Three Tigers named all-state

Three Lenox players were named to the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams.

Selected on the Class 1A first team were junior infielder and pitcher Dawson Evans, at a utility position, and senior Gabe Funk as an outfielder. Junior Laramie Stoaks, a pitcher for Lenox who also played third base and the outfield for the Tigers, was named to the third team.

Evans was also selected on the All-Iowa Class 1A team by the Des Moines Register.

Evans finished in the top five in Class 1A in five statistical categories. He was second in RBIs (49), third in home runs (five) and total bases (82) and fifth in hits (48) and slugging percentage (.863).

Among players in all four classes, Evans ranked eighth in RBIs, 12th in slugging percentage and 15th in batting average.

Evans, who primarily played shortstop when not pitching for the Tigers, also ranked in the top 15 in Class 1A in doubles (13), runs scored (46) and triples (three) while striking out only four times in 95 at bats. As a pitcher he was 3-1 with 28 strikeouts, 11 walks and 19 hits allowed in 18 innings pitched. Opposing hitters batted .190 against Evans.

Funk was the leader among all classes in stolen bases with 56 in 56 attempts. He ranked third in Class 1A in singles (36) while batting .427. He was tied for sixth in runs scored (48) and 19th in hits (41). Funk had one fielding error in 52 chances.

On the mound, Funk was 4-2 with 34 strikeouts, 11 walks and 37 hits allowed in 27 innings.

Stoaks was the pitching ace for the 20-10 Tigers who reached the substate finals before falling to state runner-up Martensdale-St. Marys, 4-0. Stoaks had a 5-1 record and 1.69 ERA. In 45.2 innings, he had 74 strikeouts, 16 walks and 31 hits allowed. Opponents had a .157 batting average against Stoaks. He ranked 20th in Class 1A in strikeouts and 16th in 1A among pitchers with at least 45 innings pitched.

Stoaks was also an outfielder and third baseman, depending on who was on the mound for the Tigers, and ended with a .400 batting average and 35 RBIs, which ranked 20th in 1A. He ranked 14th in runs scored (41). Stoaks also had 26 stolen bases.

Martensdale-St. Marys also had three all-state players. Senior Trey Wight was named to the first team at shortstop and junior Colton Wight is on the first team at third base. Senior Cale Morrow is on the second team as an outfielder.