Iowa high school baseball 2024: Gazette area teams to watch

Here are eight Gazette area teams to watch as the 2024 Iowa high school baseball season starts Monday.

Anamosa: The Blue Raiders won 19 games last season, falling to eventual 2A state champion Dyersville Beckman in a substate final. They return seven starters and three more with starting experience. All-district players Jack Sellnau, Jackson Watters and Carter Kuehl lead the way at the plate. Sellnau recorded four wins on the mound and Easton Wheeler had a team-high six wins. Anamosa is poised for a big season.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy: The Cougars finished third in the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division and reached the Class 4A substate finals. Kennedy returns potent bats and strong arms. Nolan Grawe, Ty Donels, Grant Mather, Matt Stoltenberg and Jace Scott are leaders at the plate, while Mather and Scott return with 15 combined wins from last season.

Dyersville Beckman: The Blazers won their seventh state title in their 14th finals appearance. Beckman claimed the 2A state title in Ryan Mabe’s first season as head coach. The Blazers return six starters and seven more letterwinners. They apply pressure on defenses by putting the ball in play. Beckman will look to maintain stout defense but has some innings to replace on the mound.

Iowa City High: The Little Hawks reached the 4A state tournament for the second straight season in 2023. City High has made three state appearances in the last four years. The Little Hawks return an experienced group, including Jake Mitchell, Talon Young, Max Waldschmidt, Carsen Newton, Dominic Salibi and Jaxton Schroeder. The Little Hawks are solid offensively and defensively.

Marion: The Wolves were ravaged by injuries last season. Now, they won’t have the services of their best player from the previous seasons with Myles Davis moving on. They still have a lot of talent hungry after last season. Trey Franck and Jake Miller lead the way offensively. The Wolves return most of their top hitters. Pitching will be the wildcard, looking for an impact from Payton Hodges and Grayson Kirsch.

Mid-Prairie: The Golden Hawks reached a substate final last season, going 27-7. They are just two years removed from a state semifinal appearance. The postseason experience provides a foundation, returning top players like all-stater and top hitter Karson Grout, Brady Weber, Dylan Henry and Brock Harland. Harland and Weber combined to go 9-0 a year ago, while Grout was 4-0 in 2022.

North Linn: The Lynx have been consistently good over the last decade, but this is one of the youngest teams Travis Griffith has coached. North Linn graduated key seniors from a 26-win team that was unbeaten in the Tri-Rivers Conference. The Lynx have some pillars to build around in all-stater Mason Bechen, Cole Griffith and Cael Benesh. It might take time to bring inexperienced players up to speed.

Western Dubuque: The Bobcats won their second straight 3A state title last season, posting 36 victories and winning the stacked MVC Valley. Western Dubuque returns three of its top six hitters in Brett Harris, Jake Goodman and Hunter Quagliano. Tanner Anderson and Clayten Lindecker had six wins apiece and Harris had five wins for the Bobcats a year ago.

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Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com