Hays High baseball players honored
By The Hays Daily News
Of the 13 players named to the all-Western Athletic Conference first team, the Hays High School baseball team took six spots.
Seniors Austin Klaus, Sam Rohleder and Matt Malott, along with juniors Logan Downing, Kelton Rule, and Jay Sanders all earned first-team honor. The other three Indian starters (seniors Justin Klaus and Taylor Pfannenstiel and junior Thomas Rohleder) earned honorable mention recognition.
Hays High finished 17-5 and runner-up in last week's Class 5A regional to McPherson,
Hays High coach Frank Leo was named co-coach of the year with Great Bend's Jeff Langrehr. The Indians and Panthers split the 2008 WAC title with 7-1 records, splitting a doubleheader at HHS field at midseason.
The six selections to the first team are the most under Leo since the Indians had six selections in 1998.
Sam Rohleder, the Indians' starting third basemen, was the Indians' top hitter among the starters, batting .395. He drove in a team-high 25 runs with three doubles on 32 hits and struck out only twice. At the end of the season, he was also serving as the team's closer. In seven appearances, the right-hander recorded four saves in nine innings, giving up just one unearned run with 14 strikeouts.
Austin Klaus, who started the season at shortstop and played a little outfield, finished the season with a .392 average and drove in 24 runs with six doubles and a triple. He batted .431 with runners on base and was .457 with runners in scoring position, leading the Indians in both categories among starters.
Malott, the team's leadoff hitter and outfielder, led the team this season in stolen bases, moving into second place on the single-season list under Leo with 23. He also batted .361 with 13 RBIs and two home runs (second on the team). Malott's 23 stolen bases tied with Ian Mabb from the 2000 season. His 28 runs scored also moved him into the top 10 in a single season. On the mound, Malott also compiled a 4-0 record with a 2.94 earned-run average. He made nine appearances and six starts, two complete games and two shutouts.
Downing had the most wins on the HHS staff. The right-hander finished 6-0 with a 2.56 ERA and finished with a no-decision in the regional championship game against McPherson. Downing made 10 appearances with seven starts this season and three complete games. He pitched 41 innings, allowed 27 hits and 20 runs (15 earned), with 18 walks and 43 strikeouts. He threw a no-hitter against Dodge City.
Rule, an infielder and starting pitcher, finished 3-2 with a 3.73 ERA, pitching 30 innings with 24 strikeouts and 18 walks. Batting second in the lineup, Rule finished with a .385 average with 23 RBIs and five doubles.
Sanders, the team's catcher, batted ninth, averaging .350 at the plate with a team-high eight doubles and three triples, and had a .583 slugging percentage. Behind the plate, Sanders caught eight runners stealing out of 23 attempts without making an error.
Justin Klaus finished the season with a .308 batting average with four doubles and a triple and 12 RBIs. Thomas Rohleder batted .344 with 19 runs scored, six doubles, two triples, a home run and 23 RBIs. Pfannenstiel led the Indians in home runs with three (two against Great Bend), but missed five games due to a knee injury. He batted .364 with 21 RBIs, five doubles and a triple.