BOYS OF SUMMER — The 2016 Quad Cities Baseball Association 11U Red team. Front from left: Conner Nelson, Gavin Briggs, Dylan Ingvaldson, Will Tuttle. Second row: Aden Berg, Anton Domeier, Sawyer Prigge, Levi DenHerder, Coach Mark Lee. Back: Coach Mark Domeier, Blake Eustice, George Roesler, Daxter Lee, Wyatt Groskreutz, Cody Lee. (Submitted photo)
The QCBA 11U Red team finished up a fun season of baseball. They started practice in early May and prepped to play area teams from Maple River, Waseca, Albert Lea, USC, St. Clair, and JWP during an eight-week season.
This team of determined young men were rarely out of a game. The boys finished the season 7-7-1 and really only had two losses that they didn't have a legitimate chance to win. Every player on the squad showed great improvement from start to finish and proved to be a coachable and enthusiastic teammate.
Daxter Lee led in a number of offensive categories with a .516 batting average and an .806 slugging percentage along with 26 runs scored and the team's lone home run. Blake Eustice had the highest on-base percentage at .700 and the most stolen bases at nine. Wyatt Groskreutz had two leading areas: 21 RBI and five times hit by a pitch. Conner Nelson had 22 walks along with 21 from Gavin Briggs as they split leadoff duties throughout the year.
As a team, QCBA batted .292 and reached base at a 55% clip. They hit 12 doubles, six triples, and the one home run while scoring 192 runs. The team walked 183 times and stole 58 bases.
On the pitching side, Lee again led the way in many categories including an 8.03 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 24.2 innings pitched. As a team, the Red group struggled with control as they learned the art of pitching, walking 170 batters and striking out 131 as a team.