North Linn leads area teams in latest prep baseball polls

North Linn Coach Travis Griffith doesn't buu into early-season rankings, but the state's coaches seem sold on the Lynx.

Class 1A North Linn is ranked second in the latest edition of the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association/Radio Iowa prep baseball rankings released Monday. The Lynx are 13-1 already this season.

Vinton-Shellsburg and Iowa City West are ranked third in 3A and 4A, respectively. The Vikings were 7-0 before Monday's doubleheader against South Tama and average more than 15 runs per game. West, the returning 4A state runner-up, is 8-2 and leads 4A with 83 runs.

Defending 4A state champion Cedar Rapids Prairie remains ranked 10th, ending last week with a 7-3 mark.

Wamac programs West Delaware and Marion joined Vinton-Shellsburg in the 3A ratings. West Delaware (6-2) is eighth, while Marion is 10th at 6-3 overall.

Familiar names highlight the 2A list. Cascade (7-2) comes in at fifth and rival Dyersville Beckman (4-3) is seventh. Iowa City Regina is 10th with a 7-2 record.

Lisbon and Highland also cracked the top 10 in 1A. The Lions are ninth at 6-1. The Huskies are 10th with a 7-1 mark. Highland plays at Lisbon in a junior varsity/varsity doubleheader Wednesday.

Johnston (4A), Harlan (3A), Wilton (2A) and Mason City Newman (1A) are all undefeated and top-ranked

IHSBCA/RADIO IOWA RANKINGS

Class 4A

1. Johnston (7-0), 2. West Des Moines Dowling (8-1), 3. Iowa City West (8-2), 4. Waukee (8-0), 5. Ankeny Centennial (8-2), 6. Council Bluffs Lewis Central (7-1), 7. Cedar Falls (6-1), 8. Urbandale (7-3), 9. North Scott (5-1), 10. C.R. Prairie (7-3)

OTHERS: Indianola (9-3); West Des Moines Valley (6-3); Iowa City High (6-4); Linn-Mar (6-4)

Class 3A

1. Harlan (9-0), 2. Davenport Assumption (10-1), 3. Vinton-Shellsburg (7-0), 4. Dubuque Wahlert (7-2), 5. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (9-2), 6. Carlisle (5-2), 7. Le Mars (6-2), 8. West Delaware (6-2), 9. Saydel (6-2), 10. Marion (6-3)

OTHERS: Fairfield (6-3); Pella (4-3); Boone (6-2); Oskaloosa (6-4); Grinnell (9-1); Solon (6-4); Sioux City Heelan (3-5)

Class 2A

1. Wilton (10-0), 2. New Hampton (12-1), 3. Treynor (8-0), 4. Dike-New Hartford (9-0), 5. Cascade (7-2), 6. Clear Lake (5-3), 7. Dyersville Beckman (4-3), 8. Carroll Kuemper (5-3), 9. Estherville-Lincoln Central (9-1), 10. Iowa City Regina (7-2)

OTHERS: Alta/Aurelia (6-2); Northeast (5-4); Roland-Story (8-3); Van Meter (6-0); Woodward-Granger (9-0)

Class 1A

1. Mason City Newman (11-0), 2. North Linn (13-1), West Sioux (7-1), 4. Remsen St. Mary's (8-3), 5. Don Bosco (8-0), 6. CAM-Anita (7-0), 7. Akron-Westfield (10-1), 8. Martensdale-St. Mary's (12-2), 9. Lisbon (6-1), 10. Highland (7-1)

OTHERS: Alburnett (6-0); AR-WE-VA, Westside (3-0); Audubon (4-2); Calamus-Wheatland (3-6); Moravia (5-3); New London (5-0); Saint Ansgar (8-1); Council Bluffs St. Albert (7-3); West Fork (5-1)

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com