Seniors and selflessness power Linn-Mar to substate baseball final

MARION — Senior leaders and a team-first attitude have propelled Linn-Mar this baseball season.

The Lions have an opportunity to do something they haven’t in seven years.

Sixth-ranked Linn-Mar hosts No. 8 Waukee Northwest in the Class 4A Substate 6 baseball final Wednesday night at Oak Ridge Middle School. The winner advances to the state tournament July 22-26 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.

The Lions are vying for their first state berth since 2017 and the program’s seventh overall.

“I think it’s huge for us getting that home advantage,” Linn-Mar senior Jaxon Kramer said. “We’re good offensively, this year. It’s better for teams who hit the ball well in the postseason. It should be a good opportunity. I’m excited for the boys to get after it.”

Kramer is part of a senior class that has been a guiding force for the 28-10 team that is a victory away from tying the school record for wins in a season. Experienced players embraced the challenge and have helped young talent mesh with upperclassmen.

“We have a pretty good senior-led group,” Linn-Mar Coach Kyle Rodenkirk said. “Two of those guys (Kramer and Jackson Mishler) are three-year varsity starters. With the newcomers and two freshmen that we have, they’ve really stepped up.

“It’s a good core group. There are a lot of fun personalities but when it comes down to it, they all want the same thing.”

Eleven seniors are tied together by a common thread. They all have a passion for the sport, which motivates them to put the work in and improve.

“The biggest thing it comes down to is we all truly love baseball,” Kramer said. “All of us show up at the field every day wanting to be there and get better.”

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The Lions have enjoyed this season, hanging out with one another and having team meals the eve of a gamedays. Camaraderie has been a key characteristic this summer, steering them to common objectives — a state tournament berth and a chance to tie, and surpass, that win mark.

“What a better way to go out as a group and put a stamp on a program with the most wins,” Rodenkirk said. “They’ve been pushing hard for that. It’s still out there for us.

“We just preach one pitch at a time. We don’t overlook who we’re playing.”

The relationships have also fostered a team-first mentality during competition. Rodenkirk said the players have bought into the team concept, especially offensively. They look to move runners and execute over personal achievements. He said it has been their “bread and butter” all season.

“I think one through nine this year everyone has been very selfless,” Kramer said. “If there is a runner on third, we’re going to hit it to the right side to get that run in.

“I’m confident that all of our guys will get the job done and we’re going to have nice team at-bats.”

Rodenkirk expects a tight game that could be decided by a run or two. The Wolves (24-14) advanced with a 9-2 substate semifinal victory over Ottumwa on Monday night. Chris Petersen leads Northwest with seven wins. The Wolves allow 4.2 runs per game, while the Lions allow 4.1.

“The bottom line is we know the task at hand,” Rodenkirk said. “We just have to hit and throw the ball and we’ll be fine.

“We’ve been in a lot of close games. The stretch that we were on we won like 19 out of 20. There were a lot of one-run games in there, so it’s nothing that we’re not used to.”

Linn-Mar was joined as No. 1 substate seeds by top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy, No. 3 Iowa City High and No. 9 Iowa City Liberty. All of their opponents are set to be determined Tuesday night with Monday’s postponements due to weather.

The Cougars (32-4) make their second straight substate finals appearance, facing the winner of Dubuque Senior and North Scott. City High (32-7) awaits the winner between crosstown rival Iowa City West and Davenport Central. The Lightning (25-13), who are looking for their third straight state berth, will take on the winner between No. 7 Davenport North and Pleasant Valley.

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