Iowa caps surprising postseason run with Division II non-select baseball championship
By Mike Coppage
SULPHUR, La. - Heading into the state baseball tournament, Iowa High School had a pedestrian record of 14-12.
That didn't faze either coach Daniel Hennigan or his players, who swept through the postseason with a 6-0 record. On Saturday at McMurry Park, the seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets put the finishing touches on their first state title since 2007 by blanking No. 8 Lakeshore, 4-0, for the Division II non-select championship.
"You know how Ben Franklin catches lightning with a key on a kite?" Hennigan said. "Well, we have 31 keys on our kite with our total of players and coaches. We gave them a key (Saturday) morning.
"I told them after the game to go find somebody who loves them. Somebody who drove them to all those practices when they were little. Go give them that key and a hug."
Pitcher Tyler Dartez was named Most Valuable Player after the left-hander scattered four hits in a complete-game effort. He was stellar in the playoffs.
In the quarterfinals, the southpaw handcuffed second-seeded North Vermilion over seven innings as the Yellow Jackets won, 3-1.
Lakeshore (23-13) didn't get many solid whacks at the baseball. The Titans had two infield hits with many of their outs coming via lazy pop flies.
"Tyler is a frustrating guy (for opposing batters)," Hennigan said. "That's our team in a nutshell. We want to be pesky, pesky, pesky. He's great on the mound that way.
"We've only broken 100 pitches in a game twice this year. Everything we preach is consistency; first-pitch, second-pitch and third-pitch strikes."
Dartez didn't register any strikeouts. Instead, he relied on a fine defensive effort which was spearheaded by left-fielder Cole Corbello and first baseman Reggie Ball.
Corbello made two tough catches in the outfield. In the fourth inning with one out, he recorded a double play by catching a fly ball and throwing out a runner who tagged up from third base.
The Yellow Jackets also turned a double play in the seventh inning.
"We have a good group of guys who want to play hard and do the right thing," Hennigan said. "It comes with practice, practice, practice. Rain, cold, whatever - we practice."
Iowa scored two runs in the first and third innings. The Yellow Jackets were patient at the plate, drawing five walks through the first 2 2/3 innings and forcing the Titans to make an early call to the bullpen.
Ball, Dartez and Diego Denison had two hits apiece. Corbello and Tyler Laverge each added a hit.
"Our whole schedule this year was tough," Hennigan said. "(Our toughness) is a generational thing. Our kids' dads made state runs. Their brothers, uncles and cousins did, too.
"That's what we do as a community, which is made obvious by the number of people here (Saturday)."
With five sophomore starters, the future is bright for the Iowa program.
