No. 1 Cascade ready for another shot at rival Beckman

The chance to play for a state tournament berth is a special opportunity.

Add the fact that you get to do it against a familiar foe in one of the top prep baseball rivalries in the state, and it just doesn't get any better.

Top-ranked Cascade will attempt to avenge a loss to No. 3 Dyersville Beckman in a Class 2A substate title game at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Farley. The Cougars (36-3) are looking for their first state tournament appearance since 2004, while the Blazers (23-16) try to qualify for a fourth straight season, placing second last year after winning consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013.

'Our goal this year has been to get to the state tournament,” Cascade senior and Western Illinois recruit Derek Lieurance said. 'We didn't know who we'd be playing in the substate game, but we wanted to be there. If we knew at the beginning of the year that we would be playing Dyersville in a substate game to go to state I'd say both us and the Dyersville players would have that date circled.”

Beckman drew first blood in the series this season, beating host Cascade, 4-1, on June 19. The two Dubuque County schools have faced off in other sports, including football and basketball. This is a chance for the Cougar seniors to close with success.

'Those sorts of things get our guys jacked up,” Cascade coach Roamn Hummel said. 'I think losing the first game really motivated our guys to want to go out on top.”

Revenge isn't as big of a factor as the fourth state berth in Cascade history. Lieurance said this is a situation seniors have wanted since they were freshmen.

'We're excited to get up there in front of a huge crowd and play a great game,” Lieurance said. 'We're hungry. They got us once and so obviously they think they can beat us again.”

Cascade is a bit of a different team since mid-June. The loss served as a wakeup call, realizing they could not waltz to wins with less than their best effort. The Cougars have won 18 straight games, beating Camanche, 13-2, and Bellevue, 2-0, in the postseason.

'Our approach right now is another game and step in the process that we talked about all year,” Hummel said. 'We don't have to do anything crazy to win this game. The emotion is already going to be there.

'We talked a lot this year about treating each game as if it was your last. I think going in it isn't going to be new for our guys. They have done it the whole year,”

The Blazers haven't been challenged in the postseason, outscoring opponents, 20-0, without reaching the seventh inning. They held the Cougars to their second-lowest run production this season. Cascade has improved at the plate and that will be one of the keys to knock off Beckman, which is going for a 17th state appearance.

'Right now, we're hitting the ball very well,” Lieurance said. 'I think if we can keep the bats going, play good defense and pitch well (Tuesday), it will be very good for us.”

Iowa City Regina and South Winneshiek are looking to return to the 2A state tournament. The Regals (15-14) face Mediapolis (20-9) at Iowa City West. The fifth-ranked Warriors (32-8) take on No. 4 Waterloo Columbus (29-5) in Oelwein. It is the second straight top-10 foe for South Winneshiek.

In Class 1A, North Linn will vie for its first state berth. The Lynx (33-10) face Jesup (21-12) at Manchester. Jesup beat North Linn, 6-2, earlier this season.

Lone Tree (18-9) plays second-ranked Van Buren (28-0) at Fairfield. BGM, a 2014 state qualifier, faces No. 4 Pleasantville (32-3) at Pella.

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