5 Gazette area Iowa high school baseball games to watch: Class 2A and 1A state berths on the line during substate finals

State berths are on the line as Class 1A and 2A teams compete in substate finals Tuesday night. Can Cascade continue its Cinderella run? North Linn and East Buchanan face off in a Tri-Rivers Conference battle again. Can MFL MarMac return to state for the first time since 1977? Here are five games to watch.

CLASS 2A SUBSTATE 3: CASCADE (22-12) VS. NO. 9 GRUNDY CENTER (23-3), AT VINTON

The notion Cascade is a Cinderella story or underdog seems weird with its baseball tradition. The Cougars upset No. 8 Iowa City Regina in the second round. Cascade outlasted Denver for a 5-4 victory in 13 innings to claim the District 5 title and move a win away from their third state tournament appearance since 2022. Cascade tallied 13 hits, including three from Jackson Green, who also pitched 5 1/3 innings and drove in two runs. The Cougars have won eight of their last 10, including a win over No. Mediapolis. Cooper Hummel is the emotional leader and one of the team’s top players. Mich Hoffman has a team-high 39, while Eli Fritz is tops with 26 RBIs. Judd Jirovsky is a two-way threat for the Spartans. He leads the team with 38 hits, batting .442 and adding 38 runs and 19 RBIs. Jirovsky has 10 wins, 0.39 earned-run average and 80 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings pitched.

CLASS 1A SUBSTATE 4: NO. 5 NORTH LINN (25-3) VS. EAST BUCHANAN (16-9), INDEPENDENCE

The Lynx will attempt to get co-head coach Travis Griffith back to state. He is in his last season and has led North Linn to seven state appearances, dating back to 2015. The Lynx were state quarterfinalists last season. Powered by seniors leaders, including Mason Bechen, Cael Benesh, Cole Griffith and Mason Zimmerman. Bechen is batting .575 with a .698 on-base percentage, amassing a team-high 42 hits. Griffith and Benesh added 48 and 38 RBIs, respectively. The Lynx are hitting .373 as a team and only allow just 2.7 runs a game, ranking fourth in 1A with a 7.6 run differential. East Buchanan has won the most games since 18 in 2015. The Buccaneers dropped No. 8 Don Bosco for the District 8 crown. Keenan Pals leads East Buchanan with 31 hits and 24 RBIs. Will Hansen has five wins, 1.17 ERA and a team-high 82 strikeouts. The Buccaneers are trying to secure their first state berth.

CLASS 2A SUBSTATE 4: MFL MARMAC (24-6) VS. NO. 5 MEDIAPOLIS (26-2), AT SOLON

Battle of the Bulldogs. MFL MarMac is looking its first state tournament berth as a combined program and the first since MFL reached the 1977 tournament. MFL also won the 1976 1A state championship and qualified in 1972. MFL has knocked off Bellevue Marquette (4-2) and perennial power Dyersville Beckman (4-1). The key battle will be MFL’s offense against Mediapolis pitching. MFL is eighth in 2A, scoring about 8.7 runs a game. Mediapolis has held foes to 2.9 runs per contest. Ben Krambeer is a catalyst, leading MFL with 48 hits, 42 RBIs and 32 runs. Parker Kuehl has been a steady presence on the mound, recording eight wins and 84 strikeouts with a 1.33 ERA. Mediapolis is paced by Lance Ludens, who has 39 hits, 27 runs and hitting .534.. He also leads the team in wins (10) and strikeouts (65).

MFL finished second to Lansing Kee in the Upper Iowa Conference race. The 1A No. 9 Kee Hawks (31-10) survived conference foe South Winneshiek to reach the 1A substate 3 final against No. 10 Mason City Newman (25-8) at Decorah.

CLASS 2A SUBSTATE 6: ANAMOSA (16-10) VS. NO. 2 PLEASANTVILLE (29-1), AT GRINNELL

The Blue Raiders are in search of their first state tournament berth. They have one of the toughest matchups with the Trojans. According to Bound, this is the first meeting in at least the last 16 seasons. Anamosa has beaten Monticello (11-1) and Dike-New Hartford (4-3) for the District 12 title. Anamosa is led by Dane Owens, who has 33 hits and 18 runs, and Vince Diers, who has 31 hits, 10 doubles and 23 RBIs. Jackson Watters has the best numbers on the mound, earning five wins and 62 strikeouts. Pleasantville leads 1A with 18 home runs, 412 total bases, opponent’s batting average (.146) and a low 52 runs allowed. The Trojans are second with a .347 team batting average, 1.06 ERA, 280 and 60 doubles. Pleasantville’s Braylon Bingham ranks among the state leaders with 46 hits, .474 batting average, 53 runs, 48 RBIs and seven home runs. The Trojans reached the state quarterfinals last year.

CLASS 1A SUBSTATE 5: HILLCREST ACADEMY (16-7) VS. PEKIN (12-9), AT FAIRFIELD

The Ravens pulled off the biggest 1A upset, beating No. 2 Sigourney, 5-4, for the District 9 title. Hillcrest has not qualified for state since the second of consecutive trips in 2008 as Iowa Mennonite School, winning the 1A crown in 2007. They split two regular-season games. Pekin won, 8-7, in May. Hillcrest won, 2-0, which ignited a 10-1 record since June 17. Rowan Miller provides a spark at the plate, posting 25 hits, 20 runs, 20 stolen bases and 25 RBIs. Seth Ours is 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings, and Phoenix Anderson is 5-0 with a 0.29 ERA for the Ravens. Pekin is looking for its first state berth since 2019.

SUBSTATE FINALS

Tuesday

(All games start at 7 p.m)

CLASS 1A

Substate 3

At Decorah

#9 Lansing Kee (31-10) vs. #10 Mason City Newman (25-8)

Substate 4

At Independence

#5 North Linn (25-3) vs. East Buchanan (16-9)

Substate 5

At Fairfield

Hillcrest Academy (16-7) vs. Pekin (12-9)

Substate 1

At Cherokee

LeMars Gehlen (16-14) vs. #1 Remsen St. Mary’s (22-1)

Substate 2

At Charles City

#6 Saint Ansgar (20-7) vs. Wapsie Valley (20-6)

Substate 6

At Newton

#3 Lynnville-Sully (23-2) vs. Ankeny Christian (15-10)

Substate 7

At Clarke

#7 Martensdale-St. Marys (29-5) vs. Lenox (20-9)

Substate 8

At Audubon

#4 Coon Rapids Bayard (25-3) vs. Logan-Magnolia (20-5)

CLASS 2A

Substate 3

At Vinton

Cascade (22-12) vs. #9 Grundy Center (23-3)

Substate 4

At Solon

MFL MarMac (24-6) vs. #5 Mediapolis (26-2)

Substate 6

At Grinnell

Anamosa (16-10) vs. #2 Pleasantville (29-1)

Substate 1

At Sheldon

#4 Unity Christian (25-9) vs. Estherville-Lincoln Central (18-9)

Substate 2

At Sioux Center

#7 West Lyon (18-6) vs. Okoboji (14-11)

Substate 5

At Ottumwa

#6 Chariton (24-6) vs. Cardinal (17-10)

Substate 7

At Marshalltown

#3 Van Meter (24-8) vs. West Marshall (24-9)

Substate 8

At Council Bluffs

#1 Underwood (23-2) vs. Tri-Center (19-4)

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com