~by Joseph Beaudet, Scranton Journal summer intern
A rocky start to the baseball season saw the Rams finish quite strongly, winning three of their final six games and upsetting Kuemper Catholic in the Class 3A, Region 2 quarterfinal. The Rams will look to build on their strong finish to the season in 2021.
After an up-and-down season that saw Greene County start 0-7 and finish 3-12, the Rams had three players named to the Heart of Iowa all-conference teams.
Senior Tyler Teeples was named to the HOIAC all-conference second team and was the headliner for the Rams all season. Teeples earned starts at three different positions and his versatility proved valuable for the team.
His best performance on the mound came in the second game of a doubleheader against North Polk. Teeples turned in a complete-game shutout in a victory at home against the Comets. On the season, Teeples posted 5.10 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched.
At the plate, Teeples was third on the team with a .354 batting average and fourth with a .404 on-base percentage amongst Rams to play in every game this season. His senior season was one to remember in terms of individual performance for Teeples and he received well-earned recognition.
The Rams had two honorable mentions in senior Brent Riley and sophomore Bryce Stalder. Both Riley and Stalder were pivotal parts of the Rams pitching staff that largely improved as the season progressed.
Riley had a relatively strong season as the Rams’ workhorse on the mound. He led the team in innings pitched with 26.2 and strikeouts with 25 to his name.
Stalder was arguably the best Rams pitcher in the shortened season. He was third on the team in innings pitched with 20 and second on the team in strikeouts with 15 on the year. Opponents hit a lowly .193 against Stalder as he gave up just 1.2 walks or hits per inning and had an ERA of 2.80.
Riley’s performances at the plate were solid with a .222 batting average and .286 on-base percentage, though he was a threat on the basepaths when he reached base, stealing five bases in six attempts.
Stalder’s performances at the plate were very promising for the young sophomore. He was second on the team with a .362 batting average and had a .423 on-base percentage to barely grab the team lead over Caden Lowmiller who had a .423 OBP.
Unfortunately for the 2021 Rams baseball team, two of their three all-conference performers were seniors this season, though plenty of their young players got looks this year and showed promise. The Rams will look to improve on their 3-12 record next summer.
