The 2025 version of the varsity Clippers baseball team will be remembered for winning a conference championship, the first at least since returning to an independent team in 2012 after being combined with Le Center as the Coyotes.
After a busy June and July, the Clippers reunited on Monday in the commons to reminisce on the outstanding season and recognize individual players.
“Our baseball side of the trophy case was looking a little light, so I am glad we can put some hardware in there soon,” said head coach Charlie Haugen, who, standing in front of the display, presided over the awards banquet.
Voted by his teammates as both the Most Valuable Player and the Offensive MVP was pitcher and third baseman Miles Tomaszewski.
The freshman led the team in batting average (.492) and hits (32). He pitched the most innings for the Clippers (40.2) and was tops in strikeouts with 59.
“Just his love for the game was contagious,” Haugen said. “He got high praise from everyone in the conference for being the toughest pitcher they faced. It was so cool to see him have a great year. He really crushed it as only a freshman.”
Sophomore catcher and pitcher Caleb Connor was chosen as the Defensive Most Valuable Player.
Behind the plate for all but a few innings, he caught seven runners stealing and picked off one. He had the team’s second-best batting average (.397), the second most hits (25) and the highest on-base percentage (.513). He led the Clippers in triples with three and hit their only home run.
“He’s probably the best sophomore catcher I’ve seen…ever,” Haugen said. “He’s a leader and just loves baseball. You have to rip him off the field to get him out of there. He has a contagious work ethic. He was always hitting early or staying late and helped with this and helped with that. He was just always looking to get better, and it is going to take him far, so I am really excited about his future.”
Chosen by conference coaches as members of the All-Conference team were Tomaszewski, Connor and senior pitcher and shortstop Brennan Kortuem. Connor was also named by Section 2A coaches to the All-Section team.
Kortuem had a .292 batting average with 19 hits. He and Tomaszewski led the Clippers in doubles with nine. He pitched for 25.1 innings and struck out 51. As the shortstop, he had an .839 fielding percentage with just nine errors.
“He was another incredible leader,” Haugen said. “He worked his butt off every single day for us. He was so fun to coach and see his growth over the two years that I have seen him. He was great on the mound and had a great bat. He made huge steps for improvement. He never was too high or two low but just a steady presence that was so huge throughout the season.”
Pitcher and second baseman Alex Kortuem, a junior, was an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
He threw 33.1 innings and had the team’s best ERA (1.470) and most wins (four). He struck out 36 batters. Typically the second baseman when not on the hill, he had a .900 fielding percentage with just four errors.
“Alex was another who was just so valuable to our team,” Haugen said. “He is an incredible pitcher and has a great swing at the plate. His mentality was just so outstanding. Every time you put him out there you know what you are going to get out of him. You know he is going to show up for the occasion and battle and throw strikes and do a great job.”
Junior outfielder Nathan Seemen was picked by the Clippers as the Most Improved player.
“I am really excited for him…just all the hard work he put in over the offseason and during the season paid off,” Haugen said. “He is a great hitter with a great attitude and improved so much this season. He has a great baseball sense and drive and is just very valuable to our team.”
Senior first baseman Kale Kelley was chosen by his teammates for the Clipper Award.
“He was the ultimate teammate,” Haugen said. “Just an incredible leader and another kid who is just a coach’s dream. You know what you are going to get every day. He worked so hard and was a role model to our younger guys too. He made an impact whether he realized it or not. I know he didn’t have the season (at the plate) he wanted to, but there were so many other ways he impacted our team. I was super excited to have him on our team, and I am going to miss him.”
Besides the award winners, earning letters were the following:
Freshman Carsyn Ryg: “He’s going to be a real force on the mound to be reckoned with next year,” Haugen said. “He has a good work ethic and spent a lot of time staying late. I am really excited for his future. It is going to be awesome to see what he does.”
Freshman Kiptyn Coon: “He is extremely coachable and really has a great work ethic,” Haugen said. “He was always there early getting in hitting practice in the morning. It was only his second year of baseball, but he did what we told him and stepped up to the challenge of playing catcher in a varsity game after not really playig it that much. He got better every day, and I am super excited to see where he goes.”
Sophomore Jack Shouler: “He is hilarious with endless energy,” Haugen said. “He made the most of his opportunities and will continue to have endless opportunities. He will have a big future with us. He was super fun to have on the team.”
Sophomore Aiden Domras: “He was another guy who got here early in the morning to get better every day and took advantage of his opportunities when they were given to him.” Haugen said. “He brought a little bit of the hockey rink everyday with him to the baseball field, which was needed.”
Sophomore outfielder Braeden Smith: “He is a freak athlete with huge potential,” Haugen said. “He was a huge piece for us in the outfield this year. It was great having his shoulder. He loves to compete.”
Sophomore pitcher and infielder Carson Lyons: “He goes above and beyond with all sports,” Haugen said. “He has an exceptional work ethic. He is levelheaded and is a quiet leader, which is so important to our team. He’s just a coach’s dream. You just know what you’re going to get all the time.”
Junior Hollis Knish: “This is a guy who I was really pumped to see play this year lot more,” Haugen said. “He has a great sense of humor. He made some fantastic catches in the outfield that really turned heads. We just love having him on the team and seeing him every day.”
Junior Killian Kunkel: “He’s a really hard worker,” Haugen said. “You can tell how much he just loves being there. He got better every day and had a great attitude and always a smile on his face. Hopefully next year we can get him on the mound before we have something go wrong with his knee, but I am glad he is feeling better.”
Senior outfielder Kyle Connor: “He is another great kid who was always there for us and a silent leader,” Haugen said. “He had a steady at bat and in the outfield. He was a great leader overall. We just loved having on the team. He was always good for cracking a joke.”
Also lettering but not at the banquet were sophomore Colton Tousley and juniors Kasyn Zuehlke and Daniel McClune.
With a GPA of at least 3.75 during the season, Lyons and the Connor cousins earned All-Conference Academic awards.
The Clippers finished their season with a 14-6 record.
Hagen said that hitting the batting cage at 6:00 a.m. and staying after practice for extra reps helped make the difference.
“To go from five wins to 14 wins is pretty incredible and a testament to these guys’ work ethic,” Haugen said. “I’m just so pumped that it ended up paying off in success on the fields both as individuals and success as a team.”
The Clippers’ season ended in the third round of the sections when they lost to host Springfield.
“Obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but there is no doubt in my mind that Cleveland left a stamp on the map that says ‘we’re here, and we’re going to be here for a while.’ I was really blessed to be part of this team. It was a really fun year with a lot of lessons learned and a lot of memories created. I am really excited for the future.”
Haugen thanked the parents for getting their kids to games and “raising some really good young men,” to this author, to school food administrator Monica Manzey for providing the banquet dinner, the Booster Club and his assistant coaches Dalton Thelen, Alec Rogers and Danny McCabe.
Above: Top award winners, from L-R, Caleb Connor (All Conference, All Section, Defensive MVP), Brennan Kortuem (All Conference), Nathan Seeman (Most Improved Player), Kale Kelley (Clipper Award), Alex Kortuem (All-Conference Honorable Mention), Miles Tomaszewski (All-Conference, MVP, Offensive MVP).
