Iowa high school state baseball 2022: Gazette area team capsules and predictions

A look at the Gazette area qualifiers for the 2022 Iowa high school baseball tournament, plus predictions for all four classes.

Class 1A area teams

NORTH LINN

Coach: Travis Griffith (15th season)

Record: 31-2

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 4/6

State History: 6th Appearance (First since 2020)

Road to Carroll: The Lynx defeated Lynnville-Sully, 13-3, in the substate finals. North Linn blanked each of their first three postseason opponents, beating Springville, HLV and Alburnett by a combined 33-0.

Outlook: North Linn won the Tri-Rivers West and only has one loss to a 1A team. The Lynx have a strong shot to advance against Kingsley-Pierson. A possible semifinal with top-seeded Remsen St. Mary’s will be a challenge. The Lynx have the pitching and ability to reach the final.

LISBON

Coach: John Tesensky (Fourth season)

Record: 24-5

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 7/RV

State History: 9th Appearance (2021 Quarterfinalist)

Road to Carroll: The Lions defeated fifth-ranked Don Bosco, 16-14, in the substate finals. It was the second victory over the Dons since June 28. Lisbon opened with a 14-2 win over Bellevue and then shut out Calamus-Wheatland (17-0) and Easton Valley (2-0) before the rematch with Don Bosco.

Outlook: The Lions open with second-seeded Mason City Newman. They face a similar situation as last year when they lost to eventual state champion Council Bluffs St. Albert in the quarterfinals. Lisbon has been an offensive dynamo in the postseason. The ability to score runs could give them a shot.

SOUTH WINNESHIEK

Coach: Alex Smith (12th season)

Record: 23-8

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 8/Unranked

State History: 4th Appearance (First since 2020)

Road to Carroll: South Winneshiek turned some heads, knocking off fourth-ranked Lansing Kee and avenging three regular-season losses to the Hawks. The Warriors beat Kee, 2-0, for their fourth straight shutout. They have not allowed a run in the postseason.

Outlook: The Warriors are making their third state appearance in the last four years. They have a steep hill to climb, facing top-seeded Remsen St. Mary’s, who is one of just two unbeaten teams in all four classes. South Winneshiek has not allowed a run in the last 28 innings. The Warriors will need more of that pitching and defense.

Class 2A area teams

CASCADE

Coach: Roamn Hummel (13th season)

Record: 20-5

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 3/3

State History: 5th Appearance (First since 2015)

Road to Carroll: The Cougars posted a 6-3 comeback victory to survive West Liberty in the substate finals. They upended three straight River Valley Conference foes, outscoring Tipton and Camanche, 19-1, in the first two rounds.

Outlook: Cascade will face its fourth straight conference opponent in the postseason. The Cougars beat Mid-Prairie in the regular season, posting a 3-0 victory in the midst of a tough stretch in its schedule. The Cougars received a four-hitter for that game June 9. A winnable game awaits either team in the semifinals against Estherville-Lincoln Central or Interstate 35.

DYERSVILLE BECKMAN

Coach: Fred Martin (Sixth season)

Record: 24-13

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 4/4

State History: 19th Appearance (Won 2A state title in 2017 in last trip)

Road to Carroll: Beckman scored eight unmatched runs for an 8-1 substate final victory over Jesup, which opened the season ranked No. 2. Beckman outlasted Monticello (6-4) and Waukon (5-0) to start its trek.

Outlook: The Blazers have had special runs. Their last trip was the last with Tom Jenk Jr. This time, Fred Martin is in his last season as head coach. Beckman is battle-tested, facing seven state-qualifying teams in the regular season. The Blazers should be able to get by No. 5 Dike-New Hartford. The winner will likely get top-seeded Van Meter, which is going for its fourth straight state title. The Bulldogs are 36-0 and have won 51 straight games, dating back to June 25, 2021.

MID-PRAIRIE

Coach: Kyle Mullet (Second season)

Record: 18-10

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 6/RV

State History: 6th Appearance (First since 2020)

Road to Carroll: Mid-Prairie posted a notable win in the substate finals, dropping sixth-ranked West Marshall, 3-1. The Golden Hawks trounced Van Buren County in the semifinals and began the postseason with a 4-0 win over Cardinal.

Outlook: The Golden Hawks have progressed along with the season, closing with a 10-3 mark in their last 13 games. They will have to exact some revenge after falling to quarterfinal opponent Cascade, 3-0, last month. Mid-Prairie averages almost seven runs and eight hits per game. It will need that production and strong pitching that has allowed just four runs in the last four games.

Class 3A area teams

WESTERN DUBUQUE

Coach: Casey Bryant (22nd season)

Record: 29-11

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 2/6

State History: 6th Appearance (First since 2019)

Road to Iowa City: The Bobcats led previously-ranked Clear Creek Amana throughout for a 5-1 victory to advance. They waltzed through the first two rounds, beating Crestwood and Benton Community by a combined 17-2 score.

Outlook: The 3A field is wide open and primed for the taking. The Bobcats competed in the tough Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division that included five ranked teams and three state qualifiers. One of the biggest tests will come in the opening round against Winterset, which is the only returning 3A qualifier. Huskies ace Justin Hackett is one of the state’s best, striking out 119 batters this season. He pitched in a duel with Aaron Savary of Dubuque Wahlert, which won and reached last year’s finals. If Western Dubuque can get by Winterset, the Bobcats could get No. 3-seed and top-ranked Lewis Central before a showdown with top-seeded Davenport Assumption.

WEST DELAWARE

Coach: Kevin Werner (First season)

Record: 32-10

Seed/IHSBCA final ranking: No. 4/7

State History: 8th Appearance (First since 2008)

Road to Iowa City: The Hawks shut out DeWitt Central, 3-0, for a substate title and their 11th straight victory. West Delaware hasn’t allowed a postseason run, stifling Mount Vernon (5-0) and Maquoketa (6-0) in the first two rounds.

Outlook: West Delaware benefited from some upsets in its substate bracket with Maquoketa knocking off second-seeded Solon and DeWitt Central beating No. 1-seed and 2021 finalist Wahlert. The Hawks did beat Central for a third time and they will have another rematch to open state. Independence and West Delaware split in the regular season, making this a true toss-up game. The winner will be an underdog to Assumption.

INDEPENDENCE

Coach: Matt Miller (Third season)

Record: 29-11

Seed/IHSBCA final ranking: No. 5/9

State History: 3rd Appearance (First since 2010)

Road to Iowa City: The Mustangs have won three postseason games by a total of five runs. They recorded an extra-inning 5-4 upset over No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier. Independence reached the substate finals with a 3-2 walk-off win over Ballard and 5-2 triumph over Nevada.

Outlook: Survive and advance. Independence has done whatever it takes to extend its season. The Mustangs face conference rival West Delaware at state. They have an advantage offensively in most categories, while the Hawks are slightly better in pitching. Independence has won four of the last five meetings between the two schools. Getting out of a possible semifinal against Assumption will be tougher.

Class 4A area teams

IOWA CITY HIGH

Coach: Brian Mitchell (11th season)

Record: 31-8

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 2/2

State History: 7th Appearance (First since 2020)

Road to Iowa City: The Little Hawks were the top-seed in Substate 6. They won their 10th straight game with an 8-0 victory over Bettendorf to reach state. City High opened the playoffs with a 5-0 win over Muscatine.

Outlook: This could be City High’s best team, resembling the Little Hawk teams from the early to mid-1990s that reached the state finals. The Little Hawks won the MVC Mississippi, edging Cedar Rapids Prairie and entering state with an 11-game win streak. Maybe they will benefit from the tournament in their own backyard. Pitching should propel the Little Hawks into the semifinals, which could be a rematch with Prairie. City High swept Prairie early in the season. The Little Hawks might have a little more depth and could advance to the title game.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE

Coach: James Nelson (Fourth season)

Record: 31-8

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 3/3

State History: 5th Appearance (2021 semifinalist)

Road to Iowa City: The Hawks were also a top-seed and survived a tight, hard-fought 2-1 substate final in nine innings against Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Prairie started the postseason with an 8-0 decision over Waterloo West.

Outlook: The Hawks face West Des Moines Dowling in the quarterfinals for the second straight season. Last year, Prairie beat Dowling, 8-4. The Hawks already faced a state-caliber contest against Kennedy. Expect them to get the best of Dowling again. The semifinal should be a rematch between Prairie and City High. Both of those teams are as similar as any two teams can be. The Hawks are better than they were for that season-opening twinbill at Mercer Park. It could go either way with the winner likely getting a shot at Johnston in the final.

IOWA CITY LIBERTY

Coach: Tom Cronk (Fifth season)

Record: 21-19

Seed/IHSBCA Final ranking: No. 8/Unranked

State History: 1st appearance

Road to Iowa City: The Lightning finished a special substate run with a 5-4 victory over ninth-ranked and top-seeded Pleasant Valley. Liberty also whipped No. 8-ranked and second-seeded Cedar Falls, 14-1, in the substate semifinals after a 5-3 first-round win against Clinton.

Outlook: Anything Liberty does against No. 1 Johnston is gravy. The Dragons have outscored opponents by 6.1 runs a game. The Lightning will need to find a way to slow down a potent offense that scores 8.4 a contest. Liberty will need to conjure the same pitching and defense that it had in a doubleheader sweep of City High. A win would be an unexpected upset and being competitive will be a good accomplishment.

Iowa high school state baseball predictions

CLASS 1A

Quarterfinals

No. 4 North Linn over No. 5 Kingsley-Pierson

No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s vs. No. 8 South Winneshiek

No. 3 New London over No. 6 Anita CAM

No. 2 Mason City Newman over No. 7 Lisbon

Semifinals

North Linn over Remsen St. Mary’s

New London over Mason City Newman

Championship

New London over North Linn

CLASS 2A

Quarterfinals

No. 2 Estherville-Lincoln Central over No. 7 Interstate 35

No. 3 Cascade over No. 6 Mid-Prairie

No. 4 Dyersville Beckman over No. 5 Dike-New Hartford

No. 1 Van Meter over No. 8 Carroll Kuemper

Semifinals

Cascade over Estherville-Lincoln Central

Van Meter over Dyersville Beckman

Championship

Van Meter over Cascade

CLASS 3A

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Davenport Assumption over No. 8 Pella

No. 5 Independence over No. 4 West Delaware

No. 3 Council Bluffs Lewis Central over No. 6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton

No. 2 Western Dubuque over No. 7 Winterset

Semifinals

Davenport Assumption over Independence

Western Dubuque over Council Bluffs Lewis Central

Championship

Western Dubuque over Davenport Assumption

CLASS 4A

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Johnston over No. 8 Iowa City Liberty

No. 4 Waukee over No. 5 Waukee Northwest

No. 3 Cedar Rapids Prairie over No. 6 West Des Moines Dowling

No. 2 Iowa City High over No. 7 Indianola

Semifinals

Johnston over Waukee

Iowa City High over Cedar Rapids Prairie

Championship

Johnston over Iowa City High