Iowa's best high school baseball players: Meet the state's top outfielders

By Barry Poe

With the high school baseball season getting underway, SBLive is looking at the best players in Iowa. In our sixth installment, we feature outfielders from all classifications. The state is loaded with talented outfielders and many of these excel at other positions as well. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as there are hundreds of outstanding outfielders statewide. 

Carter Thomas, Mason City, Sr.

The Wayne State University signee was a second-team Class 4A all-state pick last season for a Mohawk teaam that reached a substate final. Thomas had a .412 average, stole 27 bases and had a 5-3 pitching record.

Dylan Davis, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Sr.

Davis will play at Kirkwood Community College after earning first-team all-state recognition last season. Davis swatted 13 home runs and knocked in 53 while hitting .466 last season and is currently hitting .456 with five homers, 27 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.

Miles Risley, Johnston, Sr.

An all-stater as a junior, Risley hit .378 with four home runs and 40 RBIs to go along with 24 stolen bases. This year, he is at .442 with 35 runs, 21 RBIs and 19 stolen bases for the consensus No. 1 team in the state.

Drake Callon, Fort Dodge, Sr.

Callon was an all-state pick by the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association last season when he hit .325, swiped 32 bases and scored 43 runs.

Dillon Kuehl, Urbandale, Sr.

Kuehl was a first-team all-state pick last season and has decided to play at DMACC. He is batting .420 with four home runs and 32 RBIs, along with 32 runs scored.

Chance Key, Waverly-Shell Rock, Sr.

Key was a first-team Class 3A pick last season as a utility selection. The Des Moines Area Community College signee excels both on the mound and in the field, with a .373 batting average, 26 RBIs and 29 runs scored, as well as a 3-2 pitching mark.

Ganon Archer, Van Meter, Sr.

There is not much that Archer can’t do on a baseball field. An all-stater as a junior, Archer is batting .460 with six homers and 35 RBIs and has a 7-0 pitching record for the unbeaten and three-time defending Class 2A state champions.

Tyson Cota, Lansing Kee, Sr.

The Kee Hawks are 29-2 and ranked No. 4 in Class 1A. Cota ranks second in the state with 44 RBIs while boasting a .484 batting average, 48 runs scored, 20 stolen bases and a 4-2 pitching record.

Max Stein, Davenport Assumption, Sr.

Stein will play baseball at Spoon River Community College in Canton, Ill. Named to the Class 3A all-state first team last season, Stein is hitting .409 with 25 RBIs for the Knights, ranked No. 1 in 3A.

Archer Ogbourne, Carlisle, Sr.

A multi-sport standout and a starter since his freshman season, Ogbourne – a second team all-stater last season -- has signed with St. Cloud (Minn.) State to play baseball. This season, he’ stolen 15 bases and scored 29 runs, while hitting three homers and batting .310.

C.J. Hisler, Webster City, Jr.

A second-team all-state pick as a sophomore, Hisler hit .462 and drove in 38 runs last season. This year, he has a .353 average and 31 RBIs for the North Central Conference leaders.

Tate Johnson, Fort Madison, Sr.

Johnson has committed to play football at Central College, but he does pretty well on the baseball diamond as well. A second-team Class 3A all-stater last season, Johnson hit .380 and drove in 38 runs.

Owen Pueggel, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Jr.

Pueggel had an outstanding sophomore season, earning third-team Class 2A all-state accolades after hitting .439 with 19 stolen bases. He has been limited to just five games this season.

Austin Hilmer, North Linn, Sr.

The Upper Iowa University signee has a .506 batting average and leads the state with 48 stolen bases. Hilmer has driven in 25 and scored 57 times, while sporting a 6-1 pitching record.

Joshua Catala, New London, Sr.

The Tigers are 20-0 and ranked No. 3 in Class 1A. Catala is second on the team with a .475 average while scoring 20 runs. He was a second team all-state pick last season.

Ryan Greenfield, Newell-Fonda, Jr.

The coaches had Greenfield on their third team Class 1A all-state team as a sophomore. This season, Greenfield has stolen 20 bases in as many attempts, is hitting .382 and has scored 26 times.

Brendon Monahan, C.B. St. Albert, Jr.

The Falcons won the Class 1A state title last season and Monahan was a first-team all-state pick. Currently, he is on a torrid pace, hitting .586 with 19 stolen bases.

Justice Weers, Tri-Center, Sr.

The Briar Cliff University recruit is having an outstanding senior season after earning all-state accolades as a junior. Weers is fifth in the state with a .564 batting average, with four homers and 19 RBIs.

Ryan Naughton, Don Bosco, Sr.

The returning all-stater has been a steady force for the Dons, ranked fifth in Class 1A. Naughton is hitting a solid .321 with 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored, as well as a 4-1 pitching mark.

Carter Bleil, Woodbury Central, Sr.

A first-team all-state pick by the IHSBCA as a junior, Bleil is putting together another strong all-around season. The speedster has a .404 average, is perfect in 18 stolen base attempts and has scored 23 runs for the 15-4 Wildcats.

Damon Schmid, Kingsley-Pierson, Sr.

A four-year regular for the Panthers, Schmid earned all-state recognition from the IPSWA last season. The hard-hitting lefthander checks in with a .359 average, two homers, 20 RBIs and 25 runs scored, while stealing 21 bases. K-P is ranked No. 9 in Class 1A.

Cade Molyneux, Sigourney, Sr.

Molyneux made second-team all-state last season, hitting .471 with a .617 OBP, 12 doubles, 37 runs, 33 stolen bases and 24 RBIs. He is currently batting .527 with three homers and 31 RBIs and 17 steals.

Jaxon Schumacher, Treynor, Jr.

Already an all-state pick as a sophomore, Schumacher is leading the Cardinals with a .489 average, four home runs and 15 RBIs. He has also struck out 28 batters with a 2-2 pitching record.

Cade Ward, Interstate 35, Sr.

Ward is a talented performer in several sports for the Roadrunners. He has a .354 batting average, 21 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 16 stolen bases and a 3-0 mark on the mound. Ward was an all-state pick last season by the Iowa sportswriters.

Carson Jager, MOC-Floyd Valley, Jr.

The junior, named a second team all-stater by the IPSWA as a sophomore, has a .391 average and 30 RBIs for the Siouxland Conference leaders. Jager has scored 32 runs and stolen 10 bases for the Dutchmen, a state tournament qualifier last season.