While this area was not represented in a state tournament for just the second time in the past several seasons, Monroe County did show off a plethora of fine baseball talent once again this spring. 

Here is the Republic-Times All-Local Baseball Team for 2024. 

FIRST TEAM

Lucas Riebeling, Columbia. A solid righthanded pitcher with a powerful bat, Riebeling posted an all-conference senior season for the Eagles. He went 8-2 with a 1.52 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 50 and two-thirds innings pitched in addition to smacking five home runs and hitting .284.

Ben Simmons, Columbia. Another all-conference player for the Eagles was this fellow graduating senior. He led Columbia in hitting at .442 with a .513 on base percentage and drove in 21 runs. 

Max Oswald, Waterloo. This senior-to-be provides promise for the Bulldogs in 2025. He was named all-conference after hitting .441 with a .542 on base percentage and 20 runs scored.

Luke Blackwell, Valmeyer. A junior-to-be, Blackwell was a force on the mound and at the plate for the Pirates. The tall righty went 7-1 with a 0.93 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 45 and one-third innings pitched. On offense, he hit .365 with a .505 on base percentage, 13 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs and 29 runs.

Brady Biffar, Gibault. A key member of the 2023 state-winning Hawks squad, Biffar posted a solid senior season. The lefty ace of the pitching staff went 7-3 with a 1.93 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 59 innings. At the plate, he hit .295 and scored 28 runs.

Brady Mathews, Columbia. Another solid southpaw this spring was this graduating senior. He was an all-conference selection after going 7-3 with a 1.09 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 57 and two-thirds innings. He also smashed four home runs. 

Nate Phillips, Waterloo. The ace of the Bulldogs pitching staff, this graduating senior righty posted a 6-4 record against tough competition with a 1.74 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 64 and one-third innings. 

Chase Snyder, Valmeyer. This junior-to-be led the Pirates in hitting this season with a .372 average to go along with eight doubles, 13 stolen bases and 29 RBIs. The future certainly looks bright. 

Koby Osterhage, Waterloo. A graduating senior, Osterhage hit .383 and stole 14 bases in addition to scoring 20 runs for the Bulldogs.

Jack Roessler, Waterloo. Another graduating senior for the Bulldogs, Roessler was named all-conference after hitting .347 with 27 RBIs and going 4-2 on the mound with a 3.38 ERA.

Micah James, Columbia. A senior-to-be, James was named all-conference after hitting .346 with 24 runs and 18 RBIs for the Eagles.

Landon Roy, Valmeyer. Another senior-to-be, this speedster hit .364 for the Pirates with a .509 on base percentage, 26 stolen bases and 36 runs. 

Tyler Frierdich, Gibault. A solid offensive contributor for the Hawks, this senior-to-be hit .337 with 25 stolen bases and 17 runs. 

Cash Bailey, Columbia. Yet another senior-to-be on the list, Bailey provided power in the Eagles lineup. He hit .327 with seven homers, 28 RBIs and 24 runs.

SECOND TEAM

Teegan Hargrove, Dupo. This Tigers player had a super junior season, leading the team with an average of .429 with a .519 on base percentage and 11 RBIs.

Nolan Veto, Waterloo. Another all-conference player for the Bulldogs, this graduating senior went 6-2 on the mound with a 1.95 ERA.

Peyton Schaefer, Gibault. After hitting .322 with 17 runs and posting a 3.72 ERA in 37-plus innings pitched, this senior-to-be will likely be looked upon for leadership in 2025.

Patrick O’Donnell, Waterloo. An all-conference player for the Bulldogs, this senior-to-be hit .320 with 21 RBIs and 24 runs. 

Deegan Prater, Dupo. He was tops on the Tigers as a sophomore with 11 stolen bases and 12 runs scored in addition to his 3.69 ERA on the mound.

Chaten Kirchner, Waterloo. Yet another senior-to-be, Kirchner hit .341 with 10 RBIs.

Troy Neff, Valmeyer. This underclassman hit .308 with 18 runs and 17 RBIs, offering even more future promise for the Pirates.

Drake Luedeman, Waterloo. A junior-to-be, Luedeman received all-conference accolades after hitting .297 with 18 runs. 

Logan Sabo, Columbia. Another solid senior arm for the Eagles, Sabo went 2-1 with a 1.33 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 21 innings. 

Robert Pierpoint, Gibault. A solid freshman season resulted in a .319 average and 14 runs scored for the Hawks.

Caleb Papenberg, Waterloo. There’s reason to be hopeful about the Bulldogs’ chances in 2025 with young players like this junior-to-be. He hit .304 with 13 runs. 

Brody Landgraf, Columbia. Another junior-to-be, Landgraf hit .291 with 15 runs. 

Darrin Kunkelmann, Gibault. He hit .287 with 20 runs as a junior in addition to pitching more than 24 innings. 

Ty Frierdich, Gibault. A graduating senior, Frierdich was tops on the Hawks this season with five doubles and 20 RBIs.

SPECIAL MENTION

Sully Bonaldi (Columbia), Logan Bosch (Columbia), AJ Sensel (Waterloo), Jake Coats (Valmeyer), Sam Donald (Columbia), Andy Altes (Gibault), Mason Voegele (Columbia), Ripken Voelker (Valmeyer), Carter McMannis (Dupo) and JJ Kinsey (Gibault).