15 CLASS 2-1A BASEBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 

BRAYDEN BERENS, PRATT-SKYLINE
 
Skyline’s victory total dropped off last season, but Berens continued to be a strikeout-tossing machine. He fanned 114 – 19 more than his sophomore season – and allowed opposing hitters to bat just .112 against him. The senior right-hander could threaten 400 career strikeouts if he remains healthy. Offensively, Berens batted .507 with 3 home runs in 2023ds. The Tabor signee earned All-Class 2-1A second-team honors for the second straight season.
 

COREY CRUMRINE, SEDGWICK
 
Crumrine, a three-sport standout who guides Sedgwick’s spread offense at quarterback in the fall, used his arm to post a 7-2 record with a 2.18 ERA last season. Crumrine struck out 75 and walked just 8 in 51.1 innings to earn All-Class 2-1A second-team and All-Heart of America first-team honors. The junior will play infield when he’s not pitching for the Cardinals, who won a regional title last spring.
 

CARTER CUNNINGHAM, MEDICINE LODGE
 
Cunningham did his part to get Medicine Lodge to the state tournament last season, batting .464 with 4 home runs and an .857 slugging percentage. The senior posted a 3-1 record on the mound with a 3.30 ERA and 50 strikeouts. Cunningham earned All-Central Plains League first-team honors as an infielder his sophomore season, then did the same at pitcher last spring. He’ll play third base when he’s not pitching for the Indians.
 

ZAC EVANS, VALLEY FALLS

After starting his prep career as a trach athlete in the spring, qualifying for state that season, Evans has been one of the Dragons’ best baseball players since moving to that sport as a sophomore. Last year he hit .500 with 5 home runs and 29 RBI, but perhaps his best stat was he only struck out 4 times. A career .445 hitter, Evans is on track to finish top two or three on many of Valley Falls’ career hitting lists and had he played all four years he very well could have finished first in nearly all of them. Evans also pitched for the Dragons and was a first-team All-Northeast Kansas league selection there. He earned first-team All-Class 2-1A honors in the outfield and has been a standout in basketball and football for the Dragons as well.
 

DAN HAIVALA, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN

The Panthers made just the third Class 2-1A state tournament appearance in program history last year and Haivala was a big reason why. The senior was effective in a relief role on the mound for the Panthers, posting three saves and striking out 40 in 27.2 innings pitched. He also hit .394 with 5 triples and 25 RBi swith an OBS of 1.089. Haivala earned first-team All-Kaw Valley Conference honors and was part of a Panther pitching staff that had just a 2.82 ERA with 207 strikeouts overall. Haivala led KC Christian to a runner-up finish in the Kaw Valley to Class 3A qualifier Bishop Ward.
 

JACKSON KOLTERMAN, ONAGA

Kolterman helped Onaga make program history as the Buffaloes qualified for the Class 2-1A state tournament for the first time in its three-year history after falling in the regional semifinals each of their first two seasons. Onaga stuck around for the weekend as well after beating Medicine Lodge in 9 innings the quarterfinals, finishing fourth after losses to St. Mary’s Colgan and Elkhart. Kolterman belted a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of the regional championship game that sent Onaga to state and then came on in relief in the state quarterfinal and struck out 9 in 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits. Kolterman was primarily Onaga’s shortstop a year ago and hit .405 with 5 home runs, 21 RBi and 43 runs scored while also going 15-for-15 in stolen base attempts. He’s only been caught stealing once in his career and his defense is top notch as well. Kolterman was first-team All-Twin Valley League for the second straight year and was a second-team All-Class 2-1A selection. He’ll take on more pitching duties this year for the Buffaloes, who lost aces Zac Fisher and Colby Simkins.
 

DREW KONRADE, LEBO-WAVERLY

Konrade tied the state record for triples in a game last year with three and that was just the tip of his hitting prowess for the Wolfdogs. He finished the season with 5 triples overall and hit .415 with 12 doubles, scoring 45 runs and stealing 17 bases. Konrade also sported a 2.70 ERA on the mound. He earned first-team All-Lyon County League honors in the outfield and was a second-team All-Class 2-1A pick there as well.
 

JACK LANNING, MARION
 
Lanning is one of five Marion seniors with multiple seasons of starting experience. The versatile veteran played seven positions last season, but will primarily play shortstop and give the Warriors some relief innings. During last season’s run to the Class 2-1A title game, Lanning batted .549 with 39 hits – 9 for extra bases – and used 27 stolen bases to fuel 44 runs scored. He also posted a 2-1 record with 2 saves and a 3.11 ERA, striking out 29 in 18 innings. Lanning earned All-Class 2-1A second-team honors as an outfielder and All-Heart of America first team at utility player. A Coffeyville Community College football signee, Lanning notched his 100^th career hit early this season against Conway Springs.
 

STERLING LIES, SEDGWICK
 
Lies, a senior, was hard to keep off the bases last season, batting .448 with a .673 on-base percentage. Fourteen of his 26 hits went for extra bases as Lies scored 42 runs with 19 steals. An All-Class 2-1A second-team middle infielder and All-Heart of America first-team shortstop, Lies helped the Cardinals earn a state berth and finish 18-6 after a quarterfinal loss to HOA rival Marion.
 

COREY REESE, LEBO-WAVERLY

A four-year starter for the Wolfdogs, Reese has played all over the diamond throughout his career and earned honorable mention All-Class 2-1A honors as a utility player last season. He hit .500  with 10 doubles, 2 home runs and 37 RBI while also scoring 31 runs. Reese is on pace to finish at Lebo-Waverly’s all-time leading in batting average and hits. Reese also earned first-team All-Lyon County League honors at catcher and also pitches, teaming with returning junior and all-league Drew Konrade to give Lebo-Waverly a strong duo to build around coming off a 13-9 season last year. Reese has committed to Pratt Community College.
 

LOGAN RENKEN, LITTLE RIVER

After being a starter on Little River’s 2022 Class 2-1A state runner-up- team, Renken helped the Redskins to a 20-2 record last year with the Redskins falling in the state quarterfinals to eventual champion St. Mary’s Colgan 12-5. A junior this season, Renken splits time between pitcher and shortstop and went 5-0 and allowed just 7 earned runs and 17 hits in 27.2 innings pitched, striking out 46 and walking just 10. He also hit 623 with 11 doubles and 37 RBI, ranking second on the team in hitting as a sophomore to departed teammate Braden Young. With five seniors graduating, Renken and returning junior classmate Spencer Strecker will look to keep the Redskins among the contenders in Class 2-1A this year. Renken was first-team All-Wheat State League at both pitcher and middle infield and first-team All-Class 2-1A at middle infield.
 

TREVOR SCHAFERS, MARION
 
A shoulder injury sidelined Schafers for most of the 2023 season, but he returned in time to perform in some big moments for the Warriors. In his second game back, Schafers started Marion’s regional title run with a one-hit shutout over Lyndon in the quarterfinals, striking out eight and blanking the Tigers on 84 pitches. The senior also came in as a substitute in the state semifinals, and was penciled in at first base for the championship game loss to Pittsburg Colgan because of a teammate’s injury. Schafers has started for the Warriors since his freshman season, and led the team in innings pitched as a sophomore.
 

COOPER SIMMONS, ST. MARY'S COLGAN

Simmons earned All-State second team and All-CNC first team honors as a junior last year. The senior catcher hit close to .420 last season with 21 RBIs heading into the state tournament. Simmons helped lead his Panthers to the 2-1A state championship, with the team winning each of its state games by at least eight runs. The victory marked the program’s 20th overall state title, including 17 under head coach Mike Watt, and first since the team’s four-peat from 2013-16. Simmons and many of his teammates tried to parlay that success into winning a state championship in football during the fall, but those guys had to reset their focus to two-peat out at the ballpark after their dreams of winning it all on the gridiron ended in the state semifinals.
 

SPENCER STRECKER, LITTLE RIVER

Strecker stepped in as a sophomore starter last year at second base and was a productive hitter in a loaded Redskin lineup, hitting .435. He had 3 home runs and 5 doubles. Strecker also saw some time on the mound, logging a 3-1 record, allowing just 7 earned runs in 18.2 innings and striking out 24. Strecker was honorable mention All-Wheat State League.
 

ROGAN WEIR, COLONY CREST

Weir earned All-State and All-TRL first team honors as a junior last season. The senior outfielder drove in 31 runs with a .549 batting average and eight extra-base hits. Weir had similar numbers as a sophomore when he was an All-State honorable mention. Last season Weir helped lead Crest to a top seed in their regional with an undefeated regular season. The Lancers reached the regional final before suffering a 3-2 loss to Kansas City Christian.