All-NICL West Baseball: Gladbrook-Reinbeck's Will Kiburis named MVP

Gladbrook-Reinbeck junior Will Kiburis was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-NICL West baseball teams released recently.

In 15 division games, Kiburis hit .370 with two doubles, a home run and 15 runs batted in and stole 16 bases. Kiburis was also a perfect 8-0 in eight starts with 77 strikeouts compared to 20 walks and two earned runs in 43 and one-third innings, including a no-hitter against Grundy Center on June 27.

Kiburis is one of five unanimous first-team selections – Grundy Center’s Brayden Sawyer (pitcher) and Logan Knaack (outfielder), G-R’s Nick Tscherter (utility) and AGWSR’s Bo Gerbracht (utility) join Kiburis in that honor.

Sawyer hit .333 with six doubles and 18 RBI for the Spartans in West play. In eight starts, he had a 7-1 record and two earned runs in 43 innings pitched for a 0.33 earned run average. He struck out 58 batters, compared to just three walks.

Knaack led the Spartans with a .456 batting average in division play, hitting two doubles with 15 runs batted in and 19 runs scored, adding 12 stolen bases. Knaack also posted a perfect fielding percentage with no errors in nine chances out in centerfield.

Gerbracht hit .326 for the Cougars with five doubles, one triple and three RBI with 14 runs scored. The junior was 3-2 on the mound with 12 earned runs allowed in 22 ⅔ innings and 43 strikeouts compared to 27 walks.

Tscherter hit .449 in division play with four doubles, two home runs and 28 runs batted in. He only committed four errors in 106 chances and contributed 22 innings on the mound with a 5.09 ERA.

Other area first teamers included Grundy Center’s Patrick Brown III (catcher), Dayne Zinkula (second base), Bryce Greiner (third base) and Tate Jirovsky (outfielder); Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Isaac Clark (shortstop); and BCLUW’s Walker Ashton (shortstop) and Nick Feldpausch (outfielder).

Brown III caught three runners stealing behind the plate for the Spartans with a .976 fielding percentage and hit five doubles. Zinkula hit .429 with five doubles, a homer and 19 RBI and and was 4-1 on the mound with a 1.66 ERA. Greiner hit .370 with eight doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI. Tate Jirovsky hit .325 with 15 stolen bases, 18 runs scored and 10 runs batted in.

Clark hit .413 against West foes with 20 runs batted in, 10 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.

Ashton hit .333 for the Comets with five runs batted in, five stolen bases and seven runs scored. He also pitched 25 ⅓ innings with 15 earned runs, 29 strikeouts and 14 walks. Feldpausch hit .294 with a double, five RBI and four runs scored.

Pat Brown Jr. and Scott Kiburis shared the Coach of the Year honors for their work with Grundy Center and Gladbrook-Reinbeck, respectively.

All-NICL West Baseball

Final Standings

Grundy Center 13-2

Gladbrook-Reinbeck 12-3

AGWSR 8-7

South Hardin 6-9

East Marshall 3-10

BCLUW 1-12

MVP

Will Kiburis, jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Co-Coach of the Year

Scott Kiburis, Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Pat Brown Jr., Grundy Center

(* denotes unanimous selection)

First Team

Second Team

Honorable Mention