Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Rankings: Iowa City High, Iowa City Liberty earn spots in final Class 4A poll

Iowa City High opened the season ranked No. 1.

As the regular season nears an end, the Little Hawks are the highest ranked Gazette-area large-school program.

City High is No. 4 and Iowa City Liberty is sixth in the final Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 4A rankings released Monday. Pleasant Valley and Dubuque Wahlert enter the postseason top-ranked in 4A and 3A, respectively.

The Little Hawks and Lightning both earned No. 1 substate seeds, which begins Friday. Iowa City High hosts Cedar Rapids Jefferson to open 4A Substate 6. The Little Hawks and J-Hawks are grouped with No. 7 Indianola, Ankeny, Ottumwa and West Des Moines Dowling.

“We continue to feel good about hitting our best baseball at the end of the year,” said City High Coach Brian Mitchell. “We have a very challenging substate and we are also not looking too far ahead as we have three quality games ahead of the tournament.”

City High (26-8, 21-5) was tied with Wahlert (30-6, 21-5) for the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division with Cedar Rapids Prairie right behind both teams. The Little Hawks also play North Scott before the postseason.

Liberty started this week 26-9 overall and 18-8 in the MVC. The Lightning closed conference play Monday against Waterloo West, needing a sweep or a Wahlert win against Cedar Rapids Kennedy to remain atop the MVC Mississippi Division. Liberty is in search of its first division crown.

The Lightning will face Waterloo West again Friday in the first round of 4A Substate 7, which also includes Linn-Mar, Iowa City West, Marshalltown and No. 9 Ankeny Centennial. They have quality tune-up games against Marion on Tuesday and Solon on Wednesday.

“We are finally healthy so that makes us feel really good,” Liberty Coach Uby Martinez said. “It will be nice to have some games before the tournament starts with the team running at 100 percent.”

In 3A, Wahlert has been No. 1 all season. Marion (23-6) remained at No. 3 for the fourth straight poll, holding that spot for all but one week when it was second. Benton Community (25-6) is ranked fifth.

IOWA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION

FINAL RANKINGS

CLASS 4A

1. Pleasant Valley, 2. Sioux City East, 3. Johnston, 4. Iowa City High, 5. Waukee Northwest, 6. Iowa City Liberty, 7. Indianola, 8. West Des Moines Valley, 9. Ankeny Centennial, 10. Waukee

Others receiving votes (alphabetical order): Ames, Bettendorf, C.R. Kennedy, C.R. Prairie, Sioux City North

CLASS 3A

1. Dubuque Wahlert, 2. Pella, 3. Marion, 4. Ballard, 5. Benton Community, 6. Sioux City Heelan, 7. Davenport Assumption, 8. Saydel, 9. Carlisle, 10. MOC-Floyd Valley

Others receiving votes (alphabetical order): Algona, Boone, North Polk, Sergeant Zbluff-Luton, Western Dubuque

CLASS 2A

1. Underwood, 2. Pleasantville, 3. Van Meter, 4. Unity Christian, 5. Mediapolis, 6. Chariton, 7. West Lyon, 8. Iowa City Regina, 9. Grundy Center, 10. Sumner-Fredericksburg

Others receiving votes (alphabetical order): Bellevue Marquette, Forest City, New Hampton, Spirit Lake, West Marshall

CLASS 1A

1. Remsen St. Mary’s, 2. Sigourney, 3. Lynnville-Sully, 4. Coon Rapids-Bayard, 5. North Linn, 6. Saint Ansgar, 7. Martensdale-St. Marys, 8. Don Bosco, 9. Lansing Kee, 10. Mason City Newman

Others receiving votes (alphabetical order): Bedford, East Buchanan, Logan-Magnolia, MMCRU, Moravia

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com