Iowa high school baseball 2024 substate finals: A look at Tuesday’s area 2A and 1A games

Iowa high school baseball state tournament berths are on the line during Tuesday’s Class 2A and 1A substate finals. Some teams are looking for their first trip to state, while others are trying to extend their streak of state appearances. Here’s a closer look at five substate finals involving Gazette area teams.

Tuesday’s Class 2A Iowa high school baseball substate finals

No. 8 Sumner-Fredericksburg (22-4) vs. Anamosa (20-9), at Manchester

The Blue Raiders return to the substate finals for the second straight season. They are looking for their first state baseball appearance. Anamosa advanced with a Jackson Watters walk-off two-run home run for a 6-4 win over Mediapolis. The Cougars knocked off Alburnett, 2-1, with a two-run home run from Tatum Nuss. The Blue Raiders were ranked earlier in the season and received votes in the final Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association poll. Carter Kuehl leads Anamosa with 30 hits and 27 RBIs. Vince Diers has a team-high five wins, while Jack Sellnau has struck out 61 batters in more than 41 innings. The Cougars allow less than three runs per game. Jaymison Howard who has eight wins with a 1.17 earned-run average and 73 strikeouts in 60 innings.

Cascade (14-12) vs. Wilton (20-10), at Solon

The Cougars have been the Cinderella team of the 2A postseason. They were the No. 3-seed in District 7 and opened the postseason under .500, knocking off second-seeded Iowa City Regina in extra innings and beating rival and No. 5-ranked Dyersville Beckman with a seventh-inning rally to reach the substate finals. Cascade is attempting to reach state for the third straight season and seventh time overall. Juniors Cooper Hummel and Nathan Shockemoehl and senior Will Hosch lead the offense. Hosch and Shockemoehl each have 27 hits, while Hummel has 26. Hosch has a team-best 19 RBIs. The Cougars have a 3.60 team ERA but have won six straight games this season. Cascade has won the last two meetings with Wilton, the last coming in 2022.

Other games

No. 7 Estherville-Lincoln Central (20-5) vs. Unity Christian (24-11), at Spencer

Aplington-Parkersburg (17-7) vs. Roland-Story (16-17), at Marshalltown

No. 6 New Hampton (26-6) vs. Denver (7-19), at Decorah

No. 2 Des Moines Christian (31-4) vs. Pleasantville (22-10), at Carlisle

Chariton (23-4) vs. Ida Grove OABCIG (15-8), at Boone

No. 3 Underwood (26-2) vs. No. 9 Clarinda (22-4), at Glenwood

Tuesday’s Class 1A Iowa high school baseball substate finals

North Linn (23-8) vs. No. 7 Wapsie Valley (32-7), at Independence

The Lynx have reached the substate finals with one of their youngest rosters under Coach Travis Griffith. North Linn is vying for its first state berth since 2022 and its seventh since the first trip in 2015. The Lynx have stifled opposing batters in the postseason, recording three straight shutouts and outscoring district foes by a combined 21-0. North Linn reached the substate finals with a 1-0 win over East Buchanan. Juniors Cole Griffith, Cael Benesh and Mason Bechen lead the way. Cole Griffith is batting .417 with 45 hits and 40 runs while notching seven wins with a 0.87 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings pitched. Benesh leads the Lynx with 40 RBIs. Wapsie Valley is looking for its first state berth since 2020. The Warriors won the regular-season meeting, 10-0, on June 5, which snapped a six-game losing streak against the Lynx.

No. 8 Sigourney (20-4) vs. No. 2 Burlington Notre Dame (28-3), at Fairfield

Sigourney has produced a banner baseball season. The Savages have reached 20 wins for just the third time since 2007. It is their most wins in a season since going 22-13 in 2010. Sigourney beat BGM, 6-1, in a district final. The Savages are attempting to reach state for the first time in school history. Caden Clarahan leads the team in hits with 37 and 41 RBIs. Jake Moore adds 30 hits and Isaac Bruns has 31 RBIs. Clarahan, Reid Molyneux and Chase Clarahan have combined for 16 wins this season for Sigourney. The teams have split their previous two games in the series, with Sigourney winning the last in 2021. The Nikes qualified for state in 2020 and 2023. They reached the substate finals with a 10-0 win over Moravia.

South Winneshiek (23-9) vs. No. 10 Don Bosco (24-8), at Charles City

The Warriors are seeking their third straight state berth, fifth since 2019 and sixth since 2014. South Winneshiek beat Lansing Kee for the fourth time this season, winning that district final 3-1. Carson Streeter has been a leader at the plate and on the mound. Streeter is batting .356 with 33 RBIs. He also has a 1.28 ERA with 87 strikeouts. The Warriors own a 2.08 team ERA. Don Bosco advanced with a 5-3 win over No. 6 Saint Ansgar. The Dons score 8.6 runs per game.

Other games

No. 1 Akron-Westfield (26-3) vs. Kingsley-Pierson (18-11), at Le Mars

No. 4 Remsen St. Mary’s (22-4) vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard (22-11), at Cherokee

No. 3 Mason City Newman (30-5) vs. No. 9 Algona Garrigan (24-5), at Forest City

No. 5 Lynnville-Sully (25-3) vs. Ankeny Christian (18-8), at Pella

Tri-Center (19-8) vs. Bedford (19-10), at Atlantic

Monday’s area 3A and 4A substate semifinals rescheduled

The entire slate of Gazette-area Class 3A and 4A substate baseball semifinals was postponed Monday due to rain and severe weather that moved through Eastern Iowa.

Class 3A games now scheduled for Tuesday:

In 4A, Iowa City West (19-21-1) will travel to Davenport Central (24-13).

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com