5 Gazette area Iowa high school baseball games to watch: Cedar Rapids Kennedy at Cedar Rapids Prairie opens Week 6

Bookend battles for Cedar Rapids Prairie this week. East Buchanan hosts North Linn for a Tri-Rivers West meeting. Anamosa heads to Dyersville Beckman in a matchup between River Valley Conference North leaders. Here are 5 prep baseball games to watch during Week 6.

MONDAY: C.R. KENNEDY AT C.R. PRAIRIE

The Cougars open the week with a top-10 doubleheader with the Hawks. Kennedy was No. 9 in the latest Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 4A rankings, while Prairie spent the last two weeks at No. 1. The Cougars have won four straight and eight of their last 10, including a doubleheader sweep over Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Friday. The Hawks were swept by Iowa City Liberty on Friday. Ty Donels remains a two-way leader for Kennedy. He paces the team in hits (33), extra-base hits (14), doubles (6), triples (2), home runs (6), runs (37), RBIs (24) and walks (20). Donels owns an 8-0 record on the mound, including a 1.32 earned run average. Deacon Kucera has emerged as an effective closer, leading all classes with seven saves. Kennedy’s 2.63 team ERA will be an interesting matchup with one of the more productive offenses. Prairie ranks second in the state with 247 hits, including 39 from Kamren Francois, who is fourth in 4A. Francois also leads the Hawks in stolen bases (24) and runs (36). Prairie applies pressure to defenses, stealing a state-best 112 bases. The Hawks’ Collin McClintock is tied for the 4A lead with 35 RBIs. Kennedy (19-8, 12-6) is just one game back of Liberty in the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division lead, while Prairie (22-3, 1-2) remains in control of the MVC Valley.

MONDAY: NORTH LINN AT EAST BUCHANAN

North Linn (17-2, 8-2) and East Buchanan (12-4, 6-2) are second and third behind Starmont in the TRC West standings. The Stars swept the Lynx and split with East Buchanan. The twin bill will impact the standings and eliminate one of the two from contention. They split last year’s doubleheader with North Linn winning the postseason meeting, 1-0, and 29 of the last 30 since 2009. The Lynx, ranked No. 7 in 1A, has won 13 straight games since the losses to Starmont. North Linn possesses offensive and pitching advantages, scoring 10.2 runs per game and allowing just 2.9 a contest. Mason Bechen is key to North Linn’s lineup, tallying 27 hits, 35 runs, nine doubles, three triples and two home runs. Bechen is batting .574 with a whopping .708 on-base percentage. Cole Griffith isn’t too far behind with 26 hits, 28 runs and a team-high 28 RBIs, posting a .426 average and reaching base at a .465 clip. East Buchanan holds teams to 3.6 runs per game with a miniscule 1.66 team ERA, which is third in 1A. The Buccaneers have struck out 138 batters in 109 2/3 innings. Will Hansen leads the way with a 4-0 record, 58 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings and hasn’t given up an earned run. He has held opponents to a 0.92 batting average, nine total hits and a 0.67 WHIP. Tristan Cornell, who is 3-0 as a pitcher, leads East Buchanan with 20 hits and 18 RBIs.

TUESDAY: SIGOURNEY AT IOWA CITY REGINA

Sigourney had its goose egg in the loss column cracked by North Linn last week but still is 16-1 and ranked second in 1A. Regina (15-4) moved to No. 7 in 2A last week. Sigourney reached the state tournament for the first time last season and has challenged players with a tough non-conference schedule that includes the Lynx, Regals Wilton and 2A No. 6 Mediapolis. Sigourney has battered pitchers for 13.4 runs a game and leads 1A with 15 home runs. Caden Clarahan and Chase Clarahan have four home runs apiece for the Savages. Caden Clarahan has a team-high 28 RBIs and Cole McKay leads with 24 hits and adds 24 RBIs. Chase Clarahan is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA. Landon Conrad leads Sigourney with a 4-0 record and 28 strikeouts. He also has an ERA of 1.80. Regina’s been solid all season. Will Litton leads the Regals with 25 hits, batting .385 with a .467 on-base percentage. Jack Gavin has a team-high 18 RBIs, adding 24 hits and two home runs. Connor Nicpon has 23 hits and 26 runs for Regina, which leads the RVC South.

THURSDAY: ANAMOSA AT DYERSVILLE BECKMAN

The top two teams in the RVC North face off at Tom Jenk Field of Commercial Club Park in Dyersville. Beckman (11-9, 8-2) owns a 15-1 edge in the series since 2011, including nine consecutive wins. The Blue Raiders (10-7, 6-2) have been competitive but haven’t been able to get over the hump against the Blazers. Anamosa is coming off three straight losses. Anamosa scores 7.2 runs a game, which is one more than Beckman. Both give up about 4.5 runs per game. Dane Owen leads Anamosa with 23 hits and is 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts. Miken Wheeler powers the Blue Raiders with 13 RBIs, 19 walks and 16 runs. Vince Diers (3-1, 1.96 ERA) and Jackson Watters (3-1, 2.13 ERA) lead Anamosa’s pitching staff. Joe Engler has emerged as an offensive leader for Beckman, smacking 27 hits, three home runs and nine doubles. He owns a .450 batting average and .521 on-base percentage with 24 RBIs. Dylan Recker is a force on the mound, going 4-0 with 33 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. He has a 1.99 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.

FRIDAY: CEDAR FALLS AT C.R. PRAIRIE

Prairie could clinch the MVC Valley by the end of the week. Cedar Falls is 14-8 overall and 10-6 in the MVC. The Tigers have won four of the last five, splitting last year’s doubleheader. Cedar Falls scores 7.3 runs and allows 4.5 per game. Jackson Hartzell leads the Tigers with 23 hits, scoring 15 runs and driving in 16. Teammate Camden Wroe has 22 RBIs and two home runs. Cedar Falls also owns a slight advantage in team ERA (2.47-2.61). Prairie has scored 222 runs, scoring 8.9 runs per contest.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com