The 2026 Iowa high school baseball season is almost upon us.
It begins Monday, May 18, with several talented players returning in the Ames area who will attempt to make a big impact for thier teams this summer.
Ames will be going for its fourth straight Iowa Alliance Conference championship. Ballard will attempt to dethrone North Polk as Raccoon River Conference champions, and Gilbert will be going for a winning record after finishing 15-15 a year ago.
Roland-Story will try to top 20 wins again and push for the Heart of Iowa Conference title, and Nevada will also try to make some noise in the HOIC behind ace pitcher Drake Hinson. Collins-Maxwell and Colo-NESCO are coming off losing seasons, but both have the potential to move up the Iowa Alliance Conference South standings in 2026.
Several battle-tested veterans will mix with incoming young talent to make the 2026 season a fun one to watch for local baseball fans. The Ames area is deep with talent at pitcher and catcher.
This is just a preseason list, so plenty of new names could burst onto the scene during the season. But here are the top 15 high school baseball players in the Ames area right now.
Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name
Erik Anderson, Ames
Senior, Pitcher
Anderson is coming off a big junior season on the mound for Ames.
In 2025, he went 4-2 with a strong 2.88 ERA, 63 strikeouts and 25 walks in a team-high 51 innings. He also hit four doubles and tallied 14 runs and 14 RBIs at the dish.
Blake Bell, Gilbert
Senior, Catcher
Bell has the potential to be one of the best catchers in the Raccoon River Conference.
As a junior, Bell hit .247 with three doubles and 12 RBIs. He was excellent behind the plate, throwing out 11 base runners and committing just two errors all season.
Austin Boege, Collins-Maxwell
Senior, Utility
Boege can play multiple positions and is an explosive hitter for Collins-Maxwell.
He hit .438 with nine doubles, one triple, a home run and 28 RBIs last year. He only made two errors in 160 chances in the field, and he also provided help on the mound, going 2-1 with a 4.98 ERA.
Kole Beving, Nevada
Senior, Infield
Beving is looking to step up big after an inconsistent 2025 season.
Last season, he made 24 assists and 16 putouts in the infield. He only hit .203, but posted a .385 on-base percentage, hit five doubles, scored 20 runs and swiped 17 bases.
Jake Clement, Ballard
Sophomore, Catcher
Clement made an immediate impact at catcher as a freshman for a Ballard team that went 26-9 a year ago.
He threw out seven base runners and only had two errors in the field. He also provided a lot of value on offense with his ability to get on base, posting a .530 OBP with 12 runs scored and 11 RBIs.
Cael Faber, Roland-Story
Senior, Pitcher
Faber is one of the best pitchers in the HOIC.
Last year, he was 6-3 with a 1.68 ERA, 69 strikeouts and just 12 walks. He also hit .269 with five doubles and 19 RBIs.
Landon Gjerde, Colo-NESCO
Senior, Catcher
Gjerde gives Colo-NESCO a consistent presence behind the plate heading into the 2026 season.
He threw out three base runners and fielded at a 95.2% clip last season. Gjerde is also reliable with the bat, hitting .258 with six doubles, 13 runs and 15 RBIs.
Drake Hinson, Nevada
Senior, Pitcher
Hinson provides Nevada with one of the best arms in the entire state.
The DMACC commit went 5-2 with a 0.63 ERA, 77 strikeouts and 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings last year. He also hit .357 with three homers and 19 RBIs. He also can provide steady infield play when he’s not pitching.
Jackson Kepley, Ames
Senior, Pitcher
Kepley will lead the charge for Ames in 2026.
As a junior, Kepley hit .378 with 10 doubles, two triples, five homers, 27 runs scored and 33 RBIs as one of the best hitters in the Iowa Alliance Conference. He was 6-2 with a 3.08 ERA on the mound while also throwing out four runners from behind the plate.
Evan Kinzenbaw, Ballard
Junior, Infield
Kinzenbaw emerged as a weapon at second base for Ballard last season.
He hit .390 with four doubles, 19 runs scored and 21 RBIs as a sophomore. He also gives Ballard an excellent glove at second, finishing the 2025 season with 30 assists and 17 putouts.
Bryce Miller, Ballard
Junior, Infield
Miller is another talented infielder for a Ballard team looking to make a run to the state tournament this season.
He recorded 64 assists and 54 putouts in the field last year. He is also effective on offense, finishing 2025 with 20 runs and 13 RBIs.
Hunter Purvis, Colo-NESCO
Junior, Infield
Purvis gives Colo-NESCO a dependable all-around player in the infield.
He hit .321 last year with 23 runs scored and nine steals. Purvis also had 19 assists and 16 putouts in the field, and he threw out two base runners
Tripp Sturgill, Gilbert
Senior, Pitcher
Sturgill is the top returning pitcher for Gilbert.
He is coming off a productive junior season where he went 4-3 with a 2.48 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 14 walks across 36 2/3 innings on the hill. Sturgill also packs a punch at the plate after hitting .272 with 10 doubles and 18 RBIs in 2025.
Cooper Wierson, Collins-Maxwell
Senior, Pitcher
Wierson can make a claim to be the top pitcher in the ISC South entering the 2026 season.
In 2025, Wierson went 4-3 with a sparkling 0.84 ERA, 111 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 67 innings. At the plate, he posted a .397 average with five doubles, one home run, 27 runs scored and 12 RBIs to go along with 26 stolen bases in 2025.
Colin Willis, Roland-Story
Sophomore, Pitcher
Willis has the potential to be an elite pitcher in the HOIC this season.
During his freshman season, Willis finished 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA, 53 strikeouts and only three walks in 35 2/3 innings on the bump. He provides punch at the plate as well, hitting .312 last year with 24 runs scored and 27 RBIs.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: See our top 15 Ames-area Iowa high school baseball players for 2026
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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