Five Lions named to All-District teams

Clear Lake’s Jackson Hamlin and Zach Lester, both seniors, have been named to the All-North Central Conference Baseball First Team.  Hamlin was honored as a pitcher, while Lester was the choice as a First Team catcher.  In All-District voting days later, Lester was named to the First Team, while Hamlin was selected as a Second Team utility player.

Hamlin ranked first in the conference with an earned run average of 0.40.  He threw 17 and two-thirds innings, allowing 10 hits and striking out 12.  He walked seven batters.  Just two runs, one earned, was scored with Hamlin on the mound in league games.   Opponents’ batting average against him was .161.  Hamlin started three NCC games and won all three.

Lester was among the leaders in several statistical categories in the NCC.  He finished fifth in batting averages with .386, connecting on 17 of 44 trips to the plate.  He smacked one double, one triple and two home runs during the season, producing 16 RBIs to rank third in that category  He scored 12 runs himself.  Lester was also fifth in slugging percentage was .591.  Lester’s nine stolen bases also ranked fifth.

Lester also had an impressive season on the mound for the Lions. He was third in ERA with 0.93.  In 30 innings pitched, he surrendered four runs, 14 hits and gave up 14 walks.  He struck out 35.  Lester won each of the five games he pitched and held opponents to a .132 batting average.

Senior Nathan Tofte and Erik McHenry, a sophomore, were chosen for the NCC Second Team.  Tofte was honored at the pitcher position.  McHenry was selected as an infielder.

Tofte ranked seventh among NCC pitcher in ERA.  In 30 innings of work, he gave up 35 hits and seven walks while striking out 32.  He was touched for 17 runs, 12 of them earned.  Opponents had a .276 batting average against him.  Tofte ranked fifth in winning percentage among NCC pitchers with a 4-1 record (.800).  He was also fifth in only average 1.40 hits/walks/hit by pitch per inning pitched.

McHenry ranked seventh in the NCC with an on-base percentage of .520.  He reached base with 12 hits in 35 at-bats, 10 walks and was hit by a pitch four times.  He had the 14th best batting average in the league with a .343.  His line included a pair of doubles and seven RBIs.  He scored eight runs for the Lions.  McHenry’s slugging percentage was .400, good for 18th in the NCC.

Chase Stuver received Honorable Mention in NCC balloting.  The junior had a .237 batting average, connecting for 11 this in 37 trips to the plate.  He recorded four doubles, which placed him with five others as third best in the league.  He ranked 17th in slugging percentage with .405.

Clear Lake won the North Central Conference title with a record of 12-2.

Pitching was a strength for the Lions, as they ranked second in the league in ERA.  Opponents batted .223 against the Lions in 92 innings of play.  Webster City topped the pitching statistics with an ERA of 1.22, holding opponents’ batting average to .117.

The Lions were fourth in hitting, with 82 runs scored.  The team had a batting average of .260.