McLean

An all-conference performer in one way or another for each of his four seasons, North Tama junior Gabe Kopriva has now reached the peak.

Kopriva was named the Player of the Year by the coaches of the Iowa Star Conference’s South Division, adding to his list of league accolades with the top honor.

Kopriva was the only first-team all-conference player for North Tama, which finished third in the South behind Collins-Maxwell and Colo-NESCO. Royals head coach Brandon Frohwein was honored as the league’s Coach of the Year.

The junior also pulled in first team awards for the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association’s Class 1A All-District Central team (2B) and the Times-Republican All-Area Team (Utility).

This was the third all-district award for Kopriva who was on first team last year and second team his freshman year.

Kopriva

Kopriva batted .591 in conference play this summer, going 26-for-44 with three doubles, three triples, a home run and 12 RBIs. He scored a division-leading 20 runs and was tops with a .635 on-base percentage and a .864 slugging percentage. Kopriva also swiped 10 bases and had a .900 fielding percentage.

On the mound, Kopriva was 1-3 with one save in seven appearances, finishing with a 3.58 earned run average. He struck out 37 batters in 29 1/3 innings. He was an honorable mention all-conference selection as an eighth-grader, a second-teamer as a freshman, and is now a two-time first-team recipient.

North Tama had a pair of second-team honorees in senior infielder Aaron Snider and junior pitcher Devin McKinley.

Michael Schrier, a sophomore, was North Tama’s honorable mention selection. Schrier was also named as an honorable mention for the Times-Republican All-Area Baseball Team last week.

McLean honored

It was one last all-conference honor for one of North Tama’s most consistent players.

North Tama senior Rylee McLean received first-team honors in the Iowa Star Conference’s South Division for the second year in a row.

On an all-conference squad dominated by Class 1A perennial powerhouse Collins-Maxwell, McLean received recognition for the fourth time in her career.

Collins-Maxwell had five of the 11 first-team honorees, including Player of the Year Alexis Houge, while GMG head coach Kati Barnes was named the league’s Coach of the Year after the Wolverines won five conference games for the first time since 2016.

McLean was twice named to the all-conference second team before back-to-back first-team awards. She led the Redhawks and ranked seventh in the South Division with a .438 batting average, powered by a league-leading three home runs. McLean was second in the South with six doubles and a .906 slugging percentage.

North Tama’s honorable mention recipient was catcher Jamie Jacobs. The freshman hit .378 with a double, 12 runs scored and four RBIs. She stole a team-leading 11 bases.

Last week McLean, Jacobs and 8th grader Briar Blaker were named to the Times-Republican All-Area Softball Team. McLean earned first team honors (outfield) while Jacobs and Blake were both honorable mentions.