A challenging schedule should help the North Polk baseball team prepare for another post season run. The Comets were last year’s class 2A state runner-up and coach Dave Middleton’s team has already played five opponents who are or have been ranked in class 3A or 4A. It includes an early season 3-0 win over 4A top ranked Ankeny.
“You are going to have to play really, really, really well and you cannot become complacent,” Middleton says. He says they played Johnston recently and didn’t do the little things they needed to do and he says that showed them what they need to do.
Middleton says playing bigger schools does come with some risk if you don’t play well. “It can get humbling pretty quick and it doesn’t always work out that you are going to play them a good game,” Middleton says.
Expectations were high coming into this season but Middleton says this year’s squad wants to leave its own mark. “They are very driven to be the best baseball team they can be,” Middleton says. He says they came together this spring and have continued to work hard.
Middleton says the chemistry is a little different this year and it has been a challenge to get them to work together. North Polk is ranked second in class 2A and Middleton says it is a mix of youth and experience with 4 seniors back after 7 players graduated last year, and the rest of the team is mostly juniors.
The Comets are 21-4 and return to action tonight at home against West Marshall.