5 Gazette area Iowa high school baseball games to watch for Week 5 of 2023 season

One of Iowa high school baseball’s top rivalry resumes this week with conference implications at stake again. Top-ranked Western Dubuque welcomes previously ranked West Delaware. Here are five notable games this week.

Tuesday: DeWitt Central at Anamosa

The Blue Raiders are producing a strong season, starting the week with a 14-3 record, and have received votes in the last two Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A polls. Anamosa has won five straight games, including a 12-0 victory over 1A No. 9 Lisbon, and 11 of its last 12. The Sabers are solid again with a 12-2 mark and an eight-game win streak of their own. Both offenses are similar in production. Anamosa averages 8.8 runs per game, while Central comes in at 8.6. The Sabers have fared better on the mound, allowing half as many runs as the Blue Raiders (37-45) with a 2.07 team earned-run average. The two teams split last season.

Wednesday: West Delaware at Western Dubuque

Defending state champion Western Dubuque hasn’t missed a beat, picking up where it left off last season. The Bobcats have battered opposing pitchers, leading 3A in team batting average (.348) and runs with 211 (9.6 per game). Western Dubuque is 18-4 overall and leads the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division at 14-2. Freshman Brett Harris, who has already committed to Ole Miss like his older brother, Calvin, leads the Bobcats with 29 hits and 26 RBIs, hitting at a .392 clip. Western Dubuque’s pitching staff allows just 1.35 walks and hits per inning and owns a 2.92 ERA. West Delaware has popped in and out of the rankings, scoring 4.9 runs a game, while giving up 4.2. Will Ward’s 17 hits leads the Hawks, who already have wins over ranked Dyersville Beckman, Marion, and Williamsburg teams.

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Thursday: Dyersville Beckman at Cascade

Dyersville Beckman and Cascade is one of the best rivalries in Iowa high school baseball. The programs are steeped in tradition and supported by communities that love and understand the game. The teams have had to beat each other for conference titles and state berths in the past, especially under the guidance of late Beckman Coach Tom Jenk Jr. and former Cascade Coach Jerry Roling in the old Big Bend. This year, the series is amplified with both teams being in the same conference again, meeting at American Legion Ball Park. Beckman started the week with an 11-6 overall record and 8-0 mark to lead the River Valley Conference North Division. Cascade opened this week at 11-5 and 7-1 in the RVC North. The Blazers have won six straight, allowing just 1.67 runs per game during that stretch. Cascade is one of the top hitting teams in 2A, batting .330 and scoring 8.2 runs per game.

Saturday: Terry Curtis Classic at Williamsburg

Williamsburg hosts the Terry Curtis Classic Saturday, and the field is salty, including 3A No. 10 Davenport Assumption, DeWitt Central and 1A No. 8 Burlington Notre Dame. The Raiders will face the Sabers at 9 a.m. and Assumption at 4:30 p.m. The Knights have climbed back into the rankings, despite a 9-9 record after the weekend and going 2-2 over their last four. Assumption is coming off a 7-4 win over previously ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier. Assumption has won the past three meetings between the two teams. Williamsburg is 14-7 overall and has won seven of its last eight games, splitting with West Delaware and beating a good Anamosa team. Sam Rich leads the way with 30 hits and is tied with Madox Doehrmann with a team-best 20 runs for the Raiders, who score 7.4 per game.

Next Monday: Cedar Rapids Kennedy at Cedar Rapids Xavier

The Battle of 42nd Street is always fun, regardless of the sport. The Saints (9-10) have had an up-and-down season, dropping out of the recent IHSBCA 3A rankings. The Cougars (18-6) took a small dip themselves, going from fourth to eighth in Class 4A. This series has produced some memorable pitching matchups, including Kennedy’s Danny Bales and Xavier’s Ryan Sweeney. Don’t forget Kennedy’s Zach Daniels and Xavier’s Mitch Keller. Xavier allows 3.9 runs per game and maintains a 3.06 ERA, while Kennedy gives up 4.2 with a 3.23 ERA. The Cougars have a big edge in run production, scoring 203 runs this season. The Cougars have nine home runs as well. Rowan Donels has been impressive for Kennedy. He is hitting .487 with 38 hits and 28 RBIs. On the mound, Donels has a 3.27 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. Preston Lang leads the Saints with 19 hits and teammate Tate Proskovec is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 21 innings. Xavier has won eight in a row and nine of the last 10 against Kennedy, according to Bound.