(Plattsmouth) -- Drew Iverson helped Plattsmouth baseball reach heights it had never reached prior to this season.
For that, Iverson is the 2023 KMAland Nebraska Baseball Player of the Year.
Iverson was a force on the mound and at the plate this year. That helped guide the Blue Devils to the program's first ever state tournament berth this past season.
The Wichita State signee hit .493 with 32 RBI this season. Thirteen of his 37 hits were extra-base knocks, led by a team-high 10 doubles.
"It all started early in the year," he said. "My approach was the same as always because I knew I would be attacked the same. Anytime I saw a first-pitch strike, I just went after it. Fastballs are the easiest pitches to hit, so I tried to go the other way with those. If they put it over the plate, I put it up the middle. That's really all I did."
Iverson was a workhorse on the bump for Plattsmouth with a 5-2 record, 1.58 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings.
"I feel like I underperformed with what I wanted to do, but other people would have loved to have had the season I did," he said. "The changeup was my baby. I loved to throw that one. The off-speed stuff worked really well. The approach all year was to keep hitters off balance. It worked well."
Perhaps Iverson's best pitching performance came when his team needed it most. Iverson struck out 13 and allowed only hit in the Blue Devils' 4-0 district final win over Lincoln Christian on May 5th.
"We all wanted to go there," Iverson said. "It was a cool moment when we got to experience it together. It was a full circle moment."
Iverson and his teammates had a memorable season, but it didn't come without ups and downs. The Blue Devils started the year 1-2 but followed with seven consecutive wins. That set the tone, and the Blue Devils easily maneuvered through the regular season.
"I think (the 1-2 start) showed the guys that we had to work for everything we wanted to get this season," he said. "That made us work harder. We wanted it more. That slow start propelled us into the nice season we had. It all played out from there. It was a fun season with the guys."
While Plattsmouth's season ultimately ended with a pair of losses at the state tournament, Iverson and his teammates cherished the opportunity to play in the state tournament at UNO's Tal Anderson Field.
"It was awesome," he said. "It was a lot of fun. We got a big sendoff from our high school. We were blown away by the facility, which we had full access to."
Iverson moved from Kearney to Plattsmouth after his freshman year. He's forever grateful to the community for welcoming him with open arms and allowing him to grow as a baseball player.
"They took me in under their wing and helped me get better," Iverson said. "Anything I needed, they helped me. All the relationships I built here is something I'll never forget."
Iverson joins Platte Valley's Hayden Lewis as recipients of this award. Hear the full interview below.
