Kenyon-Wanamingo Sophomore Collects Seven Plaques

Kenyon-Wanamingo High School baseball Head Coach Kirby VanDeWalker handed out awards last night in Wanamingo for the spring season.  Sophomore Owen Hilke earned seven plaques including Most Valuable Player.  The awards came after the legion team looked tired in a sweep by Goodhue.

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Legion Post 78 squad fell 6-0 and 7-2 to Goodhue.  Post 78 played well at a tournament in Ely over the weekend after some of them played basketball in the Dells of Wisconsin last week.

The high school team finished with a 7-16 overall record, 5-9 in conference play and came in second in the Hiawatha Valley League Blue Division.  The Knights lost 5 games by one run.  They defeated the H-V-L Blue Champion Cannon Falls Bombers 2-1 to start the playoffs before falling to Blue Earth Area 8-1 and LeSueur-Henderson 11-1 to close out the season.

Hilke and recent graduate Tyler Ryan were named All-Conference.  Hilke and Garrett Grove received All-Section honors.  In addition to the MVP award Hilke received plaques for lowest ERA, 3.03, led the pitching staff in wins with 4, strikeouts with 55 in 50 and 2/3 innings pitched so was named best pitcher.  Hilke also had the highest batting average award .409, most RBI with 16, led the team with 11 doubles, just over 61 percent quality at bats to win that award and had the best fielding percentage for infielders.

Junior Tate Erlandson was the stolen base leader with 15 in 18 attempts, runs scored with 18.  Senior Tyler Ryan had two plaques.  Junior Cole Flom two plaques, junior Garrett Grove two.  Junior Riley Horn was named most improved player.

Coach VanDeWalker told his team they could beat anybody when they pitch well and field well.  The Knights finished the season with 63 errors in 23 games and had a team ERA of 5.91 while their team batting average was .223.

The Kenyon-Wanamingo High School team was successful 77 percent of the time when stealing a base going 56 of 72.

The high school and legion baseball Head Coach said the team would miss seniors Tyler Ryan, Colin Sviggum and Micah Johnson.  VanDeWalker added some of the younger players will have to step it up over the next month of the legion season to get ready for next spring.