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- Zander Murray, Cedar Rapids Xavier — baseball
- Faith Shirbroun, St. Edmond — softball
- Lauren Hagedorn, ADM — softball
- Hayden Gookin, Mount Vernon — softball
- Lily Nibaur, Iowa City Regina Catholic — softball
- Rachel Eglseder, Edgewood‑Colesburg — softball
- Carter Berg, Carlisle — baseball
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley — baseball
- George Blake, Indianola — baseball
- How the voting works
Fans can now vote for Sports Illustrated’s High School on SI — Iowa athlete of the week for July 13–18, a group that includes dominant pitchers and middle-order hitters who carried their teams deep into postseason play. Voting runs through 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 26; the poll winner will be revealed in next week’s roundup.
These nominations matter because several performances directly determined regional or substate outcomes and, in some cases, secured state-tournament berths. Below are the candidates and the plays that put them on the ballot — review the list, then cast your vote before the deadline.
- Zander Murray — Cedar Rapids Xavier (baseball): no-hitter, 11 strikeouts in a 4-0 substate semifinal.
- Faith Shirbroun — St. Edmond (softball): two homers and two other hard-hit balls in a regional final to extend a state streak.
- Lauren Hagedorn — ADM (softball): three-hit complete game with six Ks in a 1-0 postseason clincher.
- Hayden Gookin — Mount Vernon (softball): nine strikeouts, two homers and three RBIs in a regional title win.
- Lily Nibaur — Iowa City Regina Catholic (softball): three hits and a shutout on the mound to upset Louisa‑Muscatine and reach state.
- Rachel Eglseder — Edgewood‑Colesburg (softball): 14 batters retired via strikeout in a regional final.
- Carter Berg — Carlisle (baseball): two homers, three runs scored and two RBIs to eliminate Harlan Community.
- Ryan Stedman — West Des Moines Valley (baseball): followed a pitching performance with a clutch homer and three RBIs at the plate.
- George Blake — Indianola (baseball): two‑hit complete game with nine strikeouts, no walks; contributed an RBI with a hit.
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Zander Murray, Cedar Rapids Xavier — baseball
Murray blanked Des Moines Christian in a substate semifinal, allowing no hits while fanning 11. That outing was the decisive performance that moved Xavier into the next round of the postseason.
Faith Shirbroun, St. Edmond — softball
The senior delivered a power display in the regional final: two home runs and two more balls that struck the outfield fence helped her team secure a fourth straight trip to the state tournament. Her offense was the difference in a tight postseason game.
Lauren Hagedorn, ADM — softball
Hagedorn worked efficiently in a 1-0 victory that punched the Tigers’ ticket to state. She allowed just three hits and recorded six strikeouts, preserving a slim early lead and keeping opponents off the scoreboard.
Hayden Gookin, Mount Vernon — softball
Gookin combined dominant pitching with power at the plate in the regional championship. She did not allow an earned run, struck out nine batters and belted two homers while driving in three runs to seal the win.
Lily Nibaur, Iowa City Regina Catholic — softball
Nibaur delivered a two-way performance: she collected three hits and scored, then took the ball and threw a shutout with four strikeouts to knock off Louisa‑Muscatine and send the Regals to state.
Rachel Eglseder, Edgewood‑Colesburg — softball
In the regional final, Eglseder was overpowering on the mound, retiring 14 batters via strikeout en route to victory.
Carter Berg, Carlisle — baseball
The junior supplied the big swings when it mattered most, launching two home runs, scoring three times and driving in two to eliminate Harlan Community and advance the Wildcats.
Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley — baseball
Stedman made back-to-back impact contributions: he helped pitch his team into the substate final, then in a later game produced a go‑ahead home run and finished with three RBIs at the plate.
George Blake, Indianola — baseball
Blake dominated a substate final with a two‑hit performance, striking out nine without issuing a walk. He also chipped in offensively with a hit and an RBI, anchoring both sides of the game for Indianola.
How the voting works
The athlete-of-the-week poll is a fan-driven way to highlight standout high school performances and build local enthusiasm around postseason baseball and softball. Voting is open to the public and is intended as a celebratory snapshot of recent play — it does not carry an official award or prize unless we state otherwise.
Voting reminder: polls close at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 26. The final tally and the winner will be published the following week.
