Storm Lake Times Pilot

Storm Lake’s Eddie repeats as 2021 Times Player of the Year



Storm Lake’s Mark Eddie was one of the best pitchers in the state in Class 3A. The second team all-stater went 7-2 with a 0.69 ERA and struck out 103 batters.

Mark Eddie was one of the best pitchers in the state in Class 3A, and the numbers definitely support such a claim.

The Storm Lake right-hander had a season for the ages. He ranked third in 3A with his 0.69 ERA. He ranked second in strikeouts with 103, fourth in WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) at 0.87, tied for fourth in earned runs allowed with six and eight in innings pitched with 61. Furthermore, Eddie gave up just one run in six Lakes Conference appearances.

Eddie was more than just a pitcher, however, as he batted .402 with two home runs and 40 runs scored. He had a .507 on-base percentage and a .607 slugging percentage.

The all-around staggering numbers are why Eddie is a repeat choice for the Times Player of the Year.

“Mark had an excellent season in all facets of the game,” Storm Lake coach Ben Seaman said. “He was a great offensive weapon in the leadoff spot for us, played great defense at the shortstop position, and was a dominant force on the mound.”

Seaman talked about what makes Eddie such a special player.

“What makes Mark such a special player is his ability to do everything on the field,” he said. “He’s dominant on the mound, allowing six earned runs all season while having the second most strikeouts in Class 3A. He got on base at least half the time in the leadoff spot, which was huge for us. He runs the bases super-hard and effectively because he has good instincts. He plays solid defense and makes plays (at shortstop) not a lot of high school kids can make.”

Eddie made his biggest progression from last year to this year at the plate.

“I think he just improved his overall game,” Seaman said. “I think Mark is most known for his pitching ability, but he has so many strengths to his game besides that. I think his biggest jump was offensively. He just had a ton of confidence at the plate, battled in a lot of at-bats, and knew what his approach was and what he was trying to do at the plate. His confidence led to great numbers as far as average and on-base percentage and power. He worked hard in the weight room in the offseason, which I think really improved everything he did as well.”

Seaman tried to measure what Eddie has meant to the Tornadoes’ success.

“Mark has meant so much to the success of this team this year and this program since his time as a part of it,” he said. “His dominance on the mound gave us a lot of confidence in some of our biggest games of the year. He was a great leadoff for us offensively and got us going in a lot of games. I can’t say enough about what he did for us this year to have such a great year. He was a really big part of that.”

Like all great players, Eddie makes his teammates better.

“Mark is a great leader and does it in the right way,” Seaman said. “He is vocal when he needs to be, but does a lot of it with his actions. He takes every rep like a game rep, is diligent about what he’s doing with his offseason and practice time, and is just always trying to improve his game. I think for the younger kids in the program and guys that have got to play with him, he’s really just helped bring everyone’s expectations higher about what it takes to be a good baseball player.”

Seaman explained what it was like to coach such a special talent for the last five years.

“Mark has been a pleasure to coach and work with,” he said. “He works really hard, is a guy that cares a lot about the success of his teammates, and is coachable. He is super-competitive and has a drive that pushes him to be at his absolute best. I can’t say enough about what he’s meant to our program while he’s been in high school.”

Eddie’s best attribute was … everything.

“It’s hard to not say Mark’s best was his pitching because he was so dominant, but hard to not mention what he did offensively and defensively as well,” Seaman said. “Just a complete player for us and a great leader, too. All in all, his best attribute was his work ethic and competitive drive. Work ethic to be a great individual for us, but also a great teammate, which I think is all fueled by his competitive spirit.”