Sports, June 24th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, June 24th, 2025 at 6:26 am CDT

High School Baseball

Burlington Notre Dame smacked New London last night 13-2. Gavin Menke-Bailey tallied the lone two RBIs for the Tigers, while Memphis Watson sprinted around the bases for a triple. 

New London will compete against Danville at Community Field tonight at 7:30 pm.

Van Buren County will take on Burlington Notre Dame tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Danville hung in against BGM last night but came up short, falling 2-0. 

Mt. Pleasant has now won five of their last six games after pummeling Washington last night in their doubleheader, 14-4 in game one and 13-3 in game two. Zach Newton and Grayson Lowery collected the wins on the mound for the Panthers. 

Mt. Pleasant will host #6 Mediapolis tomorrow, June 25th, at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

Wapello was whacked by Winfield-Mt. Union last night 12-0. Riley Kaalberg led the offensive effort with a double, a home run, and three RBIs, while Kason Dopler threw a one-hitter and tallied eight strikeouts in four innings of work. Wyatt Marlette picked up the lone hit.

Wapello will face off against Pekin on Thursday, June 26th, at 7 pm at home.

Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Hillcrest Academy tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield took care of business in game one of their doubleheader against Fort Madison last night, winning 11-0, but needed extras to put the Bloodhounds away in game two, taking it 5-4. Aiden Westercamp finished the night with a pair of doubles and four RBIs for the Trojans. Fairfield will attempt to spoil Washington’s senior night on Thursday with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

Central Lee will host West Burlington tonight at 5:30 pm.

#6 Mediapolis will take on Pekin at home at 7:30 pm tonight.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A and Class 2A postseason brackets with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday 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.

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.

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released this week. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant was swept by #11 Washington last night at home, losing 19-5 in game one and 8-0 in game two. Parker Coleman pushed across two runs in the first contest. The Panthers will attempt to get back in the win column tomorrow, June 25th, at home against Cardinal with first pitch at 7 pm.

Fairfield escaped with a pair of conference victories last night, shutting out Fort Madison in game one 8-0 and handling the Bloodhounds in game two 12-4. Leah Helmick did it all, collecting two doubles, a home run, six RBIs, and nine strikeouts from the circle for a no-hit performance. The Trojans will host Cardinal tonight at 7:30 pm.

#14 Central Lee ran away with the 11-3 victory over Mediapolis last night after scoring seven unanswered runs. Avery Crear slapped a double for two RBIs in the losing effort. 

Mediapolis will take on Pekin tonight at 7 pm at home.

#14 Central Lee will look to cement their 1st-place lead in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division tonight against West Burlington/Notre Dame at home with gametime at 7 pm.

WACO lost both games of their doubleheader to Lone Tree last night, 22-4 in game one and 12-1 in game two. The Warriors will travel to Highland tomorrow at 6 pm for a make-up game.

West Burlington/Notre Dame nearly squandered their three-run lead in the top of the 7th inning, but still managed to come out on top over Van Buren County 8-7. Lyndsey Kelley clobbered two doubles with four RBIs in the winning effort. 

Van Buren County will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7:30 pm.

Columbus will face off against Hillcrest Academy at 7 pm tonight on the road. 

Wapello will hit the road to take on #2 Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm. 

New London will make the trip to Columbus tomorrow at 7 pm.

Danville will contend with Fort Madison tomorrow at 5:30 pm at home.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will travel to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp for a doubleheader rematch tonight with game one at 4:35 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings will host the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1922 – NFL club Chicago Staleys renamed itself the Chicago Bears by team founder, owner and head coach George Halas.

2010 – In the longest match in tennis history, John Isner defeats Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon after 11 hours and 5 minutes of play over 3 days.

2017 – World record for highest altitude football match ever played at 18,799ft on Mount Kilimanjaro by Volcano FC and Glacier FC; the game was put on to raise awareness and highlight the inequality between male and female sports.

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report June 16 – 22

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 3:52 pm CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 23, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Last week’s mix of hot temperatures, high humidity and blustery winds really made it feel like summer. Some areas across north-central Iowa received several inches of rain with other locations receiving uninvited hail and high winds,” said Secretary Naig. “The warmer temperatures and increased chances for rain are likely to continue through the end of the month.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Spotty precipitation, heavy in some areas, limited Iowa farmers to 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 22, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field work included cutting hay and spraying. Above average temperatures spurred crop growth.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 16 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 6 percent very short, 21 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.

Virtually all of Iowa’s corn crop has emerged, and there were scattered reports of corn silking. Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 14 percent fair, 62 percent good and 21 percent excellent. Nearly all of the soybean crop has emerged. Soybeans blooming reached 13 percent, 5 days ahead of both last year and the five-year average. Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 19 percent fair, 61 percent good and 16 percent excellent. Iowa’s oat crop reached 81 percent headed with 27 percent turning color. Oat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 13 percent fair, 67 percent good and 18 percent excellent.

At 94 percent, the first cutting of alfalfa hay was nearly complete. The second cutting reached 24 percent complete. Hay condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 72 percent good to excellent. Some heat stress was reported in livestock.

Weather Summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

An active storm track over the Upper Midwest allowed for several days of thunderstorms across Iowa. Northern and eastern Iowa reported above-normal rainfall, particularly north-central stations. Temperatures also ramped up through the end of the reporting period with positive departures across the state; the statewide average temperature was 75.9 degrees, 4.8 degrees above normal.

Morning thunderstorms in western Iowa dissipated into Sunday (15th) afternoon as temperatures warmed into the upper 70s and low 80s. Showers and thunderstorms reformed in central and eastern Iowa during the evening hours with another pulse of development in north-central Iowa towards daybreak on Monday (16th). This complex moved southeast over eastern Iowa for much of the day as severe thunderstorms fired in western Iowa during the late afternoon. The line became severe-warned as it raced through west-central Iowa, but lost strength as it fanned out into central and southwest Iowa by sunset. Rain totals reported at 7:00 am on Tuesday (17th) were highest in northern Iowa, where Nora Springs (Floyd County) observed 2.28 inches while Lake Mills (Winnebago County) collected 3.25 inches. Several surrounding stations reported 1.00 inch or more with a north-central to southeast swath of at least 0.50 inch. Much of western Iowa also registered 0.25 to 0.50 inch. Morning conditions were clear with light and variable winds and temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Afternoon temperatures varied from the upper 70s northwest to upper 80s southeast as scattered showers and thunderstorms returned to much of the state. Slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavier rain to northern Iowa, especially around Orange City (Sioux County) where several gauges registered from 1.58 inches to 3.02 inches. Rainfall continued into Wednesday (18th) with overcast skies across southern and eastern Iowa holding temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Persisting clouds and rain held daytime temperatures in the 70s as thundershowers rumbled across central Iowa. Conditions quieted down after midnight with clearing skies, westerly winds and morning lows in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Rain amounts for the previous 24 hours were particularly high in southeastern Iowa where a 2.59-inch reading was collected in Ottumwa (Wapello County) and a 3.65-inch reading in Drakesville (Davis County).

Thursday (19th) afternoon conditions warmed into the mid 80s to low 90s under a clear sky and gradually shifting southerly winds. Clouds increased towards the later evening hours with thunderstorms forming in central Iowa as well as an isolated severe-warned cell in southwest Iowa; a 74-mph wind gust was observed near Tabor (Mills County). Another severe-warned line dove south, from Kossuth County into east-central Iowa by sunrise on Friday (20th). Along this swath, numerous stations reported over 0.75 inch with locally heavy totals at north-central and east-central stations; Mason City (Cerro Gordo County) hit 2.43 inches with 3.00 inches in Grinnell (Poweshiek County). Thunderstorms with downpours continued across eastern Iowa before moving out of the state by evening. Afternoon temperatures rapidly warmed into the upper 90s in western Iowa with 80s farther east as southerly winds increased. Strong southerly winds continued overnight into Saturday (21st) helping set several record warm low temperatures for the date; the National Weather Service office in Davenport (Scott County) hit 82 degrees with a statewide low of 72 degrees, 11 degrees above normal. Exceedingly warm daytime temperatures in concert with high dewpoints and sustained strong southerly winds produced anomalous conditions not seen at many locations in the observational record. Conditions were near identical into Sunday (22nd) morning with clear skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.

Weekly rainfall ranged from 0.06 inch at Logan (Harrison County) to 4.41 inches at a Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network gauge in Mason City. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 1.82 inches; the normal is 1.19 inches. Little Sioux (Harrison County) reported the week’s high temperature of 101 degrees on the 20th, 17 degrees above normal. Oelwein (Fayette County) reported the week’s low temperature of 50 degrees on the 18th, 11 degrees below normal

Body of Missing Boater Recovered Near Wever Following Multi-Agency Search

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 3:09 pm CDT

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Madison Fire Department have confirmed the recovery of the body of a missing boater from a June 21 capsizing incident on the Mississippi River. The individual’s remains were located late Sunday morning near the Wever area.

According to a joint statement issued by Sheriff Elliott Vandenberg and Fire Chief Chad Hannum, the discovery was made around 10:15 a.m. on June 23 as part of an extensive search effort that spanned multiple days. The identity of the individual has been confirmed, and next of kin have been notified. Out of respect for the family’s wishes, authorities are withholding the individual’s name at this time.

The recovery concludes a multi-agency search operation that began the evening of June 21 after reports of a capsized boat came in. The operation involved the use of drones, boats, and K9 units. Sheriff Vandenberg and Chief Hannum expressed deep gratitude to the responding agencies, volunteers, and family members who assisted in the search.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the individual during this difficult time,” the officials said. No further information will be released at this time out of respect for the family’s privacy.

Wilma Lee Reil

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 2:24 pm CDT

Wilma Lee Reil, 85, of Grimes, Iowa formerly of West Point, passed away at 11:47 p.m.  Sunday, June 22, 2025 at Kennybrook Village in Grimes, Iowa.

Born on January 28, 1940 in West Point, Iowa, the daughter of Vernerd P. and Marie E. (Pollpeter) Schantz. On November 28, 1964 she married Ronald Reil at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church  Church in West Point. He preceded her in death on June 17, 2010.

She is survived by her son Michael Reil of Columbia, Missouri; daughter Suzanne (Tony) Knox of Urbandale, Iowa; and grandsons: Robert Reil and Jacob Knox. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Ronald.

Wilma was a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in West Point and Altar and Rosary Society of the church. She was a self-employed hairdresser in West Point for over fifty five years.

Per her wishes her body has been cremated.

A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 27, 2025 in Calvary Cemetery with Deacon Mike Linnenbrink officiating.

A memorial has been established in her memory.

Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Brian A. Walters

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 2:05 pm CDT

Brian A. Walters, 61, of Independence, formerly of Danville and Mt. Pleasant, died Saturday, June 21, 2025 at his home.  He was born in Burlington on October 26, 1963 to Donna Sue Grandstaff Elmore.  He was a graduate of Danville High School and was of the Christian faith.  On June 4, 2016, he married Keith Allan Nuehring in Independence.

After graduating he worked as a bartender at the Farmer’s Tavern in New London and the Moose Lodge in Mt. Pleasant.  He worked for the Mt. Pleasant MHI until it’s closing, then at the Independence Mental Health Institute since 2016.

Brian was a member of the Moose Lodge and enjoyed his Wine of the Month Club.  His two favorite times of the year were the fall and the Christmas season. He loved dressing nicely including the cologne, shoes and jewelry.  Brian said “it takes a lot of money to look this good!”  He was very witty and everyone enjoyed his sarcasm, even the wise cracks during stays at the hospital.  Brian loved shopping, even to the grocery store; spending time with his small but close circle of friends; and loved visiting with people.

Survivors include his husband Keith of Independence; sister Bobbi (Craig) Huebner of New London; brother Kent Walters of Wayland; nephews, Kristofer Walters, Ben (Morgan) Fry, Nick (Rachael) Fry and Tylor (Bailey) Huebner; his old English bulldogs Ethel and Olive; his special friends Erin Sherrets, Corey Stoner, Chris Hemmer and Melissa Assink; and a host of other good friends.  He was preceded in death by his mother and brother Kevin.

The family will greet friends from 10:00 – 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at Elliott Chapel.  Inurnment at Burge Cemetery, New London, next to his beloved Mother and brother will immediately follow.  In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established.  Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.

Geraldine “Gerrie” Wolfe

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 2:00 pm CDT

Geraldine “Gerrie” Wolfe, 99, of Morning Sun passed away on March 5, 2025 at Sunrise Terrace in Winfield.  Graveside services will be held 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2025 at Elmwood Cemetery.  Following graveside services, a time of food and fellowship will be held at the   Memorials may be directed to the Morning Sun Ambulance and American Legion Post 112 of Morning Sun in Gerrie’s name.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com.  Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Services of Morning Sun is caring for Geraldine’s family and her arrangements.

Geraldine Diehl was born on April 11, 1925 in Burlington, the daughter of Frank Walter and Mildred (Lieberknecht) Diehl.  Gerrie was a graduate of Wapello High School and went on to receive her nursing training in Burlington.  In 1945, Gerrie was united in marriage to Archie Wolfe in Washington, Iowa.  Gerrie was a homemaker and worked as a school nurse at Morning Sun Community Schools.  She was a member of Centenary Morning Sun United Methodist Church.  She enjoyed playing cards and watching sports; especially men’s and women’s Iowa basketball and wrestling.

Gerrie will be deeply missed by her children, Tim (Marsha) Wolfe of Long Lane, Missouri Christie (Ken) McElhinney of Morning Sun and Sheldon Wolfe of Miller, Missouri; five grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.

Gerrie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Kim Wolfe and siblings, Dean Diehl, Evelyn Jackson and Marjorie Hawkins.

Prep Baseball: Postseason Matchups for Our Local Squads in Classes 1A and 2A

By Slaten Swords · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 11:58 am CDT

Prep Baseball- Hard to believe that the 2025 Iowa high school baseball regular season for Classes 1A and 2A will be closing up shop as the fireworks blast off for the 4th of July. But the holiday weekend will start off the first round of postseason play around the state, so let’s take a look at our local matchups.

Class 1A

Substate 5 will have our attention, specifically District 10, when action gets underway on July 5th at 5 pm. Moravia enters as the top seed for District 10, hoping to finally knock the doors down to a state tournament berth that has been denied routinely by the likes of New London and Burlington Notre Dame over the last several years.

The Mohawks are surprisingly great for such a young team, touting just three upperclassmen in the starting lineup. Blake Helmick is the senior captain for the team with a batting average north of 0.350 and an ERA south of 2.30. Yet, their entire pitching staff, full of sophomores and freshmen, sports a 1.98 ERA for the season.

In their first matchup, the Danville Bears, who are still searching for their first win of the season, will make the pilgrimage to Moravia to play at 7 pm. The Bears have struggled all over the diamond this year with a team batting average of 0.181, a team ERA of 7.09, and 4.3 errors per game.

The bright spots of the squad are Jaden Bauer, who leads the team with a 0.382 batting average with a triple, a home run, and seven RBIs, and Alex Holtkamp, who is slugging 0.520 with five RBIs and slinging a 3.63 ERA on the mound with 31 strikeouts.

Danville Player to Watch: Alex Holtkamp (0.360 batting average with one home run and five RBIs)

Moravia Player to Watch: Declan DeJong (0.490 batting average with three home runs and 19 RBIs)

The night will begin with a different matchup and a new team in the Class 1A ranks, Pekin versus Van Buren County at 5 pm with the Warriors acting as the home team in Moravia. The pair of contralateral Southeast Iowa Super Conference foes typically meet up once a year with the two having traded the last four matchups.

The Warriors handled the Panthers after an offensive explosion in the 2nd inning made it a 7 to 2 lead, eventually leading to a 14-3 thrashing. Three Panther errors helped six unearned runs score as Aiden McEntee was the only Warrior to finish with multiple RBIs (two) and Izaak Loeffler was the only one to tab an extra-base hit.

Since 2009, the two have met up 14 times with six of the games being decided by 10 runs or more and, aptly, the two have an even 3-3 record in those games. The Panthers do have the advantage in close games with a 3-1 record in games decided by two runs or less.

The winners of Moravia versus Danville and Van Buren County versus Pekin will play on July 8th at 7 pm.

Van Buren County Player to Watch: Izaak Loeffler (0.426 batting average with 10 RBIs)

Pekin Player to Watch: Henry Adam (0.472 batting average with one home run and eight RBIs with a 0.91 ERA and 44 strikeouts)

On the bottom half of the District 10 bracket, New London will get the host the Saturday night doubleheader with Burlington Notre Dame and Keota starting off the night at 5 pm. The Nikes and Eagles have not played one another since July 5th of 2022, where Notre Dame handled business and won 11-1 in the second round of postseason play.

A couple of players from that previous matchup still linger on their respective teams, including Notre Dame’s Landry Haberichter, who finished 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs in their previous matchup.

Both teams are incredibly young with Keota starting four underclassmen and only two seniors on a consistent basis. Notre Dame has seven 8th graders on the roster with one starting in Garrison Reid, who is batting 0.263 for the year. Still, this team has a roster with state tournament experience.

Notre Dame Player to Watch: Eli Oleson (0.413 batting average with three home runs and 25 RBIs)

Keota Player to Watch: Blake Baker (0.488 batting average with 16 RBIs)

The nightcap will pit New London against Wapello at 7 pm in front of the Tiger fateful. New London has owned this series since 2008 against their SEISC-North counterpart, collecting an 11-3 record during this span.

In fact, New London has won the past seven games against Wapello, outscoring them 44 to 1 in the last four showdowns, including a 10-0 no-hitter performance by Own Nehring on the mound in five innings of work. Tate Welcher knocked home three runs as he slapped a triple in the contest.

Wapello’s lone win of the season involved a walk-off 5-4 win over Lone Tree and a Herculean effort by Wyatt Marlette on the mound, going seven innings and striking out seven. Wapello has scored five runs in one other game and just 18 total runs on the season.

New London has had a flair for the dramatics with nine of their 17 games being decided by two runs or less, including a stretch of six games in a row. Most importantly, they are 6-3 in such games. Clutch is an awfully hard thing to teach a team.

The winner between Notre Dame and Keota and New London and Wapello will face off on July 8th at 7 pm.

KILJ will most likely be covering both games of the July 5th doubleheader in New London.

New London Player to Watch: Memphis Watson (0.527 batting average with 17 RBIs and a 3.26 ERA)

Wapello Player to Watch: Wyatt Marlette (five RBIs and a 5.47 ERA)

Looking at the other matchups in Substate 5, Sigourney possesses the top seed of the grouping as they look to supplement their first state tournament appearance last year with their second consecutive state berth this year. Consequently, they earned a bye.

Sigourney will play the winner of Montezuma and Lone Tree. On the bottom half of the bracket, Highland will host the contests with Hillcrest Academy starting the night at 5 pm followed by the Huskies taking on English Valleys at 7 pm.

Class 2A

Jumping up to Class 2A Substate 4, #6 Mediapolis grabbed the top-seed and a first-round bye, accelerating their postseason journey to the District 7 semifinals. The Bulldogs will also get to enjoy home-field advantage when the winner of West Liberty versus Camanche comes to town at 7 pm on July 8th.

Mediapolis has been considered a powerhouse for Southeast Iowa having lost one game this season. A team that was a win away from state a year ago is hitting better and pitching better poses a lot of confidence. Their most impressive win of the year was a 4-3 scraper against Class 1A’s #10 Don Bosco in late May.

However, if we were to fast forward to a possible Substate championship meet up for Mediapolis, they would have to get past #10 Beckman Catholic, their only loss of the season and an ugly loss at that in a 13-3 shellacking.

Still, all nine of the Bulldog starts has tallied double-digit RBIs and Lance Ludens is having quite the swan song for the Bulldogs with a 0.500 average at the plate and a 1.79 ERA on the mound. Another player to watch would be junior Kyler Crow, as he touts a 1.09 ERA and 42 strikeouts in his 32 innings on the mound.

Other matchups: Durant versus Tipton. The winner will play Northeast at 5 pm on July 8th in Mediapolis. In District 8, Clayton Ridge will take on Waukon with the winner advancing to Beckman Catholic, while Marquette Catholic will await the winner between MFL MarMac and Postville.

Substate 5

District 9 will house three of our local squads, although there will no guarantee that any of them meet.

On July 5th, Wilton High School will get to host the two matchups with a battle of the Falcons leading off the night with West Burlington competing against Louisa-Muscatine and getting to act as the home team.

The pair played early in the season where small ball got West Burlington their win with 10 singles leading to 7-5 win. Brock Thuleen went 3 for 4 with an RBI in the win but it has been Garret Bence who was able to hit home the run with three RBIs in the contest. Louisa-Muscatine tried the same thing but managed only seven singles.

If we are to use history, it favors West Burlington with a 7-3 record in their last 10 matchups. Both teams have a penchant to give up runs (7.6 for Louisa-Muscatine and 5.6 for West Burlington) but the Green and White Falcons possess 7.7 runs per game, three runs more than Louisa-Muscatine.

The winner will advance to contend with Chariton on July 8th at 7 pm.

West Burlington Player to Watch: Brock Thuleen (0.548 batting average, two home runs and 14 RBIs)

Louisa-Muscatine Player to Watch: Owen Klocksiem (3.10 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched)

The other matchup in Wilton pits the hosts against Winfield-Mt. Union, who co-ops with Columbus, at 7 pm. The Beavers and Wolves have not met before, so a quick glance at Wilton’s schedule reveals a 1-1 record against the SEI Super Conference, blasting Wapello 16-0 and getting trounced by Mediapolis 13-0.

Compare that to Winfield-Mt. Union this year and the Wolves handled Wapello 11-2 and loss handily to Mediapolis 11-1. Despite entering with a record below 0.500, the Wolves are much better than that suggests.

This season has been an unlucky one more than anything with six of their games being decided by three runs or less and (un)amazingly the Wolves are 0-6 in such games this season. If they even split those contests, then a 6-7, at the time of writing, record appears healthier and more akin to the truth.

The winner will travel to Chariton to take on Central Lee, who earned a bye, at 5 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union Player to Watch: Riley Kaalberg (0.450 batting average, two home runs, and 12 RBIs along with a 4.04 ERA)

Wilton Player to Watch: Ben Garvin (0.432 batting average with 10 RBIs and an 0.88 ERA)

Over in District 10: Albia and Central Decatur will play with the winner to face off against Interstate 35. Cardinal will await the winner between Davis County and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont.

Up Next

Class 3A and Class 4A postseason brackets will be released some time this week by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Mount Pleasant Gears Up for Festive 4th of July Celebration at McMillan Park

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, June 23rd, 2025 at 8:56 am CDT

Mount Pleasant residents and visitors are invited to join in a day of fun, food, and fireworks during the community’s 4th of July Celebration at McMillan Park. The festivities, set for Friday, July 4, 2025, promise something for all ages.

The celebration kicks off at 5:00 p.m. with a parade. From 5:30 p.m. until dusk, families can enjoy a range of free activities, including trolley rides, carousel rides, bounce houses, and face painting.

The evening will finish with a spectacular fireworks display once darkness falls, lighting up the Mount Pleasant sky in honor of Independence Day.

Food options will be available at the Wright Pavilion. The Henry County Cattlemen will serve meals under the grandstand, while the SE Dance Competition Team will offer snacks. Pineapple whip will also be on hand to help attendees beat the summer heat.

The event is made possible thanks to the City of Mount Pleasant, the MP 4th of July Committee, dedicated volunteers, and the support of generous local sponsors.

Everyone is encouraged to come out and celebrate this patriotic holiday with family, friends, and neighbors.