Meet Drew Banks, the standout pitcher for the Colo-NESCO baseball team

Colo-NESCO baseball coach Brandon Frohwein knew as early as February that he would have to lean heavily on senior pitcher Drew Banks during the 2024 season.

The Royals had to replace seven starters, including record-setting pitcher Spencer Hansen, from a 2023 team that reached double digits in wins for the third straight year. When Frohwein held the first team meeting to start the 2024 season last winter, he said there were only 12 or 13 players in the room.

Colo-NESCO added a few players early in the season in May, but it was clear the Royals had plenty of experience and depth issues to overcome.

“We knew from the beginning that Drew was going to have to take on a lot of the leadership role,” Frohwein said. “He was going to have to be the leader of the team, and he was. He took the ball every chance he could throughout the season and gave us a chance to win.”

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Banks certainly had a tough job to do this season. He started July with more innings than any pitcher in Class 1A, 58 2/3. A young Royals team needed his presence on the mound.

Banks was 5-3 heading into July. The Royals (7-14) were just 2-11 in their other 13 games.

“Having Drew on the mound makes it so much easier for the whole team,” Colo-NESCO catcher Landon Gjerde said. “We know he’s going to be consistent night in and night out.”

Banks entered July with a 2.62 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 18 walks. His strikeout total ranked seventh among 1A pitchers.

“Of course, everyone would like to do better,” Banks said. “There’s a few games here and there every year where I struggle. But I think overall I’ve done pretty well so far.”

Banks had to miss most of his freshman season with a broken elbow. He refused to let that get him down.

“It was a shame to lose that year,” Banks said. “I love baseball and we were good that year. But I knew I had three more years to get better, so I kept looking forward.”

Over the next three years, he learned a lot from Hansen, who went 18-10 in his four years on varsity.

“He was a very good pitcher,” Banks said. “He gave me good advice.”

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As a sophomore, Banks was 5-2 with a 2.12 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 33 walks in 43 innings. Last year, he finished 4-2 with a 2.41 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 34 walks in 49 1/3 innings.

Banks has continued to work tirelessly this offseason to become a better pitcher. He continues to put in the time to improve, even though 1A districts begin this Saturday.

“I think I’ve definitely improved my fastball, I’m more accurate and I’m not wasting my pitches,” Banks said. “I still have a lot of work to do, my curveball isn’t very good.”

He made life a lot easier for the rest of the team, especially Gjerde at receiver.

“It’s really easy for him to catch,” Gjerde said. “You just call the pitch, locate it and you know it’s going to be there. I trust him with his pitches and where he’s going to place them.”

Banks doesn’t just help the team on the field. Perhaps his greatest asset is his leadership of this young team.

The Royals needed him with their two other seniors knowing they would miss significant time before the season even started.

Frohwein’s son, Lucas, tore his ACL playing basketball and was forced to miss the season. The other senior, Trenton Beard, went on a trip to Japan and missed eight games through the end of June.

“Drew has been a really good leader off the bench,” Brandon Frohwein said. “He tries to teach kids the right things to do.”

Banks will play for Iowa Central in college. But he wants to extend his Colo-NESCO career as long as possible, starting with a win over AGWSR in the 1A District 5 quarterfinals Saturday in West Fork.

He wants to make the most of his last games as a Royal.

“I’m mostly trying to make sure everyone has fun,” Banks said. “We’re pretty young, so we have a lot of work to do, but having fun is more important right now.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

This article was originally published on Ames Tribune: Drew Banks a reliable presence on the mound for Colo-NESCO