Postseason High School Baseball
Class 1A got the 2026 State Tournament rolling from Merchant Parks yesterday and for the second year in a row the #8-seed knocked off the #1-seed in the quarterfinals.
The day started with #3 Newman Catholic rallying back from an early deficit to beat #6 Ankeny Christian, 9-4.
Following a similar story beat, #7 Burlington Notre Dame had #2 South Winneshiek on the ropes, leading 2 to 0 entering the bottom of the 5th inning. However, the Warriors struck for three runs in an eventual 3-2 final. Nike head coach Chris Chiprez talked about what made this team special,
“I think they’re extremely close knit. You know, I think they feed off each other’s energy. You know, their work ethic is second to none. You know, I mean, this group, I mean, they’ve they’ve been going at it since November, you know. I know they didn’t like the way they started that first week of the season. I think they put their nose to the grindstone and just the way they pick each other up and they support each other.”
Notre Dame finished the season with a 22-8 record.
On the top half of the bracket, #5 North Linn’s Liam Thompson outdueled #4 Remsen St. Mary’s, throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out 10 in a 1-0 final. The Lynx will meet #8 Moravia in the semifinals after the Mohawks shocked #1 Coon Rapids-Bayard yesterday, winning 4-2. Blake Ewing had two RBIs in the win.
Class 2A will have their quarterfinal matchups today.
Class 3A had one game persevere through rain, as #1 Wahlert Catholic outlasted #8 Knoxville, 9-8. Hunter Hill smacked a double for three RBIs.
Western Dubuque and North Polk will resume today at 8:30 am. #2 Carlisle will face off against #7 Assumption at 11 am. #3 Xavier will take on #6 MOC-Floyd Valley.
For Class 4A, #4 Johnston will compete against #5 Pleasant Valley at 4:30 pm and #1 Sioux City, East will tangle with #8 Iowa City Liberty for the nightcap at 7 pm.
All-Southeast Conference Baseball
The Southeast Conference (SEC) released their All-Conference baseball teams yesterday and helping secure Burlington’s first SEC title since 2023 was Noah Krieger, 2026’s SEC Player of the Year. Krieger turned in the best ERA of the conference at 1.47.
Fairfield yielded six players on the First Team. Dain Burkhart was First Team pitcher behind a 2.25 ERA and an SEC leading eight wins. Aiden Westercamp earned First Team catcher for his conference leading 10 doubles. Voss Richardson found a spot in the infield, while Jaxon Coleman was First Team utility. Ethan Bisgard and Archer Kreuter both earned First Team outfield. Kreuter led the conference in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBIs, home runs (tied with Richardson), triples, and finished second in walks.
Washington had Blayze Richardson (infield) and Ethan Peebler (utility) make the First Team. Mt. Pleasant’s Grayson Lowery turned in a 7-3 record with a 2.55 ERA and a conference leading 73 strikeouts, claiming First Team pitcher for the second year in a row. Joining him was Ethan Peck, as First Team infielder. The junior led the team with a 0.319 batting average, as he was tied for the team lead with 20 RBIs.
Postseason High School Softball
The rain avoided Fort Dodge, meaning all five classes got through their quarterfinal matchups. Here’s the results.
In Class 1A, #8 Edgewood-Colesburg upset #1 Exira-EHK-Audubon, 6-3. The Vikings will play #5 Southeast Warren today at 12:45 pm after the Warhawks crushed #4 West Monona, 21-8.
On the bottom half of the bracket, #2 Clarksville and #7 North Butler played an unfathomable 15 innings before Clarksville clawed out a 12-11 victory. #3 St. Edmonds will meet them in the semifinals after shutting out #6 Remsen St. Mary’s, 8-0.
Class 2A proved it was not a good day to be a #1-seed after #8 Cardinal fended off #1 Grand View Christian, 4-3. The Comets will square off against #4 Regina Catholic, as the Regals took down #5 Hinton, 6-2.
On the bottom half of the bracket, #7 Ridge View shocked #2 Durant, 2-0, while #3 Wapsie Valley handled #6 Logan-Magnolia, 7-2.
For Class 3A, #1 Williamsburg dispatched #8 West Liberty, 15-1, and #4 Mt. Vernon defeated #5 PCM, 6-2. On the bottom half of the bracket, #6 Van Meter upset #3 Albia, 10-2, while #2 Wahlert Catholic took down #7 West Delaware, 9-1.
#8 Burlington was unable to replicate the results from Classes 1A and 2A, as the Grayhounds lost 10-1 to #1 ADM in the Class 4A bracket. Burlington will play #5 Winterset today at 10:15 am after #4 Western Dubuque bested them, 11-5.
#2 Carlisle did enough to beat #7 North Polk, 3-2, while #3 Fort Dodge skipped past #6 Clear Creek Amana, 12-2.
Class 5A saw one upset, as #6 Southeast Polk upended #3 Valley, 13-8. #1 Waukee Northwest beat #8 Pleasant Valley, 4-1. #4 Dallas Center-Grimes outlasted #5 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 3-1, while #2 Ankeny Centennial defeated #7 Dowling Catholic, 12-2.
All-Southeast Conference Softball
Burlington’s Kylee Hill took home Southeast Conference Player of the Year with the third best OPS in the conference and the best ERA with 150 strikeouts, as the Grayhounds finished as conference champs.
Fairfield’s Leah Helmick made an argument for Player of the Year, as the First Teamer had the best slash line of the SEC and led in RBIs and home runs, while posting a 2.70 ERA. Ireland Cranston joined her on the list.
Washington had their own power hitter in Colbie Griner lead the way with an SEC best 12 doubles to go along with the second most home runs and RBIs. She led the conference with 167 strikeouts from the circle to earn her First Team honors. Leighton Salazar and Natalie Hartman made the First Team, as well.
Abigail Shelangoski was Mt. Pleasant’s lone First Team nod. The sophomore batted 0.449 for the season, the third-best mark of the SEC, while tying for the team lead in doubles (8) and collecting 26 RBIs. She also played great defense in the outfield with only one error in 56 tries. Paityn Ensminger, who led the team in RBIs, and Chaley Cook, who won eight games in the circle, were Honorable Mentions.
Mt. Pleasant Cross Country
Summer runs are underway for the Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team. These runs are optional but a great way to run with others and get in shape for the fall season. The runs are available to anyone entering 7th through 12th grades. Coaches may not be present at every run, as they are often led by upperclassmen.
On Mondays, the runs will take place at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. Wednesdays will be high school speed day at 7 am at Mapleleaf and Tuesdays and Thursdays will take place at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm.
The runs will continue through the middle of August until the Mt. Pleasant Cross County camp. If you have any questions, you can contact Coach Lyle Murray at 319-850-0867.
Local Athletic Camps
Mt. Pleasant will be hosting their volleyball camps starting in late July at the high school gym.
The middle school camp for grades 7th and 8th and the high school camp for 9th through 12th graders will run August 3rd through the 5th with the middle school going from 4 to 5:30 pm and the high school to follow from 6 to 8 pm. The cutoff date is Thursday, July 23rd. All camps will cost $30, cash, per person with the camper getting a t-shirt.
Here is the link to sign up for the camp: Middle and High School Camp Registration
Wapello will be holding a youth football camp for students entering 3rd through 8th grade starting on August 3rd and running through the 6th from 4 to 5:30 pm. The camp will cost $25 and includes a t-shirt. If you have any questions, then email coach Tony Johnson at tony.johnson@wapellocsd.org.
Here’s the link to register: Wapello Football Camp Registration
The Mt. Pleasant Football Youth Camp is gearing up to start tonight and run through tomorrow, July 22nd, from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. The camp is for all students entering 1st through 6th grades with the camp costing $30. If you have any questions, then reach out to coach John Bowlin at john.bowlin@mtpcsd.org.
Here’s the link to register: Mt. Pleasant Football Registration
Prospect League
The Burlington Bees will ride an eight-game winning streak into a home contest against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes tonight at 6:30 pm.
The Clinton LumberKings will host the Normal CornBelters tonight at 6:30 pm.
This Day in Sports History
1945 – At Shibe Park the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers play 24 innings and settle for a 1-1 deadlock.
1968 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Pecan Valley GC: Julius Boros (48) becomes oldest winner of a major; wins by 1 stroke from Bob Charles & Arnold Palmer.
1985 – British Open Men’s Golf, Royal St George’s GC: Scotsman Sandy Lyle wins his only Open title by 1 stroke from runner-up Payne Stewart; last time the event featured double cut (after 36 and 54 holes), introduced in 1968.