earned runs in 52.2 innings pitched, was a Super Team selection by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association.

Sam George, Pleasant Valley, Sr.

The Minnesota State-Mankato commit was a first team Class 4A all-state pick by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association. The lefthander had a 5-1 record, 2.31 ERA in a team-high 50 innings pitched, striking out 50 and walking just 11.

Ian Fisher, Norwalk, Sr.

Fisher has committed to play baseball at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. The first-team all-state pick ranked third in Class 4A with 95 strikeouts and had a 7-1 record and 1.05 ERA, allowing 34 hits and 11 walks in 60 innings.

Isaac Then, Western Dubuque, Sr.

The lefthander finished with an 8-0 record and 1.71 ERA, striking out 80 and walking 19 in 41.1 innings. In the Class 3A state championship game, the first-team all-stater pitched a complete game two-hitter, striking out nine as the Bobcats beat top-seeded Davenport Assumption 7-1.

Owen Larson, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Jr.

Also a standout point guard and already his school’s all-time leading scorer, Larson has committed to the South Dakota State University basketball program. During his sophomore baseball season, the first-team Class 2A all-state selection helped the Midgets reach the state championship game, posting a 9-0 record and 1.18 ERA, striking out 72 in 53.1 innings pitched.

Doug Taylor, Mason City Newman, Sr.

Taylor is not only a star pitcher for last year’s Class 1A state semifinalists, he can swing the bat as well. The University of Iowa commit was 9-1 with 116 strikeouts – the most in Class 1A and fourth overall. He allowed 15 earned runs in 60.2 innings for an ERA of 1.73 and opponents hit just .140 against the right-hander. Taylor batted over .440 with 60 RBIs – second most in the state – and swatted seven home runs.

Tate Mayer, Saint Ansgar, Sr.

Mayer finished fourth in Class 1A with 103 strikeouts and set a school record with 19 in one game. Mayer, a first-team all-state pick, finished 5-3 with a sterling 0.63 ERA, allowing only five earned runs in 55.1 innings pitched.

Logan Sibenaller, Carroll Kuemper, Sr.

Sibenallar was 7-2 in his junior season and got the win in a Class 2A substate final, giving Kuemper its first state tournament berth since 2017. A second-team 2A all-stater, he worked 56 innings and struck out 57, posting a 2.88 ERA.

Connor Kraft, Le Mars Gehlen Catholic, Sr.

Kraft earned second team Class 1A all-state accolades from the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association. He pitched a team-high 56 innings for the Jays, striking out 76 while posting a 0.38 ERA. Opponents hit just .133 against Kraft,who finished with a 5-0 record.

Keagan Streeter, South Winneshiek, Sr.

Streeter, a second team all-state pick, finished second in 1A with 109 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched. South Winneshiek reached the state tournament, falling to top-ranked Remsen St. Mary’s in a quarterfinal. Streeter was 8-3 with a 1.22 ERA.

Jace Scott, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Jr.

Scott made the Class 4A all-state third team as a sophomore. He posted a 5-3 record with a 1.79 ERA, allowing 16 earned runs in 62.2 innings while striking out 51.

Pierce Anderson, Johnston, Sr.

Anderson was a strong No. 2 starter behind Carter Woollums in the rotation for Johnston, which captured its fifth 4A state title since 2008. The winning pitcher in last year’s state championship game against West Des Moines Dowling, The Kirkwood Community College commit won all eight of his starts with a 1.44 ERA, striking out 58.

Luke Bohonek, Bettendorf, Sr.

The Iowa Central Community College commit, Bohonek struck out 64 batters in 43.2 innings pitched. He was 5-1 with a 3.02 ERA and earned third team 4A all-state honors.

Beau Leisure, Knoxville, Sr.

Leisure has signed to play Division I baseball for Abilene Christian University. A third team Class 3A all-state pick as a junior, he finished 6-4 on the mound with a miniscule 0.78 ERA, giving up only seven earned runs in 62.2 innings and his 109 strikeouts ranked second in 3A.

Keaton Fenn, Dallas Center-Grimes, Jr.

Fenn earned 3A third team all-state accolades as a sophomore. He had a strong season on the mound, finishing 6-1 with a 2.73 ERA and 75 strikeouts, with opponents hitting just .169 off him.

Reece Vander Zee, Central Lyon, Jr.

The University of Iowa – among many others – has made Vander Zee a football offer. The multi-sport star could probably pick his sport, but in baseball he was a third team Class 2A all-stater as a sophomore, posting a 6-0 record and 1.35 ERA, striking out 76 in 36.1 innings.

Jack Miller, Jesup, Jr.

Another athlete who will probably play basketball at the collegiate level, Miller nonetheless starred on the mound last season. The third team 2A all-stater was 7-2 with a 1.14 ERA in 49 innings pitched, striking out 57. Miller scored 50 points in a basketball game this season.

Connor Maston, Lynnville-Sully, Sr.

Maston was named to the Class 1A all-state third team last season. He had an unbeaten 8-0 mark on the mound with an ERA of 2.16 and ranked seventh in 1A with 96 strikeouts. The eight wins ranked 10th in the class and he also notched two saves.

Isaiah Gerrietts, Remsen St. Mary’s, Sr.

Gerrietts was a major reason the Hawks went all the way to the 1A state championship game unbeaten. He put together an 8-0 mound record with an 0.90 ERA, earning third team all-state honors.

Cale Brechwald, Alta-Aurelia, Jr.

Brechwald’s 11 wins as a sophomore tied for the most statewide among pitchers in all classes. He was 11-3 with an 0.84 ERA, striking out 97 in 58 innings pitched.

William Kiburis, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Sr.

Kiburis was a spotless 9-0 on the mound as a junior, striking out 95 while posting a 0.89 ERA. He averaged 26.1 points per game in basketball, which was fifth in the state among all classes, and his 678 points led all Iowa scorers.

Lucas Sieck, Lynnville-Sully, Jr.

Sieck led his team with nine victories on the mound last season and with all-state teammate Connor Maston will form a strong one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Sieck was 9-1 with 58 strikeouts and a 2.21 ERA, leading his team to a substate final.

Jaxon Bunkers, Remsen St. Mary’s, Sr.

Bunkers’ name may show up in list of other positions on SBLive, as he is a versatile performer. As a pitcher, he was 9-0 and gave up only four earned runs in 45.1 innings (0.62 ERA) for the 1A state runners-up. Bunkers also hit .472 with 45 RBIs and was an all-state football and basketball honoree.

Tyler Welch, Davenport Assumption, Sr.

Welch had an 8-1 record for last year’s 3A state runners-up. He was 8-1 with a 1.43 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 47.1 innings.

Mason Hicks, Saydel, Sr.

Hicks finished 12th among Class 3A pitchers with seven wins during his junior season. He was 7-3 with 102 strikeouts, which ranked fifth in 3A, and a 1.28 ERA.

Aidan Anderson, Keota, Sr.

Anderson put together an outstanding junior season on the mound. He sported an 8-0 record and 0.53 ERA, allowing just four earned runs in 52.2 innings.

Max Burt, Mason City Newman

With Burt and all-stater Doug Taylor in the rotation, Newman should be a strong challenger in Class 1A this season. Burt has already committed to the University of Iowa, as has his teammate Taylor. Burt is primarily a catcher, but he was 4-0 with 32 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched.

Jack Van Fossen, Underwood, Jr.

Van Fossen was 6-1 and gave up five earned runs in 39 innings as a sophomore. He had an 0.90 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

Owen Siegert, West Marshall, Jr.

Siegert has committed to South Dakota State University with two more high school seasons remaining. He was 6-3 with an 0.94 ERA as a sophomore and his 90 strikeouts ranked sixth in Class 2A.