Iowa high school baseball 2025: Gazette area teams to watch

Here are eight Gazette area teams to watch as the 2025 Iowa high school baseball season starts Monday.

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY: The Cougars won the Class 4A state championship last season. They return some key players, who came up clutch for them in the postseason, specifically Colton Duerling and Ty Donels. They will lead the way offensively with Jacob Doyle. Duerling will be a leader for the pitching staff. Max Leno has the second-most wins and innings pitched among returners from last season, while Donels and James Perkins logged significant innings on the mound. The key will be whether new faces can fill the shoes of last year’s accomplished senior class.

DYERSVILLE BECKMAN: The Blazers are one of the traditional baseball powers in any class. The Blazers are bunched in a highly competitive River Valley Conference and area with rival Cascade, Anamosa and Northeast. Beckman have some big shoes to fill from graduation but return 80 percent of its infield and three solid pitchers. Dylan Recker, Chase White and Jake Schmidt are back with a combined 11-0 record, including a 5-0 mark by Recker. Schmidt is also the top hitter back, batting .349 with a .495 on-base percentage, 30 hits and 26 runs. Expect the Blazers to be right in the thick of things (again) for the postseason.

IOWA CITY HIGH: The Little Hawks reached the 4A state semifinals in 2024 and this year’s squad resembles that team. Pitching and defense will remain the strength for City High. Jaxton Schroeder and Talon Young provided one of the best 1-2 punches on the mound. They combined for 13 wins and both had an earned-run average under 1.86. The Little Hawks have depth in arms with Drake Obermueller, Nick Meredith and Owen Hicks, who was an effective reliever notching two saves. The defense returns most of its starters, including Dominic Salibi. The offense has the potential to be improved and that makes the Little Hawks scary.

IOWA CITY LIBERTY: Two words – Mason. Waterbury. He was the aces of aces last season. With him on the mound, the Lightning will be in the game. Waterbury stymied opponents, allowing only eight runs (three earned) in 61 innings. Don’t overlook Andrew Olthoff, who was 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA. Liberty has good pitching and return two of its top-three hitters in Cooper Hughes (.347, 43 hits, 21 RBIs) and Evan Schmierer (.356, 36 hits, 27 runs). If the offense can generate run support, the Lightning can win a lot of games.

LINN-MAR: The Lions could be a sleeper team this season. They have a strong mix of veteran players and some promising newbies that could come together for an exciting season. Linn-Mar has two of the most dynamic players, Dylan Muszynski and Charlie Sarsfield. They combined for 90 hits, 84 runs and 42 stolen bases, applying enormous pressure on batteries and fielders. Toby Cruz and Bridger Schmidt give the Lions a strong group to build on offensively. Pitching is a question mark. Tate Fassler is the only one back with more than two wins. If some throwers emerge, Linn-Mar could be a tough team to beat.

MARION: The Wolves have been consistently good over the last decade, reaching state six of the last eight seasons. They reached the 3A state semifinals again last season and return a strong nucleus of players. Marion has the components for another postseason run – pitching, defense and offense. Isaiah Scott and Jake Miller lead the way at the plate, giving pitchers fits at the top of the order combining for 104 hits a year ago. Andrew Ahmann (5-1, 2.33 ERA and 30 innings pitched) and Cole Goodrich (3-0, 1.35, 36 1/3 IP) have the most experience from last summer. If the Wolves stay healthy, the sky’s the limit.

NORTH LINN: This is the last hurrah for senior trio Mason Bechen, Cael Benesh and Cole Griffith. They have been huge contributors since they were in eighth grade, especially last season. They will have plenty of support with the Lynx bringing back every starter from a state quarterfinal team. Griffith (48), Benesh (40) and Bechen (35) were the leading hitters, while Griffith (7-2, 49 IP), Waylon Raue (6-2, 37 2/3 IP), Macoy Winn (4-1, 44 IP) and senior Mason Zimmerman (4-2, 34 IP) give North Linn very capable arms. Experience, leadership and talent are a strong combination. The Lynx have all the elements for another successful campaign.

SOUTH WINNESHIEK: The Warriors won the Upper Iowa Conference and reached the 1A state tournament for the fifth time in the last six seasons. South Winn is strong again. All-stater Braiden Todd will serve as a leader on the mound and at the plate, especially with an injury that will sideline Carson Streeter this season. Nolan Sabelka, Eric Greve and Carver Wenthold provide experience as well. The Warriors have been able to reload in the past and will rely on newcomers to step in and contribute. They will be needed competing against tough foes like MFL MarMac and Lansing Kee for the UIC title.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com