K.J. Pilcher

Second-seeded Council Bluffs St. Albert build a six-run lead and held on for a 7-5 victory over No. 4-seed Lansing Kee for the Class 1A state baseball championship.

Council Bluffs St. Albert tallied 10 runs on 10 hits and Jeff Miller threw five scoreless innings to defeat Alburnett, 10-0, in a Class 1A state semifinal.

Lansing Kee manufactured a run in the seventh to force extra innings and used three in the ninth to beat top-seeded Remsen St. Mary’s, 5-3, in nine innings, returning to the Class 1A state baseball final for the first time since 2011.

Sixth-seeded Alburnett received three hits from Hunter Caves and six RBIs from Reed Stallman, upending No. 3 Tri-Center, 8-6, to advance to the Class 1A state baseball semifinals.

Lisbon battled second-seeded Council Bluffs St. Albert close for more than five innings. The Falcons pulled away with a four-run sixth and advanced to the Class 1A semifinals.

Lansing Kee made its 20th state baseball appearance and will return to the semifinals for the first time in a decade. The Hawks took the lead in the middle innings and held on for a 4-3 victory.

Isaac and Lincoln Stensland have accompanied their dad, Ryan, to the state baseball tournament in the past. They will all make the trip again, but this time Ryan will be coaching Alburnett and the twin freshmen are reserves for Lisbon.

The Gazette predicts semifinalists and champions for the 2021 state baseball tournament.

Six Gazette-area teams will contend for state baseball titles this week. Marion will make its third straight Class 3A appearance. Cedar Rapids Xavier (3A) and Alburnett (1A) return after a year hiatus. Cedar Rapids Prairie (4A), Lisbon (1A) and Lansing Kee (1A) also return.

There was no thriller this time for state baseball-bound Cedar Rapids Xavier. The Saints were in control in a 6-3 win over Solon.

Lisbon scored in every inning and topped Maquoketa Valley, 9-2, in the Class 1A Substate 3 title Tuesday night at Solon. The Lions will make their eighth state appearance and first since a runner-up finish in 2018.

Linn-Mar used a four-run sixth inning and held off a late rally to beat Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 8-7, in a Class 4A Substate 4 semifinal. The Lions have won seven of their last nine games, including two one-run postseason victories.

Maquoketa Valley received a strong performance from starter Tony Offerman and a timely single from Nathan Beitz to score Preston Roling for a 1-0 district baseball final win over No. 2 North Linn.

Iowa City High erupted for eight runs in the second inning and cruised to a 9-0 victory over Davenport North in a Class 4A Substate 6 opener at Mercer Park.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer and Cougars senior Braden Hoyer have fond memories of their time together in the Kennedy baseball program. They have balanced the father/son and coach/player dynamic and begin their final postseason.