5 Gazette area Iowa high school baseball games to watch: Iowa City Liberty, Linn-Mar to play non-conference game at Norway in Week 7

Conference divisions could be determined. Linn-Mar and Iowa City Liberty travels to tradition-rich Norway. Class 1A and 2A postseason begins Saturday. Here are 5 Games to Watch this week.

MONDAY: ANAMOSA AT CASCADE

The Blue Raiders are in the midst of the title race in the River Valley Conference North. They are 8-2 in the conference and tied with Northeast, which closes RVC regular-season play against Camanche. Northeast swept Anamosa earlier this season, so it owns the tiebreaker. Anamosa, which received a first-round district bye, needs to take care of business against the Cougars and must get help from Camanche. According to Anamosa Coach Adam Tvedt, he was an assistant when the Blue Raiders last shared a division crown, tying Cascade in 2022. Tvedt is in his third season as head coach, posting a 53-31 record. Senior Vince Diers has been a key two-way contributor. He leads the team with 29 hits and 20 RBIs, batting .414 with a .449 on-base percentage. Diers owns a 3-1 record on the mound, striking out 36 with 1.83 earned-run average in 42 innings. Teammate Jackson Watters has matched Diers with six starts, adding a 4-1 mark with 51 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. Anamosa’s Mike Wheeler has walked a whopping 27 times and scored a team-high 25 runs. The Blue Raiders won the last meeting in 2024 but Cascade owns a 15-3 advantage since 2009. The Cougars will have to slow down an offense that scores 7.5 runs a game and hits at a .325 team clip. Cascade counters with 6.5 runs per game. Nate Schockemoehl leads the Cougars with 28 hits, one more than teammate Mick Hoffman. Cooper Hummel and Eli Fritz are tied with a team-best 22 RBIs. Schockemoehl and Jackson Green each have three wins and Green leads Cascade with 32 strikeouts in 27 innings. The Cougars will look to build momentum for their 2A district opener against West Branch on Saturday at Alburnett.

MONDAY: INDEPENDENCE AT MARION

The Wolves can all but clinch the Wamac Conference East with a sweep but the Mustangs will have something to say about it. Independence has played well recently. The Mustangs (16-13 overall, 8-6 Wamac) have won six straight games, consisting of sweeps over Decorah, Dyersville Beckman and Vinton-Shellsburg. Andrew Rottinghaus and Christopher Meyer have been offensive dynamos for Independence. Rottinghaus has 41 hits and 37 RBIs, batting .441 with a .545 on-base percentage. Meyer has tallied 40 hits and 46 runs, batting .412 and getting on base at .544 clip. Rottinghaus is also 3-0 on the mound. Marion, ranked No. 3 in 3A, is 18-5 overall and 12-3 in the Wamac, leading Solon by two and Independence by three games. Independence has a higher scoring average than Marion (8.8-7.8) but the Wolves pitching allows almost half as many runs (3.8-6.3) per game. Marion owns a 2.32 team ERA and an impressive 1.29 team WHIP (Walks/hits per innings pitched). Isaiah Scott, Andrew Ahmann and Tait Rahe each have three wins for the Wolves. Cole Goodrich has been strong in relief, posting a 4-0 record with a save and 1.68 ERA.

TUESDAY: IOWA CITY LIBERTY VS. LINN-MAR, AT NORWAY

Lightning Coach Uby Martinez and Lions Coach Kyle Rodenkirk were looking for a 40 th game to fill out their schedules. Rodenkirk called Martinez with a proposal about a neutral site. Multiple sites were considered but Norway was the locale that worked. Both programs have connections to the traditional baseball community. Norway is tied for fourth in state baseball titles, winning its eighth in 1991, which was the last year of the school’s existence. The championship summer was depicted in the 2007 film, “The Final Season.” Liberty assistant coach Brent Kimm played for Norway’s Hall of Fame Coach Jim Van Scoyoc, who led Norway to state crowns from 1981-84, 1987-88 and 1990. Kimm has shared stories about the famous program.

“This will give them an opportunity to make the connection,” Martinez said. “We are excited for this game as well.”

Rodenkirk is the nephew of former Norway standout and Major League Baseball pitcher Mike Boddicker, who is the brother-in-law of Van Scoyoc. The game is a non-conference contest at a neutral site and will be followed by a sophomore game. Liberty swept Linn-Mar, 5-0 and 7-2, on May 28. Liberty is 24-6 and Linn-Mar is 15-15 after sweeping Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Friday.

THURSDAY: CLEAR CREEK AMANA AT SOLON

Throw out the records when these two rival schools meet. Their records happen to be similar anyway. The Clippers are 14-11 overall, while the Spartans are 15-10. Solon leads the series, 25-8, since 2009, including the first two meetings last season. The Clippers won the most important one, taking the postseason clash, 6-2. Ty Fuller leads CCA with 36 hits and has scored 34 runs. Reece Cochran leads the Clippers with 26 RBIs, four wins and 45 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings pitched. Maddox Kelley is the Spartans’ top hit producer with 38, batting .427. Carson Kidwell has 20 RBIs for Solon, while teammate Tate Miller has five wins without an earned run allowed in 28 2/3 innings pitched.

SATURDAY: CLASS 1A AND 2A DISTRICTS

The postseason begins this week. Teams in Class 1A and 2A across the state will compete in district games. Alburnett, Starmont, Durant, MFL MarMac, Des Moines Christian and Aplington-Parkersburg will host first-round games in 2A. In 1A, Maquoketa Valley, South Winneshiek, Lisbon, North Tama, Belle Plaine, East Buchanan, Highland and New London will host Gazette-area teams.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com