Tyler Olson was the secret weapon, someone who head coach Adison Kehoe knew was destined for stardom long before everyone else.

The veteran and the breakout, two talents that catapulted the Webster City baseball team to its first 20-win season in more than two decades and its second North Central Conference championship in the last three years.

They did the work. And now they’re reaping the rewards.

Following unanimous all-conference and all-district honors, today Steen and Olson join an elite list of talented players from across Iowa by being named all-state in Class 3A by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.

WCHS senior Dylan Steen has been named to the Class 3A all-state second team by the IPSWA. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Both players were placed on the second team. Olson, a sophomore, made the cut as a pitcher, while Steen, a senior and now two-time all-state baseball player, was a utility selection due to his versatility as a pitcher, infielder and outfielder. Steen even made an appearance behind the plate during his final season in a Lynx uniform.

“Both kids, as a coach you really don’t realize how much they accomplished until after the season, but they are two of the faces of Webster City baseball,” Kehoe, the Lynx skipper, said. “Dylan has always been one of the best, if not the best, position players in baseball and in all sports. He’s very natural at everything he does. Tyler has also always been very natural and he’s ready to take that crown and lead the program.”

Steen, a two-time first-team all-state safety on the football field, was also a second-team selection as a utility player following his junior season. And what did he do for an encore? He was an even better player and he added leadership qualities that made WCHS the surprise of the conference.

Steen ranked second in 3A in hitting with a .495 average. Batting anywhere from first to third in the Lynx lineup, he cracked 50 hits, 14 of which went for extra bases, and drove in 27 runs. He also scored 29 runs and was a perfect 20 for 20 on stolen bases.

And he did it all while seeing very few quality pitches to hit. Fastballs over the plate were few and far between, but he still found a way to put the ball in play and reach base.

WCHS senior Dylan Steen (16) slaps hands with freshman teammate Connor Hanson (20) following the Lynx Class 3A district semifinal victory over Humboldt in Slater last month. Steen collected his second all-state baseball honor from the IPSWA today. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“Dylan was the go-to guy as far as the team captain with the young group we had this year, and this is just the beginning of many things that will be fun to watch with him,” Kehoe said.

Steen, who will play football this fall at Wartburg College, continued to be a solid contributor on the mound as well. After dropping his first two starts of the season, he won six of his final seven and put up a 1.71 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 45 innings of work. Opponents hit just .153 against the hard-throwing right hander, who could push his fastball past 85 mph.

As dominant as Steen could be on the bump, it quickly became apparent that Olson would be the No. 1 guy on the WCHS pitching staff. In just his second start of the campaign, Olson tossed a 64-pitch no-hitter that included 51 strikes and nine strikeouts against Greene County. In half of his 12 starts, he allowed two hits or fewer.

“Tyler was our go-to guy when we needed a win, without hesitation,” Kehoe said. “As a sophomore, you saw when he needed to make a pitch or get a strikeout, he rose to the occasion.”

At 11-1, Olson shared the 3A wins lead with first-team pitchers Bryson Bastian of state champion Cedar Rapids Xavier and Rick Atkins of state semifinalist Marion. Olson’s 102 strikeouts ranked fourth; he was also fifth in innings pitched (712⁄3) and his ERA (0.68) was the fourth-best among 3A pitchers with at least 40 innings under their belts.

WCHS sophomore Tyler Olson (3) is congratulated by Lynx head coach Adison Kehoe at third base during a home game this summer. Olson thrived on the mound, in the field and at the plate during the 2019 season. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“We were a team this year with two legitimate aces on the staff,” Kehoe said of Olson and Steen. “Everybody knew what Dylan could do, but I told Tyler (before the season began) that no one knew anything about him and he had an opportunity to stay quiet and let his play speak for itself. From his first win to his 11th, he never wanted the recognition. He was always a team-first guy, but he also knows how good he is and how good he can be.”

Like Steen, Olson left an impression with his glove and his bat. Olson made more than a few dazzling defensive plays at shortstop when he wasn’t on the mound, and he also hit at a .384 clip with 38 knocks, including nine doubles, and 17 RBIs.

In addition to selecting first-, second- and third-team performers in each of the four classes, the IPSWA also named class captains. They included Johnston first baseman Peyton Williams (4A), Central DeWitt catcher Garrett Finley (3A), North Linn pitcher Jake Hilmer (2A) and Mason City Newman outfielder Josh Fitzgerald (1A).

All-State Baseball Teams

By IPSWA

CLASS 4A

Captain — Peyton Williams, sr, Johnston.

First Team

Pitcher — Marcus Morgan, soph, Iowa City West; Jacob Tobey, sr, Johnston; Ty Langenberg, jr, Urbandale.

Catcher — Calvin Harris, sr, Western Dubuque.

First Base — Peyton Williams, sr, Johnston.

Infield — Alex Pentergast, jr, Des Moines Roosevelt; Sam Link, sr, Dubuque Senior; Adam Schneider, sr, Southeast Polk.

Outfield — Andrew Nord, sr, Johnston; Jason Strunk, sr, Iowa City West; Evan Martin, jr, Southeast Polk.

Utility — Jack Young, jr, Pleasant Valley; Carter Baumler, jr, WDM Dowling.

Second Team

Pitcher — Wade Canaday, sr, Marshalltown; Sam Goodman, sr, Western Dubuque; Jackson Wentworth, soph, Waukee.

Catcher — Ryan Vermeer, jr, Ankeny Centennial.

First Base — Drew Longel, sr, Muscatine.

Infield — Max Holy, jr, Clinton; Trenton Frerichs, sr, Sioux City North; Ben Wilmes, soph, Johnston.

Outfield — Brock Heinen, soph, Urbandale; Logan Gluba, sr, Davenport West; Nolan Frey, jr, Iowa City Liberty.

Utility — Alex Patino, jr, Sioux City East; Hallison Cook, sr, Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Third Team

Pitcher — Nick Crandell, jr, Johnston; Graysen Drezek, jr, North Scott; Alex Nieman, sr, Sioux City West.

Catcher — Cade Moss, sr, Johnston.

First Base — Ben Sheridan, sr, WDM Dowling.

Infield — Andrue Henry, jr, Dubuque Hempstead; Carson Schau, sr, Waukee; Bryce Crabb, sr, Des Moines East.

Outfield — Greg Hall, sr, Linn-Mar; Jonah Pomrenke, soph, CB Lewis Central; Lincoln riley, sr, Cedar Rapids Washington.

Utility — Brody Brecht, soph, Ankeny; Liam McComas, sr, Iowa City High.

CLASS 3A

Captain — Garrett Finley, sr, Central DeWitt.

First Team

Pitcher — Rick Atkins, sr, Marion; Lucas Bixby, sr, Central DeWitt; Bryson Bastian, sr, Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Catcher — Garrett Finley, sr, Central DeWitt.

First Base — Austin Simpson, sr, Fairfield.

Infield — Kyle Moeder, sr, Cedar Rapids Xavier; Brett Sears, sr, Harlan; Mike Pithan, sr, Sioux City Heelan.

Outfield — Casey Young, jr, Winterset; Brady Kauzlarich, soph, Centerville; Eric Salazar, jr, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley.

Utility — Nick Gottilla, sr, Davenport Assumption; Spencer Kleene, jr, Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Second Team

Pitcher — Tyler Olson, soph, Webster City; Cam Miller, jr, Solon; Alex McAleer, jr, Central DeWitt.

Catcher — Garrett Ries, sr, Cedar Rapids Xavier.

First Base — Isaiah Henrich, sr, Carlisle.

Infield — Trevor Paulsen, sr, Marion; Chase McLaren, sr, Atlantic; Jaen Sitzmann, jr, Sioux City Heelan.

Outfield — Brett Price, sr, Boone; Tyler Miller, jr, Oskaloosa; Nate Schlichting, jr, Davenport Assumption.

Utility — Dylan Steen, sr, Webster City; Daniel Wright, jr, Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Third Team

Pitcher — Logan Smith, jr, Dallas Center-Grimes; Clark Hooks, sr, North Polk; Connor Bruck, jr, Harlan.

Catcher — Kosta Papazogolou, sr, Fairfield.

First Base — Owen Newton, sr, Humboldt.

Infield — Jeff Lamp, sr, North Polk; Marcus Klemme, sr, Spencer; McCann Oden, jr, Centerville.

Outfield — Gage Franck, soph, Marion; Nile Foss, jr, Carlisle; Easton Darling, jr, Winterset.

Utility — Colton Butler, jr, Oskaloosa; Brant Hogue, jr, Sioux City Heelan.

CLASS 2A

Captain — Jake Hilmer, sr, North Linn.

First Team

Pitcher — Jake Hilmer, sr, North Linn; Briar Rowley, sr, Estherville-Lincoln Central; Hunter Dekkers, jr, West Sioux.

Catcher — Connor Lange, sr, Missouri Valley.

First Base — Brock Farley, sr, Denver.

Infield — Christian Davidson, soph, Pocahontas Area; Jalyn Gramstad, jr, West Lyon; Aiden Brock, jr, Hinton.

Outfield — Owen Grover, sr, Dyersville Beckman; David Seber, sr, North Linn; Tyler Hopp, sr, Central Lee.

Utility — Jace Davidson, sr, Pocahontas Area; Colin McCrabb, sr, Wilton.

Second Team

Pitcher — Brett Shelton, sr, Des Moines Christian; Jared Townsend, sr, Wilton; A.J. Schreck, sr, Carroll Kuemper.

Catcher — Jaxon Schumacher, 8th, Treynor.

First Base — Brett Berg, jr, Van Meter.

Infield — Nick Ravlin, jr, Underwood; Matt Paulsen, jr, West Branch; Will Dembski, sr, Pella Christian.

Outfield — Kayden Kruse, sr, Ogden; Ryan Anderson, jr, Pocahontas Area; Jon Mootz, sr, Monticello.

Utility — Anthony Pothoff, jr, Van Meter; Gavin Lorenzen, jr, West Lyon.

Third Team

Pitcher — Brad Tornow, sr, Mid-Prairie; Zak Scott, sr, MVOACOU; Aaron Michael, sr, MVOACOU.

Catcher — Michael Ryherd, jr, Alta-Aurelia.

First Base — Nate McCombs, jr, Treynor.

Infield — Josh Van Beek, jr, West Lyon; Grant Christy, sr, Des Moines Christian; Chase Becker, soph, Iowa City Regina.

Outfield — Drake Adair, sr, Underwood; Jacob Blomgren, soph, Van Meter; Hunter Pesek, jr, New Hampton.

Utility — Austin Hilmer, fr, North Linn; Keelan Klommhaus, jr, Mount Ayr.

CLASS 1A

Captain — Josh Fitzgerald, sr, Mason City Newman.

First Team

Pitcher — Blaine Harpenau, soph, Remsen St. Mary; Keaton Parker, sr, Alburnett; Caleb Banowetz, jr, Calamus-Wheatland.

Catcher — Colby Page, sr, Southeast Warren.

First Base — Reed Stallman, soph, Alburnett.

Infield — Evan Paulson, sr, Mason City Newman; Cael Frost, soph, Don Bosco; Tyler Tscherter, jr, Gladbrook-Reinbeck.

Outfield — Josh Fitzgerald, sr, Mason City Newman; Hunter Rickles, sr, Calamus-Wheatland; Dylan Fry, sr, Belle Plaine.

Utility — Colin Kramer, sr, St. Ansgar; Drew Schurke, sr, AR-WE-VA.

Second Team

Pitcher — Christian Cook, sr, Coon Rapids-Bayard; Brody Wolf, jr, HLV; Nathan Keck, sr, Kingsley-Pierson.

Catcher — Tyler Vandewater, jr, Nodaway Valley.

First Base — Aaron Fleming, sr, GMG.

Infield — Bryce Coppock, jr, Newell-Fonda; Layne Pryor, soph, Woodbine; Cy Patterson, soph, CB St. Albert.

Outfield — Dean Schaull, sr, HLV; Luke Oleson, jr, Kingsley-Pierson; Kendall Becker, sr, Don Bosco.

Utility — Bryce Schares, sr, Don Bosco; Skylar Waldschmitt, jr, Remsen St. Mary.

Third Team

Pitcher — Carter Nelson, jr, Baxter; Isaac Gavin, jr, Martensdale-St. Marys; Doug Taylor, 8th, Mason City Newman.

Catcher — Kody Timm, jr, HLV.

First Base — Trey Baker, soph, Martensdale-St. Marys.

Infield — Hunter Caves, sr, Alburnett; Landon Gilliland, soph, Lamoni; Tanner Bainbridge, sr, Pekin.

Outfield — Damon Schmidt, fr, Kingsley-Pierson; Austin Huber, jr, Alburnett; Carson Butz, jr, Moravia.

Utility — Kade Schlepp, jr, Coon Rapids-Bayard; Noah Tieskoetter, jr, South Winneshiek.

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