5 Gazette area Iowa high school baseball games to watch: Class 4A, 3A substates resume Monday

Class 3A and 4A substate semifinals are scheduled for Monday night. Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa City High and Iowa City Liberty have byes to Wednesday’s finals after defending their top seeds in the first round. Here are five baseball games to watch.

CLASS 4A SUBSTATE 3: MUSCATINE (20-14) AT CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (25-12)

Kennedy is the lone Gazette area team, hosting a semifinal game. The Cougars survived a 9-8 back-and-forth battle against Cedar Rapids Washington on Friday, receiving three RBIs from Leo Koester and three hits from Colton Duerling, Kenedy has won the last two meetings, according to Bound including a 3-0 postseason win in 2021. Seven Cougars have more than 30 hits, including 48 from Ty Donels with 48, Brady Dill’s 45 and Duerling, who has 40. Both teams average 7.2 runs per game. Defending state champion Kennedy allows almost 1.5 runs less per contest. Max Leno is part of a solid pitching staff, tallying a team-best 43 strikeouts. The winner will travel to No. 10 Waukee for a substate final on Wednesday. Muscatine is powered by Thomas Norton, who has 50 hits, 43 runs and 36 RBIs.

CLASS 3A SUBSTATE 6: CLEAR CREEK AMANA (21-12) AT CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER

Both teams dominated in their substate openers. The Clippers blanked Newton, 10-0, while the Saints handled Fort Madison, 12-2. The Clippers top of the lineup is as good as any with all-state duo Ty Fuller and Maclane Morgan and Kaden Phan. They combined for eight hits against Newton. Fuller leads the hit with 50 hits and 50 runs. Morgan has 41 hits and a team-best 33 RBIs. CCA struggled through a midseason stretch, losing seven of nine games, but it has rebounded with 11 wins in the last 13 games. Xavier’s Beau Morio has been as dangerous as anyone at the plate, leading the team in hits (41), RBIs (27), batting average (.406) and four home runs. He had three hits and four RBIs, including a two-run homer against Fort Madison. Tate Proskovec has been a force on the mound with six wins and 2.23 earned-run average with 53 strikeouts. Cohen Honkomp will likely get the call for the Saints. He is 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 1.27 WHIP (Walks and hits per innings pitched).

CLASS 3A SUBSTATE 5: MOUNT VERNON (18-12) AT NO. 3 MARION (24-8)

The Mustangs have been a tough out in recent postseasons, coming up just short of substate upsets against 2023 state champion Western Dubuque and 2024 state runner-up Dubuque Wahlert. Mount Vernon shut out Central DeWitt, 8-0, in the first round. Garet Swartzendruber and Erik Lamb had two hits and two runs apiece. Lamb also had two RBIs and Kellen Haverback drove in three runs against the Sabers. Marion owns a 27-6 edge over Mount Vernon since 2009, sweeping a regular-season doubleheader, 6-3 and 10-0, on June 12. The Wolves rolled Vinton-Shellsburg, 11-0, to advance. Jake Miller has been a prototypical leadoff batter for Marion. He has 47 hits, including nine doubles, four triples and three homers, batting .439 with a .549 on-base percentage.

CLASS 3A SUBSTATE 8: OSKALOOSA (17-12) AT NO. 5 BENTON COMMUNITY (27-6)

Benton Community has produced a banner year, edging rival Williamsburg, 3-2, in the opening round. The Bobcats are looking for their first state tournament appearance since 2020. V.J. Schulte leads Benton with 43 hits at the plate and seven wins on the mound. Drew Fillenworth is batting .414 with a team-high 32 RBIs for an offense that averages 8.2 runs per game. Benton pitchers allow only 3.1 runs per contest. Oskaloosa is led by Jake North, who has 36 hits, .383 batting average, 25 runs and 27 stolen bases. The winner will play the winner between No. 8 Saydel and Knoxville.

CLASS 3A SUBSTATE 4: MAQUOKETA (8-27) AT WESTERN DUBUQUE (21-15)

The Cardinals are playing Cinderella, upsetting Decorah, 2-0, in the first round. Tate Streets had two hits and scored, while M.J. Warthan had the lone RBI for Maquoketa. Jaden Fitzpatrick pitched a complete-game 2-hitter. The Bobcats have been in and out of the rankings this season but have won four of their last five, owning a 19-5 record against Maquoketa since 2009. Tanner Anderson has 44 hits. Brett Harris has 34 hits, including eight doubles, a triple and four homers. He has walked 36 times for a .507 OBP. The winner will face the winner of No. 1 Dubuque Wahlert and West Delaware, which knocked off Independence in the quarterfinal.

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