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Leagues  | Story | 4/12/2021

Iowa Spring League Scout Notes: Week 3

Photo: Noah Miller (Perfect Game)
Iowa Spring League Scout Notes: Week 1 | Week 2


Just before the first set of games got underway Sunday for Week 3 of the Iowa Spring League, Perfect Game umpire Al Gruwell suffered a heart attack in the locker room as he was preparing to start working. Surrounded by his colleagues who acted quickly, an ambulance was called and Gruwell was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, where he is now recovering.



Umpires are extremely valued and an indispensable asset to all of us at Perfect Game, which made this event all the more troubling. Needless to say, we are thankful for the actions of Dan Kopriva, the umpire who made the 9-1-1 call, the first responders, and the doctors, and we wish Gruwell a speedy recovery and continued health.

With the absence of any appropriate transition from that scary event, there was baseball played this weekend at Prospect Meadows.

And with the addition of our Northern neighbors, we had some much-anticipated matchups and multiple draft prospects on display, and the pro scouts were out in full force. In this weekend alone, we had 10 players compete that are ranked within the top-150 in their respective classes, and over 50 players who currently hold Division-I commitments.

Saturday Notes


Iowa Select Vantiger defeated Iowa Select Renning 5-2 on a rainy Saturday morning, thanks to some early offensive production from the top of the lineup. The hits were harder to come by for Iowa Select Renning, but their three-hole hitter, Sammy Renning (2022, Cedar Rapids, Iowa), put together a couple of solid at-bats in this one. In his second at-bat of the day, Renning waited back on one and drove it the other way with authority. He did a great job of letting the ball travel and going with the pitch for a loud line drive single. The uncommitted junior has a quick stroke and a flat bat path through the zone, allowing him to get on plane with any pitch location. The corner infielder/outfielder is a physical prospect with present strength, who shows great hands and a natural feel for the barrel. Renning is finding success consistently this spring, hitting .412 through his first 19 plate appearances. 

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