By Bruce Thein

Three Clayton Ridge/Central baseball players earned recognition following the 2026 season.

Seniors Seth Kregel and Dominique Mast were named to the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 1A Northeast All-District second team following strong seasons for the WarEagles. The teams were selected by head coaches from the Class 1A Northeast District.

Those two, as well as sophomore Mason Loan, also earned all-conference recognition in the Upper Iowa Conference Small School Division. Mast and Kregel were first team selections and Loan received second team honors

Mast led Clayton Ridge/Central with 29 hits in 63 at-bats. The senior catcher and first baseman finished with a .460 batting average while driving in 14 runs. Of Mast’s 29 hits, 25 were singles and four were doubles. He also drew 12 walks, was hit by five pitches and struck out only six times during the season.

Mast’s ability to consistently put the ball in play helped make him one of the WarEagles’ most dependable hitters. He finished the season as the team leader in batting average and hits.

Kregel contributed both at the plate and on the mound. He collected 18 hits in 45 at-bats, finishing with a .400 batting average. He scored 13 runs, drove in five and reached base eight times after being hit by a pitch.

Kregel was especially effective on the mound. In six appearances, including four starts, he finished with a 3-0 record and a 1.94 earned-run average. He struck out 43 batters in 21 and two-thirds innings while allowing only 12 hits. Opponents batted just .150 against Kregel and his 1.02 WHIP was the best on the WarEagles’ pitching staff. His 43 strikeouts also led the team.

Loan earned second-team all-conference recognition after putting together a strong performance as a sophomore. He finished with a .393 batting average, collecting 22 hits in 56 at-bats. Loan scored 16 runs, drove in 10 and recorded one double and one triple. He reached base at a .469 rate.

Loan’s selection gives Clayton Ridge/Central an all-conference player who will return next season after already establishing himself as one of the WarEagles’ leading hitters.