Eight Bulldog baseball players earn all-conference honors

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

The Upper Iowa all-conference baseball selections include eight MFL MarMac players. Juniors Ben Krambeer, Parker Kuehl and Jacob Schellhorn were all named to the first team and seniors Carver Blietz-Bentien, Elias Hatt and Bryce Radloff to the second team, while junior Jaxon Millage and senior Nick Krambeer were honorable mention picks.

Third baseman Ben Krambeer hit .336 in 30 games for the Bulldogs and amassed an on base percentage of .423. His 36 hits were fifth most in the conference, and he ranked third with nine doubles and tied for first with teammate Blietz-Bentien with two homeruns. Krambeer led all UIC players with 34 RBIs and was fourth in total bases, with 51. He also scored 25 runs.

Kuehl was another offensive leader, ending the season with a .382 average—second on the team and sixth best in the conference—as well as a .500 on base percentage. He compiled 39 hits, which was second most among UIC players, and was tops with 34 singles and second with a pair of triples. Kuehl racked up 48 total bases over 30 games and ranked third in the UIC and second for MFL MarMac with 25 steals. He also scored 37 runs—third most in the conference—and totaled 20 RBIs.

While not playing center field, Kuehl pitched 41 and one-third innings over 9 games, mostly as a starter. His 4-1 win total was tied for sixth in the UIC, and he was also in the top 10 with a 1.86 ERA, while holding opponents to a .199 average. Kuehl’s 54 strikeouts were fourth most among conference players.

Also carrying a large part of MFL MarMac’s pitching load was Schellhorn, who appeared on the mound in 10 of the 31 games in which he played. He compiled a record of 3-2 and earned run average of 1.62 across 43 and one-third innings, which was seventh best in the conference. The .178 batting average against him was ninth in the UIC, and he had the 10th most strikeouts with 40.

Offensively, the shortstop hit .267 with a .441 on base percentage. Along with 24 hits, Schellhorn drew a conference-best 28 walks and had the most sacrifice flies with five. He had the sixth most runs, at 31, and was fifth with 26 RBIs. He also swiped 17 stolen bases, tying for sixth in the UIC.

Blietz-Bentien split time at catcher, first base and as designated hitter in 30 games, recording a .389 batting average—fifth best in the conference. His .500 on base percentage tied him for sixth in that category. Blietz-Bentien also ranked in the top 10 with 35 hits, including second with 11 doubles and tied for first with two homers. His 52 total bases were third most in the UIC and his 25 RBIs were good for eighth. He also stole 10 bases and scored 28 runs.

Hatt was another offensive leader, putting up a .375 batting average and .523 on base percentage in 24 games, the latter of which was third highest among Upper Iowa players. The outfielder’s stat line include 24 hits—19 singles, four doubles and one triple—as well as 18 walks. Hatt drove in 18 runs, scored 26 times himself and led the Bulldogs and the UIC with 28 steals.

Radloff, an infielder who largely played at second base, hit .292 in 31 games and had the third highest on base percentage in the conference at .540. He netted 19 hits, including a homerun, and walked 23 times—third most in the UIC. Radloff was hit by pitch the second most in the conference, at 12 total, and was also second with eight sacrifices. He tallied 15 stolen bases and 30 runs along with 11 RBIs.

Utility player Millage earned a .291 average and .411 on base percentage over 27 games. He had 23 hits and 11 walks, six stolen bases, 13 runs and 22 RBIs. The latter was fourth most among Bulldog players.

Nick Krambeer gave MFL MarMac 27 and two-thirds innings on the mound, posting a 5-0 record and 2.28 ERA in seven starts. His five wins were tied for fourth in the UIC, and he held opponents to a UIC-low .094 batting average. Krambeer’s 46 strikeouts ranked him seventh among conference pitchers.