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ALL-NICL WEST: Wolken’s balance leads to top honor

East Marshall senior chosen as Most Outstanding

July 12, 2012
By TIMES-REPUBLICAN STAFF (sports@timesrepublican.com) , Times-Republican

The NICL West Division's winningest pitcher and its leading hitter were awarded as the conference's Most Outstanding Player.

East Marshall senior Dakotah Wolken was both of them.

Wolken received the top honor while helping the Mustangs gain their first conference title since sharing it in 2010, leading the 12-player all-NICL West baseball team as voted on by league coaches.

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T-R FILE PHOTO

Wolken went 4-0 with a 0.93 earned run average in conference play and is 8-0 overall heading into Saturday's district semifinals.

Wolken, now a two-time all-conference first-teamer, leads the league with a .500 batting average, 57 hits, 49 runs scored and 30 stolen bases. He was one of three first-team selections for the Mustangs, joined by senior John Bloom and junior outfielder Josh Wilson.

Bloom's first-team selection was his third straight while Wilson was honored for the second time in his career. Bloom is batting .376 with a team-leading 11 doubles and 36 RBIs to go along with a 6-1 pitching record, a 1.29 ERA and 71 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .117 against him this summer. Wilson is hitting .337 with two homers and 26 RBIs.

Conference runner-up West Marshall had one first-team pick in junior Jared Riemenschneider, a unanimous selection for the second year in a row. Riemenschneider batted .456 for the Trojans while going 5-1 on the mound with a conference-best 1.10 ERA prior to postseason play.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior Parker Bolt garnered his fourth straight all-NICL West first team honor, the last three of which have been unanimous. Bolt, a utility pick as a shortstop and a pitcher, is hitting .465 with eight doubles and a league-leading six triples entering tonight's Class 1A district semifinal round.

Bolt was joined on the first team by fellow senior first baseman Brady Billerbeck, who hit .606 in league play and .473 overall.

BCLUW senior Cole Thompson earned his third straight all-conference first team honor, this time unanimously, by hitting .421 and finishing 5-3 with a 2.68 ERA on the mound for the Comets. Senior third baseman Robert Sharp hit a team-high .424 with a homer and 35 RBIs in gaining his first all-NICL West first team honor.

South Tama, in its first year in the league, gained three first-team picks in senior outfielder Jacob Clark, junior catcher Noah Bearden and sophomore shortstop Kolton Smith. Clark, a unanimous choice, is batting .364 and is 3-0 on the mound. Smith leads the Trojans with a .368 average, five triples, one homer and 27 stolen bases. Bearden is batting .329 with 3A district play set to begin Friday.

Grundy Center junior outfielder Tyler Harken rounds out the all-NICL West first team. He leads the Spartans into tonight's district semifinals against Gladbrook-Reinbeck with a team-high .373 batting average.

 
 

 

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