Iowa high school baseball rankings: Iowa City Liberty cracks Class 4A poll

Iowa City Liberty received votes in the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll. The Lightning have since recorded three victories over ranked teams that were state tournament qualifiers last season. Despite dropping its last two games to a resurgent Cedar Rapids Kennedy team that received votes this edition, Liberty finds itself in the top 10 for the first time.

Liberty is ranked ninth and the lone Gazette-area team in the Class 4A poll.

Defending 3A state champion Cedar Rapids Xavier dropped one spot to sixth.

North Linn remains the highest-ranked Gazette-area team. The Lynx are second in 2A and four spots ahead of Dyersville Beckman.

In 1A, South Winneshiek is fourth and Alburnett is sixth.

North Linn travels to Alburnett Monday for a Tri-Rivers Conference doubleheader between top-10 programs.

West Des Moines Dowling jumped six spots to receive the top spot in 4A, opening the season No. 7. DeWitt Central moved up one slot to sit atop the 3A poll. Van Meter and Martensdale-St. Marys remain first in 2A and 1A, respectively.

CLASS 4A

1. West Des Moines Dowling

2. Johnston

3. Urbandale

4. Southeast Polk

5. Ankeny

6. Sioux City East

7. Waukee

8. Dubuque Hempstead

9. Iowa City Liberty

10. Ankeny Centennial

Others receiving votes: Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Des Moines Roosevelt, Pleasant Valley, Western Dubuque

CLASS 3A

1. DeWitt Central

2. Dallas Center-Grimes

3. Sergeant Bluff-Luton

4. Davenport Assumption

5. Winterset

6. Cedar Rapids Xavier

7. Sioux City Heelan

8. Centerville

9. Boone

10. Gilbert

Others receiving votes: Ballard, Clear Creek Amana, Oskaloosa, MOC-Floyd Valley, Waverly-Shell Rock

CLASS 2A

1. Van Meter

2. North Linn

3. Dike-New Hartford

4. Underwood

5. Woodward-Granger

6. Dyersville Beckman

7. Des Moines Christian

8. Mid-Prairie

9. Roland-Story

10. Camanche

Others receiving votes: Pocahontas Area, Tri-Center, West Lyon, West Sioux, Wilton

CLASS 1A

1. Martensdale-St. Marys

2. Remsen St. Mary's

3. Council Bluffs St. Albert

4. South Winneshiek

5. Mason City Newman

6. Alburnett

7. Don Bosco

8. Alta-Aurelia

9. Easton Valley

10. Saint Ansgar

Others receiving votes: Calamus-Wheatland, Anita CAM, Coon Rapids-Bayard, HLV, Kingsley-Pierson

Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com