Prep Baseball- The field will be slashed in half after tonight for Classes 1A and 2A with the 16 total Substate Championship games scheduled for first pitch at 7 pm. KILJ will be keeping an eye on two local teams as they both venture to a neutral site for their respective state qualifying games. Overall, here’s the full schedule for tonight’s duels and a more in-depth look at Burlington Notre Dame’s and Mediapolis’ contests as they both look to return to Merchants Park in Carroll, Iowa.
Class 1A
Substate 1: #6 Remsen St. Mary’s vs Logan-Magnolia at Sioux City East High School
Substate 2: #5 Newman Catholic vs Gehlen Catholic at Algona High School
Substate 3: #3 Saint Ansgar vs Ankeny Centennial at Roosevelt Field
Substate 4: #4 South Winneshiek vs Don Bosco at Harms Stadium
Substate 5: #9 North Linn vs Janesville at Independence High School
Substate 6: #7 Lynnville-Sully vs Burlington Notre Dame at Ottumwa Sports Complex.
It’s the first matchup between these two teams, despite the 16 combined state tournament appearances. Part of that has to do with the fact that these two teams have qualified in the same year only one: 2023.
The Hawks are aiming at their fourth straight trip to Carroll with a championship run back in 2024, while Notre Dame is hoping to make it back for the first time since 2023 and their first state championship since 1982.
Lynnville-Sully nearly saw their hopes for a quartet of state appearance snapped in the District 12 semifinals. After dispatching English Valleys the round before, 13-0, Montezuma had the Hawks teetering on the edge of elimination, leading 3 to 2 after five innings. Still, the Braves committed four errors and allowed the Hawks to build a lead and eventual 6-3 victory. It was followed up by an 11-1 demolition of Baxter for the District 12 championship.
Notre Dame’s offense had their own semifinal hangover after beating Danville, 10-0. Still, savvy baserunning and a quartet of pitchers won the day for the Nikes, as they kenneled the Huskies for a 4-1 victory. In one of the biggest upsets of the bracket, Notre Dame struck for four runs in the 1st inning, taking full advantage of #8 Sigourney’s five errors to escape with a 5-2.
Both teams average 10 runs per game, but this game will come down to the pitching staffs.
Players to Watch: Brody Borg (Lynnville-Sully) and Payne Prottsman (Notre Dame)
Substate 7: #2 Martensdale-St. Marys vs Moravia at Knoxville High School
Substate 8: #1 Coon Rapids-Bayard vs Lenox at Valley High School
Class 2A
Substate 1: #4 West Lyon vs Hinton at Sheldon High School
Substate 2: #10 Pocahontas Area vs #2 Roland-Story at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Ballfield
Substate 3: Denver vs #5 Cascade at West Delaware Schools
Substate 4: Durant vs Mediapolis at West Liberty High School
This will not be the first rodeo between Durant and Mediapolis with the Wildcats nursing a 4-3 advantage since 2015 after the Bulldogs captured the last two games by a combined score of 13 to 2. Don’t be fooled four of the seven matchups have been decided by four runs or less.
Durant is looking for their fifth ever appearance to the state tournament and first since 2020, while Mediapolis is attempting to make it back-to-back trips to Carroll and third overall. Additionally, both teams are searching for their first win at the state tournament.
The Wildcats started the tournament with a 10-0 victory over Camanche before taking down Alburnett, 12-5, and Marquette Catholic for the District 7 championship, 4-2. Colby Gast nearly went the length of the game, but struck out eight Defenders on their way to a win.
Mediapolis earned a bye and took advantage by trotting out exceptional pitching for the second year in a row, beating Mid-Prairie, 2-0, and #3 Regina Catholic, 8-0, for the District 8 championship. The impressive win against the #3 team in Class 2A was enforced by Max Griffin, who lobbed six innings and allowed only four hits, walked four, and struck out five in the winning effort.
You can catch all the action on KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, this evening with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.
Players to Watch: Kyler Crow (Mediapolis) and Colby Gast (Durant)
Substate 5: Albia vs #1 Pleasantville at Oskaloosa High School
Substate 6: PCM vs #6 Beckman Catholic at Marshalltown High School
Substate 7: Grundy Center vs Ridge View at Boone Memorial Park
Substate 8: #7 Unity Christian vs #8 Underwood at Sioux City East High School