The Grundy Center baseball team picked up steam as the season progressed, and was led by a pitching staff that helped keep opponents in check.
Throughout the season, the staff compiled a 1.92 ERA, the best in the North Iowa Cedar League and fourth-best in Class 2A.
“The biggest thing is, as we started early, those guys, they throw a lot of strikes, they put the ball in play, they’ve got good defense behind them, and they’re just competitive,” Head Coach Pat Brown Jr. says. “All of those kids have competed at the state level in some sport, besides baseball. You give them the ball, you put them on the mound, and you know that you got a shot.”
In his nine starts and 10 appearances, senior all-district selection Tate Jirovsky had a 0.71 ERA and went several weeks into the season before giving up his first earned run. He recorded 65 strikeouts and just eight walks. Sophomore Brayden Davie and junior Ryker Thoren were similarly dominant on the mound.
Brown on the impact of Jirovsky and fellow seniors Colin Gordon and Tanner Laube.
“Tate was the NICL-West unanimous player of the year, two-time year player of the year, all district. If he doesn’t get hurt, who knows? Those three kids, they’re really gonna be missed as players, but they’re gonna be missed tremendously as like just good kids and good leaders and fun kids to be around. You get a senior and you give an 18y-year-old kid a diploma, they’re a total different beast. You know, they’re footloose and fancy free. They’re looking forward to college. They’re looking forward to hanging out with their buddies. And these kids, they stayed solid and they stayed focused.”
The Spartans went 15-7 to win the NICL-West. They’re expected to return all but one member of this year’s pitching staff.
