The 2021 South Hamilton Hawks baseball team churned out the most successful season in recent memory of South Hamilton baseball. 19 wins was the most in a season in over 15 years, as the Hawks finished 3rd in the Heart of Iowa Conference behind West Marshall and their rivals in Roland-Story.
2022 presents the challenge of replacing the nucleus of the 2021 team as the Hawks graduated 6 starters from that team. Carter Hewitt led the conference in home runs with 9, and was third in RBI with 40. Brock Galetich was 3rd in the conference in stolen bases with 36, as well as possessing a team-low 1.85 ERA and a 7-1 record on the mound. Freddie Lewis was one of the top defensive players in the league, with a fielding percentage of .982, while Hewitt and Galetich were top 5 in the league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Head Coach Kyle Galetich also stepped down from his role following the season as well.
While the departures from last season are numerous, first-year head coach Cole Swenson will have some returnees from last years team to work with. Tycin Barkema returns after batting .366 as a junior, hitting 4 home runs and 27 RBI, as well as 3-1 record on the mound and a 2.71 ERA. Fellow senior Tanner Blue enters off a junior year where he hit .380 with 2 home runs and 20 RBI, and a 3.42 ERA in 6 appearances on the mound. Another senior in Elijah Balderas will complete the pitching battery behind the plate, as the catcher batted nearly .400 in 2021, as well as holding a 3-1 record on the mound, with a 2.19 ERA. Others expected to take on larger roles include seniors Gatlin Johnson, Gavin Swenson and Chase Friest, and juniors Landon Skartvedt and Carter Balvanz.
South Hamilton opens their season on Monday, May 16th as they travel to Alleman to take on the North Polk Comets, with first pitch slated for 7:30 PM