RSM leads area on baseball all-district teams

Twelve area athletes were named to the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association all-district team for the 2006 season following a banner year for Plymouth County baseball.

Remsen St. Mary's led the county with four selections after finishing the War Eagle Conference season 18-0 and the regular season 28-6. Junior third baseman Andy Steichen - a first team all-state and all-conference pick - landed a spot on the Class 1A Northwest all-district first team, leading the area in nearly every offensive category. Steichen batted at a .571 clip with 52 hits on the season - including 15 doubles and 13 home runs - for a 1.165 slugging percentage and 106 total bases. He scored 41 runs and drove in 49 more, stealing 12 bags and walking 37 times. On the mound he was 6-1 with a 2.41 earned run average in 55 innings pitched, striking out 51 and walking 30.

Sophomore catcher Jon Klein was also a first team all-district pick after batting .328 with 38 runs scored and 20 RBIs. Klein racked up 43 total bases and was named first team all-conference in the WEC. He was also 3-2 on the mound in 29 innings of work, posting a 2.65 earned run average while striking out 27 and walking 10.

Senior center fielder Jeremy Majeres also followed up a first team all-conference selection with a first team all-district nod. Majeres batted .364 with 47 runs scored and 15 RBIs, legging out 11 doubles and three triples to go along with three home runs. He had 58 total bases and 14 stolen bases, drawing 34 walks. On the mound he was 2-1 over 18 1/3 innings with a 1.90 earned run average and 23 strikeouts to seven walks.

Senior shortstop Regi Arens rounded out the RSM first-teamers following a second team all-conference season in the WEC, batting .337 with 28 runs scored and 27 RBIs. Arens had 43 total bases - including nine doubles - and was 7-0 on the mound with a 1.78 earned run average and 37 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched.

Four other Plymouth County schools earned two all-district selections apiece, including Remsen-Union, Gehlen Catholic and Kingsley-Pierson in the Northwest 1A district and Hinton in the 2A Northwest district.

The Rockets had one first team selection in senior pitcher/catcher Tim Ruhland. Ruhland hit .232 with 17 RBIs and 19 runs scored, adding eight doubles and a home run for 30 total bases. On the mound, he was 5-3 with a 2.33 earned run average, striking out 48 batters and collecting three saves in 57 innings.

Senior utility player Dustin Sievers was a second team pick after batting .402 with 24 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Sievers had six doubles and two home runs for 45 total bases and was 4-2 on the mound with a 3.09 earned run average and 26 strikeouts in 43 innings.

State-qualifier Gehlen picked up a first-team bid from junior shortstop Mitch Kurth. Kurth - a first team all-conference and third team all-state selection - put up offensive numbers second only to Steichen with a .376 average, 44 RBIs and 61 total bases. He had 12 doubles, a triple and four home runs while scoring 30 times. On the mound, he was 6-5 with a 2.34 earned run average and 67 strikeouts over 62 2/3 innings

Junior pitcher and outfielder Alex Loutsch - also a first team all-conference pick - was an all-district second-teamer after batting .311 with 33 runs scored and 11 RBIs. Loutsch had 38 total bases and 12 stolen bases, making his biggest contributions from the mound. He pitched Gehlen past RSM and into the state semifinal game, posting an 8-4 record with a 2.27 earned run average and 102 strikeouts in 80 innings of work.

K-P's two selections included first-teamer Jeff Engle and second-teamer Eric Sitzmann. Sophomore pitcher/infielder Engle batted .333 with 24 runs scored and 15 RBIs, while on the mound was 6-4 with a 2.92 earned run average. Engle racked up 42 strikeouts to 15 walks over 69 1/3 innings pitched.

Senior outfielder Sitzmann batted .416 with 34 runs scored and 24 RBIs, including eight doubles and four triples en route to 53 total bases. He was 2-5 on the mound with a 3.60 earned run average with 33 strikeouts over 44 2/3 innings.

On the 2A front, seniors Jeff Steen and Tregg Fay garnered first-team selections for Hinton. Infielder Steen hit .423 with 31 runs scored and 18 RBIs, belting a pair of home runs for 43 total bases. Steen stole 19 bases and was also a first team all-conference pick in the WEC.

Fellow first team all-WEC member Fay hit .369 with 28 runs scored and 12 RBIs, stealing 13 bases for 35 total bases. Fay was unbeaten on the mound for most of the season and finished 7-2 with a 1.67 earned run average and 44 strikeouts over 54 1/3 innings.