Waterloo’s Erik Kaiser will take his baseball talents to Vanderbilt University after posting a 1.17 ERA with 87 strikeouts in less than 60 innings pitched for the Bulldogs this spring. (Corey Saathoff photo)

There was plenty to be excited about on the local high school baseball scene this spring, as one squad advanced to a state title game and others thrilled fans with team and individual accomplishments.

Not surprisingly, this year’s All-Local Baseball Team features several members of the Class 1A state runner-up Valmeyer Pirates.

FIRST TEAM
Easton Wallace, Valmeyer. This senior infielder made the all-state team after hitting .450 with four home runs, 46 RBIs, and 46 runs scored. His 27 doubles ranked first in the entire St. Louis area. His 186 career varsity hits are the most in Valmeyer High School history.
Erik Kaiser, Waterloo. Another senior leader, Kaiser served as the ace of the Bulldogs pitching staff and also led the team in hitting. The hard-throwing Vanderbilt recruit went 3-3 with a 1.17 ERA and 87 strikeouts in less than 60 innings and also hit .425 with six home runs and 41 RBIs.
Philip Reinhardt, Valmeyer. This freshman southpaw kept hitters off balance all spring, posting a 9-1 record and 0.95 ERA. He was the winning pitcher in Valmeyer’s state semifinal victory. Reinhardt also hit .360 for good measure.
Quinten Albrecht, Waterloo. A junior catcher that has already committed to Wichita State, Albrecht was smooth behind the plate and posted a .412 average with five home runs, 21 RBIs and 43 runs scored. He’ll return to lead the Bulldogs in 2018.
Shane Wilhelm, Columbia. Wilhelm enjoyed a breakthrough sophomore season, leading the Eagles in pitching and hitting in 2017. He went 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA and hit .386 with three home runs, 19 RBIs, and 26 runs.
Cole Juelfs, Valmeyer. Juelfs served as the spark plug for Valmeyer’s potent offense and showed off some plus defense this spring. The junior shortstop hit .429 with 13 stolen bases and 40 runs scored, and also went 6-1 on the mound with a 2.48 ERA.
Trevor Davis, Gibault. This senior capped off a fantastic Gibault career by leading the Hawks on the diamond following similar success in basketball and soccer. Davis posted a 6-1 record with a 1.14 ERA and hit .363 with 26 RBIs, 31 runs and 15 stolen bases. He will play basketball and baseball at SWIC.
Jake Krekel, Valmeyer. Yet another junior on the list, Krekel hit .421 with 44 runs, 32 RBIs and 19 stolen bases for the Pirates this spring. He has a shot at breaking Wallace’s all-time hits record at Valmeyer in 2018.
Austin Francis, Dupo. This senior leader completed a strong varsity athletic career with the Tigers, hitting .419 with four home runs and 19 RBIs.

SECOND TEAM
Danny Tharp, Waterloo. Tharp shined in his first extensive varsity stint, hitting .379 with 18 runs during his junior season.
Austin Sweeney, Gibault. Only a sophomore, Sweeney hit .363 with 23 RBIs to provide the Hawks with plenty of hope for the future.
Mark Branz, Gibault. Another sophomore, Branz hit .358 with 29 runs this spring.
Ben Maurer, Waterloo. This senior served as the winning pitcher in many key games for the Bulldogs this spring. He went 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA.
Sam Spivey, Columbia. This junior infielder hit .337 with 27 RBIs and 23 runs for the Eagles. His senior season should be special.
Robbie Smith, Dupo. Smith provided plenty of offensive firepower for the Tigers, hitting .378 with 16 RBIs.
Tyler Kempfer, Valmeyer. A junior catcher, Kempfer called a good game and came through with big hits in the clutch for the Pirates. He hit .320 with 29 RBIs.
Mitch Daniels, Columbia. This junior infielder hit .311 with 20 runs and nine stolen bases for the Eagles.
Andrew Whipple, Valmeyer. Whipple gave the Pirates several quality starts this season, posting a 6-1 record and 2.61 ERA to go along with strong defense in the infield and outfield.

HONORABLE MENTION
Tyson Roedl (Waterloo), Blake Metzger (Gibault), Tyler Brinkmann (Gibault), Michael Chism (Valmeyer), Lucas Goodsell (Waterloo), Luke Watson (Columbia), Tyler Kyle (Dupo), Drew Maus (Valmeyer), Dylan Siebenberger (Waterloo), Collin Kessler (Gibault)