Author: Slaten Swords

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant handed Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney their second consecutive and third loss of the season last night, pulling away late with a 7-2 victory. J.C. Sitar led the squad with two RBIs, as he sits 13 RBIs away from 50 on the season. The Panthers will host Fort Madison tonight at 7:30 pm.

Central Lee handled Keokuk last night 9-2. Mason Sanders brought home a team-leading three RBIs, while Chase Johnson slapped two doubles for two RBIs. The Hawks head into the postseason with an 18-4 record. 

Winfield-Mt. Union fell to Pekin last night 9-3. Tyson Kaalberg tallied two of the team’s three hits and brought home a run. The Wolves end the regular season with a 5-14 record. 

Fairfield will face off against Burlington tonight at 7:30 pm with the winner taking the Southeast Conference title.

Van Buren County had their senior night spoiled by Davis County last night, losing 7-4. Kinnick Millard collected two RBIs in the loss. The Warriors are 9-14 heading into the postseason.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday, July 5th, doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for both games with the pregame show at 4:45 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, #5 Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

For Class 3A Substate 5, Washington will face off against Assumption on the road. In Substate 6, Mt. Pleasant will travel to play Fairfield for the fourth time this season, while Keokuk will take on Pella and Fort Madison will venture to Xavier with both games on the road. 

For Class 4A Substate 3, Burlington grabbed the #4-seed and will hit the road to compete against the #3-seed Muscatine.

Classes 3A and 4A will start postseason action on July 11th with first pitch at 7 pm. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant could not keep up with Davis County last night, losing 14-2. Parker Coleman knocked in both of the team’s runs. The Panthers will host Fort Madison tonight at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame could not figure out Burlington’s pitching last night, dropping both games of the doubleheader 11-1 in game one and 10-3 in game two. The Falcons will take on Mid-Prairie on Monday, July 7th, at home with game one of a doubleheader starting at 5:30 pm.

WACO lost last night to Highland, 19-0. The Warriors will face off against Central City tonight at home at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic defeated New London last night 5-0. 

New London will head to Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm for the Ravens’ Senior Night. 

Van Buren County concluded their regular season with a narrow 2-1 loss. 

Fairfield will take on Burlington at home tonight at 7:30 pm.

Central Lee will compete against #2 Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 5 pm at home.

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees were slammed by the Clinton LumberKings last night 15-4. Kooper Shulte collected a pair of singles for an RBI in the losing effort. Max Burt led the LumberKings with three RBIs. 

The Bees will host the rematch tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1966 – Atlanta Braves Tony Cloninger becomes the first National League player and only pitcher to hit 2 grand slams in an MLB game.

1983 – Calvin Smith sets a new world record of 9.93 seconds for the 100-meter dash in Colorado Springs; beats Jim Hines’ 1968 mark by 0.02 seconds as he was the first man to finish the race in under 10 seconds. .

1983 – The Texas Rangers explode for an MLB single extra innings record 12 runs in the 15th inning of a 16-4 win versus Oakland.

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant clobbered West Burlington last night 13-2 behind J.C. Sitar’s second home run of the season as his three RBIs led the team. Ayden Figuereo finished the game with three hits and an RBI for the Falcons. West Burlington ends the regular season with an 8-11 record.

Mt. Pleasant will host #2 Sigourney tonight at 7 pm.

Central Lee walked-off Danville last night in an uncharacteristically low scoring contest with a 2-1 final. Gage VanAusdall and Chase Johnson each tabbed an RBI in the winning effort. Jaden Bauer had shut down the Hawks offense for 6.1 innings, allowing only six hits and striking out seven.

Central Lee will travel to Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm.

Wapello fell to Highland last night 11-1.

Fairfield’s 11 runs were not enough to sink the Clippers as Clear Creek Amana put up 17 runs in the victory. Aiden Westercamp knocked home three runs as Luke Konczal continued to slug the ball with two doubles and two RBIs. The Trojans will face off against Burlington tomorrow, July 3rd, at 7:30 pm with the winner taking the Southeast Conference championship.

In what should have been their toughest game of the season, #5 Mediapolis demolished Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney last night 12-0. The Bulldogs will play Cascade tonight in a doubleheader on the road to end their regular season.

Winfield-Mt. Union got back in the win column last night after defeating Lone Tree 5-1. Tyson Kaalberg swatted a double for three RBIs in the winning effort. The Wolves will host Pekin tonight at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will celebrate their Senior Night tonight at 5:30 pm against Davis County.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday, July 5th, doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for both games with the pregame show at 4:45 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

For Class 3A Substate 5, Washington will face off against Assumption on the road. In Substate 6, Mt. Pleasant will travel to play Fairfield for the fourth time this season, while Keokuk will take on Pella and Fort Madison will venture to Xavier with both games on the road. 

For Class 4A Substate 3, Burlington grabbed the #4-seed and will hit the road to compete against the #3-seed Muscatine.

Classes 3A and 4A will start postseason action on July 11th with first pitch at 7 pm. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant could not stop scoring last night in a 17-10 thrashing of West Burlington/Notre Dame. Chaley Cook got the win in the circle and produced one of the team’s five doubles to bring home four runs. 

Mt. Pleasant will head back home tonight to square off against Davis County with first pitch at 7 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will take on Burlington in a road doubleheader tonight with game one at 5 pm.

Wapello’s three-game winning streak was snapped in a 4-1 loss to Highland last night. The Arrows will compete against Northeast tonight at home at 5 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic crushed WACO last night 23-4.

WACO will travel to Highland tonight at 5:30 pm.

New London will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7 pm at home.

Kennedy Woepking nearly lifted Columbus to victory herself against Pekin, clouting a home run and tallying six RBIs in the 15-6 rout of the Panthers. The Wildcats end the regular season with a 12-11 record. 

Danville could not upset Central Lee last night in their regular season finale, losing 3-0 to the Hawks. 

Central Lee will make the trip to Keokuk tonight with first pitch at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will hit the road to take on Centerville tonight at 7 pm.

Fairfield will take on Burlington at home tomorrow, July 3rd, at 7:30 pm.

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets for all five classes, here’s a look at our local matchups. 

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees allowed 10 runs in the first inning to the Quincy Doggy Paddlers before falling 18-8 in eight innings. Caleb Seibers knocked a double and brought home two runs. 

The Clinton LumberKings defeated the Normal CornBelters last night 10-5. Kaden Frommelt clocked a two-run homer in the winning effort. 

The Bees and LumberKings will meet at Community Field tonight with game time at 6:30 pm for the first game of a three-game series. 

2025 Prospect League All-Star Game

The Burlington Bees will be sending five players to the 2025 Prospect League All-Star game being held in Springfield on Tuesday, July 8th, at 6:30 pm at Robin Roberts Stadium.

Kooper Schulte has been showing off his power at the plate with 13 extra-base hits, which ranks second in the league, tied for the league lead in triples, and his 24 RBIs puts him in the top 10 for the league. Schulte will also participate in the Homerun Derby.

Caleb Siebers has brought home 17 runs, while scoring 17 runs himself, and he’s clocked four homers.

Mason Schwalbach has collected 16RBIs thanks to his batting average sitting near 0.400 for the season, including six extra-base hits.

Two guys on the mound that claimed a spot on the All-Star team are Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson.

Sunken has recorded five saves, which ranks second in the league, in 11 appearances, posting a 2-1 record with 3.14 ERA. Clarkson, a lefty, has thrown 12 strikeouts in 15 innings strewn across four starts. His ERA currently sits at 3.00.

This Day in Sports History

1903 – Pitcher Jack Doscher, debuts for the Chicago Cubs, the first son of a major leaguer (Herm played from 1882-92) to play in the MLB. 

1941 – Joe DiMaggio hits a 3-run homer off Boston’s Dick Newsome to pass Willie Keeler’s MLB record 44 game hitting streak. The streak lasts 56 games. 

1989 – Jockey Steve Cauthen wins the Irish Derby on Old Vic to become the first rider in history to sweep the world’s four major Derbies (Kentucky, Epsom, French, Irish).

Burlington, IA- The Burlington Bees have started off the second half of the regular season on a two-game win streak after finishing the first half on a bit of a sour note in terms of the standings. However, the Bees tout five All-Stars on their team after a stellar start to the year.

Kooper Schulte, who busted onto the scene after earning Prospect League Hitter of the Week to open the season after hitting for the cycle and totaling five RBIs in their first game of the year, grabbed a spot on the All-Star team.

The former New London Tiger has been showing off his power at the plate with 13 extra-base hits, which ranks second in the league, tied for the league lead in triples, and his 24 RBIs puts him in the top 10 for the league. Schulte will also participate in the Homerun Derby.

Caleb Siebers, from Carmi, Illinois, has continued his momentum from his freshman season at Olney Central College as he currently sits with a slash line of 0.316/0.396/0.519. Seibers has brought home 15 runs, while scoring 15 runs himself, and he’s clocked four homers.

Another Bee from Southern Illinois that has earned a spot on the All-Star team is Mason Schwalbach. The Saluki has collected 15 RBIs thanks to his 0.383 batting average, including six extra-base hits.

Two guys on the mound that claimed a spot on the All-Star team are Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson.

Sunken has recorded five saves, which ranks second in the league, in 11 appearances, posting a 2-1 record with 3.14 ERA. Clarkson, a lefty, has thrown 12 strikeouts in 15 innings strewn across four starts. His ERA currently sits at 3.00.

The 2025 Prospect League All-Star game will be held in Springfield on Tuesday, July 8^th, at 6:30 pm at Robin Roberts Stadium with the Eastern and Western Conferences facing off against one another.

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant traded wins with Burlington last night with the Grayhounds snatching game one 13-2 and the Panthers grabbing game two 11-7. J.C. Sitar extended his RBI-streak to eight games after recording a sacrifice fly in game one, while Griffen Jones led the way in game two with three RBIs followed by Payton Walker with two RBIs as he cracked a double. 

West Burlington was thwacked by Hillcrest Academy last night 17-6. Levi Fletcher-Bates logged two hits and an RBI in the loss. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to West Burlington tonight at 7:30 pm. 

Central Lee’s late offensive production saw the Hawks outscore Burlington Notre Dame 8 to 4 in the final three innings to steal the win 11-8. Kayden Calfee collected three RBIs in the winning effort. 

Central Lee will take on Danville at home tonight with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

Burlington Notre Dame will host Fort Madison tonight at 7 pm.

Danville fell to Wapello last night 8-5. Kolton Small led the effort for Wapello with a two-RBI double, while Alex Holtkamp, Addison Clayton, and Zander Stotlar each notched an RBI for the Bears. 

Wapello will face off against Highland tonight at 7 pm at home.

New London hammered Lone Tree last night 16-1 to end their regular season. Everyone got involved in the win for the Tigers with Cale Westerbeck slugging a double for three RBIs, Gavin Menke-Bailey sprinted around the basepath for a triple and two RBIs, while Memphis Watson clouted a double for an RBI, got the win on the mound, and set the school record for stolen bases in a year with his 38th. 

Fairfield’s sweep of Keokuk last night, 11-1 in game one and 13-3 in game two, sets up a winner-takes-all conference showdown on Thursday between Burlington and the Trojans. Dayson Workman clobbered a double with three RBIs in game one, while Zandrik Allison slashed the same stat line in game two. 

Fairfield will compete against Clear Creek Amana at home at 7:30 pm tonight. 

#5 Mediapolis will travel to Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney tonight at 5:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm at home. 

Van Buren County will celebrate their Senior Night tomorrow, July 2nd, at 5:30 pm against Davis County.

High School Baseball Rankings

The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association released their final rankings for Class 2A yesterday and Mediapolis claimed the #5 spot with a 22-1 record heading into their toughest contest of the year against Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney, who also only has one loss on the year. 

Compared to last year, the Bulldogs are a complete team. Their squad’s pitching staff touts a 2.39 ERA much like last year with a stellar defense backing them up with a 0.940 fielding percentage. But, their greatest improvement has been at the plate with a team batting average of 0.315, that’s 53 points better than last year. 

Lance Ludens has been unstoppable at the plate and the mound with a 0.559 batting average, knocking in 24 runs, while striking out 46 with an ERA of 1.83 to go along with a perfect 6-0 record on the mound.

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant picked up their first win over Burlington since 2019, defeating the Grayhounds 4-0 in game two. Chaley Cook spun a complete game six-hitter, notching a strikeout in the win. Saige Burchett and Keagyn Coleman each tabbed two hits for an RBI in the win. The Panthers fell in game one 8-1 as Linzy Striegel had the lone RBI.

Mt. Pleasant will take on West Burlington/Notre Dame on the road tonight at 7 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame’s Senior Night was spoiled by Hillcrest Academy last night in a narrow 3-2 loss. Tannisyn Christofferson and Madalynn Knapp both clocked RBI doubles for the Falcons.

Wapello crushed WACO last night 15-0. Macey Hackett slugged a double and a home run for three RBIs in the win. 

Wapello will host Highland tonight at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against WACO tonight at 7 pm on the road.

Fairfield outsprinted Keokuk last night 10-8 in game one and 12-7 in game two. Leah Helmick collected three RBIs in game one with a double, while Laney Norris knocked in three in game two. The Trojans will take on Burlington at home on Thursday, July 3rd, at 7:30 pm.

Columbus lost 9-1 to #2 Louisa-Muscatine last night. Lily Coil’s solo home run was the only source of offense for the Wildcats. Columbus will travel to Pekin tonight at 7 pm. 

Danville will host Central Lee tonight for a senior night doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will hit the road to take on Centerville tomorrow, July 2nd, at 7 pm.

New London will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow at 7 pm at home.

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets for all five classes, here’s a look at our local matchups. 

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will travel to face off against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings will take on the Normal CornBelters tonight on the road at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1859 – First intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under rules that differ wildly from today’s baseball rules. 

1904 – The III Summer (Modern) Olympic Games opened in St Louis, the first held in the United States. 

1982 – Cal Ripken Jr. makes the first of his record 2,216 consecutive MLB starts at shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.

High School Baseball

Central Lee participated in a tournament in Waterloo over the weekend losing game one to Grand View Chrisitan 8-1 to set up a 9-4 victory over Saint Ansgar. Chase Johnson had the lone RBI for the Hawks against the Thunder.

Game two saw Central Lee produce seven unanswered runs strung out between the last three innings as Kayden Calfee smacked a double for two RBIs. 

Burlington Notre Dame swatted Burlington over the weekend, dispatching the Grayhounds 11-1. Eli Oleson led the offense with four RBIs, while Payne Prottsman went the complete five innings, striking out five in the win.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Burlington for a doubleheader at Community Field tonight with game one at 5:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for game one with the pregame show at 5:15 pm. 

Burlington Notre Dame will host Central Lee tonight at 7:30 pm in a make-up game from June 13th.

Danville will enjoy their senior night tonight at 7:30 pm when the Bears take on Wapello. 

West Burlington will host Hillcrest Academy tonight at 5:30 pm.

New London will take on Lone Tree tonight at 7 pm at home.

Fairfield will square off against Keokuk tonight in a home doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

#6 Mediapolis will travel to Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney tomorrow, July 1st, at 5:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Lone Tree tomorrow at 5:30 pm at home. 

Van Buren County will celebrate their Senior Night on Wednesday, July 2nd, at 5:30 pm.

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant competed in the Rick Doran Classic over the weekend and dropped both contests, falling 7-4 to Iowa City West and 12-0 to Independence. Bella Dodds had the lone extra-base hit for the Panthers as she grabbed an RBI. 

Mt. Pleasant will head to Burlington tonight for game one of their doubleheader at 5:30 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame went winless at the Eddie Jones Memorial Tournament over the weekend, getting shutout by #9 Washington 13-0 and struggling against Davenport West, 6-1. Whitney Snowden tabbed two doubles by the end of the weekend. The Falcons will take on Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm for their Senior Night.

WACO traveled to Iowa Valley over the weekend for a tournament and was swept by the hosts 15-5 and Colo-Nesco 5-4.

Wapello will travel to WACO tonight with first pitch at 7 pm.

Fairfield battled in Solon for part two of the Clear Creek Amana/Solon Classic, but lost both contests over the weekend, 5-4 to Solon and 7-5 to Prairie. Leah Helmick had a big game against the Hawks as she pushed across three runs on two singles. Lilly Bergren scored three runs and finished 5 for 7 at the plate. 

Fairfield will host Keokuk tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

New London will tangle with Lone Tree tonight with gametime at 5:30 pm at the Winfield Softball Field. 

Columbus will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against WACO tomorrow, July 1st, at 7 pm on the road.

Danville will host Central Lee tomorrow for a senior night doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will hit the road to take on Centerville on Wednesday, July 2nd, at 5:30 pm.

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets for all five classes, here’s a look at our local matchups. 

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest if both teams advance.

In Class 3A Region 5, Mediapolis will get a chance to repeat a piece of history made earlier this season when they host West Burlington/Notre Dame on July 10th at 7 pm. The winner will take on either Assumption or Camanche with the Knights entering as the favorite.

In the bottom half of the bracket, #9 Washington will face off against Midland at home and Central Lee will take on Monticello at home. The winner of the two matchups will play one another.

Region 8 will have Fairfield host Davis County to start their postseason journey. The winner will most likely travel to Albia as they take on Clarke Community in their first-round matchup.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees started off the second half of the season with a pair of victories, outslugging the Normal CornBelters 14-10 and downing the Clinton LumberKings last night 6-2. 

Caleb Seibers was crushing the ball against the CornBelters, smashing two home runs to tally three RBIs, while Kooper Schulte added his own two-run moonshot to also finish the game with three RBIs. 

Corey Boyette set the tone for game two with a three-run homer to introduce the scoring as the Bees scored the first five runs of the game.

The Burlington Bees will travel to face off against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tomorrow, July 1st, at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings, who earned a playoff spot after winning the Division Title for the first half of the season, split their Saturday doubleheader against the Doggy Paddlers, winning game one 15-11 before falling in game two 13-7. The LumberKings will take on the Normal CornBelters tomorrow on the road at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1934 – Detroit radio executive George Richards pays $7,952.08 to buy NFL’s Portsmouth Spartans; moves team to Detroit and rebrands it to ‘Lions.’

1982 – New Jersey NHL franchise officially named Devils by fan vote; based on the legend of the Jersey Devil, a creature that allegedly inhabited the Pine Barrens of South Jersey.

1994 – US Ice Skating Federation bars Tonya Harding for life.

High School Baseball

#6 Mediapolis handled Wapello last night 10-1. Wyatt Marlette had the lone RBI. 

#6 Mediapolis will travel to Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney on Tuesday, July 1st, at 5:30 pm.

Danville will enjoy their senior night on Monday at 7:30 pm when the Bears take on Wapello. 

West Burlington’s Bo Begner tallied two RBIs in a 5-1 win over Pekin last night. The Falcons will host Hillcrest Academy on Monday, June 30th, at 5:30 pm.

Burlington Notre Dame clobbered Winfield-Mt. Union last night 11-0.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Lone Tree on Tuesday at 5:30 pm at home. 

Burlington Notre Dame will host Burlington tonight at 7 pm.

New London stopped a three-game skid last night after defeating Van Buren County 8-6. Isaiah Meek strung together three hits for an RBI for the Warriors. 

New London will take on Lone Tree on Monday at 7 pm at home.

Van Buren County will celebrate their Senior Night on Wednesday, July 2nd, at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield’s win streak ends at seven after splitting their doubleheader with Denison Schleswig yesterday. The Trojans took game one 11-6 with the help of small ball as Voss Richardson and Ethan Bisgard each collected two RBIs. Despite three RBIs from Aiden Westercamp in game two, the Trojans lost 10-6. 

Fairfield will square off against Keokuk on Monday in a home doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee will head to Waterloo Riverfront Stadium today for a tournament with their first opponent being Grand View Christian at 2 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Burlington for a doubleheader at Community Field on Monday with game one at 5:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for game one with the pregame show at 5:15 pm. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant traveled to Holy Trinity Catholic last night and the Crusaders celebrated Emily Ross’ Senior Night in style, sweeping the Panthers 9-0 in game one and 11-7 in game two. Sydney Jarvis clocked a double with two RBIs along with the win in the circle in game one, while Paityn Ensminger and Quintrie Lee each tallied a hit. 

Mt. Pleasant will compete in the Rick Doran Classic today with game one taking place against Iowa City West at 12:30 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against WACO on Tuesday, July 1st, at 7 pm on the road. 

Central Lee struggled on day one of the Rick Doran Classic, getting smacked by Valley and West Liberty by the same score, 11-1. The Hawks will head back for day two today. 

Van Buren County buried New London last night 10-1. Addison Brauns cracked two triples for two RBIs in the winning effort. 

New London will tangle with Lone Tree on Monday, June 30th, with gametime at 5:30 pm at the Winfield Softball Field. 

Van Buren County will hit the road to take on Centerville on Wednesday, July 2nd, at 5:30 pm.

Mediapolis fell to Wapello last night 4-1. Payton Harris had the lone RBI for the Bulldogs, while Quinn Zwelbohmer struck out 15 and allowed only three hits in seven innings of work. 

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Wapello will travel to WACO on Monday with first pitch at 7 pm.

WACO lost 12-0 to Pekin last night. The Warriors will participate in the Iowa Valley Tournament today.

Fairfield participated in the Clear Creek Amana-Solon Classic yesterday and dropped both games, losing 7-3 to Regina Catholic and 12-5 to the Clippers. Olivia Hollander collected four RBIs between the two contests. The Trojans will head to Solon today with a game against the Spartans at 10 am.

West Burlington Notre Dame will compete in the Eddie Jones Memorial Tournament at Washington today with game one at 12:30 pm against the Demons.

Columbus will face off against Louisa-Muscatine on Monday at 7 pm.

Danville will host Central Lee on Tuesday for a senior night doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets for all five classes yesterday, here’s a look at our local matchups. 

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees lost to the Quincy Doggy Paddlers last night 6-4. Miles Risley clobbered a double and an RBI. The Bee will remain at home tonight to take on the Normal CornBelters at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings snuck past the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes last night 7-5. The LumberKings will play two against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers on the road tonight with game one at 5 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1975 – Reigning PGA Championship winner Lee Trevino and playing partners Jerry Heard, Bobby Nichols, Jim Ahern and Tony Jacklin are struck by lightning at Western Open; suffer minor burns. 

1993 – Carlton Fisk is released by the Chicago White Sox as the then all-time leader of most games caught and most home runs by a catcher. 

2023 – New York Yankees’ pitcher Domingo Germán throws the 24th perfect game in MLB history and the first since 2012 in a 11-0 win over the Oakland A’s.

Prep Softball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) has released the Regional Pairings for the 2025 postseason for all five classes. The start dates will be split up with Classes 1A and 2A playing on July 7th and Classes 3A, 4A, and 5A penciled in for July 10th. Here’s a look at our local matchups.

Class 1A

Do not have to travel far to find our trio of local teams in Class 1A as they rest in the bottom half of the Region 1 bracket.

Game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Class 2A

Over in Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

Class 3A

If fate is to have its way, Region 5 could see another chapter added to an epic that started in the 2024 postseason.

Firstly, Mediapolis will get to host a postseason game in nearly a decade as they look to repeat a piece of history made earlier this season when they take on West Burlington/Notre Dame on July 10th at 7 pm.

The winner will take on either Assumption or Camanche with the Knights entering as the favorite.

In the bottom half of the bracket, #9 Washington will face off against Midland at home and Central Lee will take on Monticello at home. The winner of the two matchups will play one another. A year ago, Central Lee shocked Washington with a comeback victory in the wanning moments of the contest. Washington got payback this season on June 25th to knock the Hawks out of the top 15.

Region 8 will have Fairfield host Davis County to start their postseason journey. The winner will most likely travel to Albia as they take on Clarke Community in their first round matchup.

Class 4A

Three Southeast Conference will meet up in Region 3 with two teams from Lee County meeting up at Joyce Park.

Surprisingly, it will be Keokuk hosting Fort Madison on July 10th despite the Bloodhounds having won the last five contests against the Chiefs. Norwalk will await the winner on July 12th.

On the bottom half of the bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

The winner will advance to play Winterset on July 12th at 7 pm.

Lastly, Burlington will host Maquoketa in Region 6 with the winner advancing to take on Clear Creek Amana on July 12th.

More

Stay tuned to KILJ to see who we will be covering throughout the postseason journey for our local teams!