DCG softball recap: Sheer power from the Mustangs

Sean Cordy
·3 min read
DCG's Summer Campbell waits for the pitch during a doubleheader against Newton on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
DCG's Summer Campbell waits for the pitch during a doubleheader against Newton on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.

This season may have fallen short compared to the previous year, but it was no doubt an exciting ride for the Mustangs.

Power Hitters

It should be no surprise to Dallas Center-Grimes fans that this year’s team was a menace at the plate. After hitting 37 home runs last season, DCG cranked it up another level to 43 homers in 2023, ranked fourth-most in the entire state.

They were a pitcher’s worst nightmare. No other team shot off that many balls over the fence in Dallas Center since at least 2007. That’s the last publicly recorded season with full stats, but considering the sheer efficiency of the team en route to a conference title, it’s no stretch to say it’s a school record.

The previous team record was set by the 2011 team which hit 42 home runs. That season, the Mustangs hit a home run at 3.5 percent of at-bats. In 2023, their 43 home runs came at a rate of 4.0 percent, putting them among the 10 most efficient power-hitting teams in the state, not just benefiting from playing a marathon schedule.

Naturally, such a team performance also had some standout individual lines too.

Shortstop Macee Reiling blasted 15 home runs, ranked fifth-most in all of Iowa this season. There’d be no surprise to see her boost that number in her senior season, so long as teams don’t start walking her at a higher clip. But with Izabella Mulder (8 home runs), Summer Campbell (5) and Aubrey Johansen (4, but hit 10 in 2022) also coming back next season, there’s really no safe place to give up a free base. And that rang even truer this season with Olivia Huston putting six balls into the stands to round out her accomplished career.

DCG's Tessa Jones throws a pitch during a doubleheader against Newton on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
DCG's Tessa Jones throws a pitch during a doubleheader against Newton on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.

Scoring Not Allowed

Not only did the Mustangs’ success at the plate lead to scoring success, but getting the barrels moving with such momentum also provided defensive success.

The Mustangs won 11 games this season by at least 10 runs, ending those games by run rule before the regulation seven innings.

And despite the team’s overall ERA and WHIP jumping up a few points from last year, the shutout rate climbed from six to nine games. Even so, it wasn’t just caused by prematurely ended games. Aubrey Johansen pitched five shutouts including one complete seven-inning appearance against Pella Christian. But it was Tessa Jones that made the deepest runs.

The eighth-grader went seven innings without letting up a run against Saydel (a Class 3A state tournament qualifier) and West Delaware, as well as five innings over Newton. Her 2.72 ERA this season ranked ninth among pitchers at her grade with at least 50 innings pitched, opening a nice path for her and Johansen to continue as a strong tandem in 2024.

DCG's Olivia Huston fields the ball during a Class 4A regional final softball game against ADM on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, in Dallas Center.
DCG's Olivia Huston fields the ball during a Class 4A regional final softball game against ADM on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, in Dallas Center.

Seniors

One of the hallmarks of this crop of Mustangs has been their longevity. Last season, the state tournament team lost just two players to graduation. That number jumps to four this year, but only Olivia Huston was a full-time starter. No doubt her contributions as a .370 hitter with power that also led the team in stolen bases will be missed. But the rest of the roster looks primed to return and make another run at a third-straight conference championship (and beyond).

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: DCG softball recap: Sheer power from the Mustangs