One of the top club organizations in the Midwest, the Iowa Premier headed by Greg Dickel, has brought in a new team to its program and it’s a successful one.
Monsters 16U – Gerst, which went 42-6 last year and won PGF Stars of Tomorrow 16U and the Perfect Game Fall Kick Off and finished 2nd at Top Gun Triumph, will now be known as Iowa Premier 16U Gold – Sanders and be coached and managed by Luke Sanders.
Sanders has been an Assistant Coach on Greg Dickel’s 18U Gold Team for the past three seasons and his team is based out of Southeast Iowa.
His daughters, Hailey Sanders, a 2020 pitcher signee to Northern Iowa, and Kylee Sanders, a 2021 MIF and slapper committed to Northern Iowa, have played for Coach Dickel as well during that time frame.
Coach Sanders is also the Founder & Club Director for the Monsters Fastpitch Softball Club based in Muscatine, Iowa. This team has played in his organization since they were 10U.
Speaking of his time with Sanders and why he and his program are being integrated into Iowa Premier, Dickel said, “We have developed a strong relationship the past three years and the Gerst team has reached a level that we both feel warrants the next step of moving to the elite club status that Iowa Premier provides.”
Dickel adds the new 16U team will be comprised of some of the top softball players in the Southeast region of Iowa and will compete “on all the major stages of fastpitch” that Iowa Premier customarily competes in during the fall seasons.
“The majority of the players on this roster play for highly competitive high school programs in Southeast Iowa and will focus their summer ball predominantly for their school teams,” according to the organization’s head who also coaches the 18U club team.
The 16U Gold Sanders team includes the following quartet of standout players (comments are by Greg Dickel):
Logan Kelley (2024, catcher)
Logan is considered the best young catching prospect in all of Iowa. She is from Burlington and was honored as a USA Elite Select 30 player in 2019. Logan has torn up Iowa high school’s abbreviated season these past two months, batting .473 with five home runs in just 18 games and also had 20 RBIs. She’s a defensive presence behind the plate with pop times from 1.55 to 1.6 and possesses a very strong arm.
Lauren Summers (2023, pitcher)
Lauren returns to the Iowa Premier organization after playing for its 13U team two years ago. She’s one of the top young pitching prospects in Southeast Iowa and is also a high school teammate of Logan Kelley at West Burlington High. As a high school pitcher in Iowa this summer, she garnered a 1.90 ERA with 147 strikeouts in only 17 games pitched.
Serah Schafer (2022, middle infielder)
Sarah is a speedy 5-tool player who puts pressure on defenses with her versatility at the plate. She compiled a .402 batting average along with 20 RBIs and 22 steals in the 2019 fall travel season.
Finley Hall (2023, catcher)
Finley is a left-handed power-hitting athlete with versatility. She produced a .380 average and had 14 extra base hits with three bombs last fall.
