K.J. Pilcher

Cedar Rapids hosted the summer state baseball tournament for the first time in 50 years. How was the experience? What are the chances for a return?

Cedar Rapids Kennedy waited for this moment since its 2023 season ended. The Cougars capped a special season with their second state baseball title and first since 2010, beating West Des Moines Dowling, 7-3, in the Class 4A final Friday night.

Ty Donels’ two-out, 332-foot blast in the bottom of the seventh bounced in the picnic area beyond the left-field wall, capping top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s wild 8-7 victory over No. 4 Johnston in a Class 4A state baseball semifinal.

No. 3 North Polk manufactured runs in the fourth and fifth innings to outlast No. 2 Marion, 2-1, in a Class 3A state baseball semifinal Wednesday night.

It wasn’t pretty but it didn’t have to be. No. 3 Iowa City High scratched out two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and Jaxton Schroeder and Jake Mitchell combined for a shutout in a 2-0 win over No. 6 Waukee in a 4A state baseball quarterfinal Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.

Rains delayed the Iowa high school state baseball tournament at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids for the second straight day. Iowa City High will open its state tournament against Waukee on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Grant Mather smacked a two-run double and Jacob Doyle hit a sacrifice fly that scored two in a four-run sixth inning that propelled No. 1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy to a 6-3 win over Pleasant Valley in a Class 4A state baseball quarterfinal.

Brevin Hawkinson’s role is as a pinch runner or courtesy runner. His work on the base paths helped No. 1-ranked Dubuque Wahlert edge DeWitt Central, 1-0, in the Class 3A state baseball quarterfinals Tuesday.

Sioux City Heelan senior right-hander Jaron Bleeker pitched a complete game and accounted for all three runs in a 3-1 victory over Pella in the Class 3A state baseball quarterfinals Monday night.

North Polk was down to its final out after Harlan’s late comeback grabbed the lead in the last inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Chase Fjelleland smacked a hit off the base of the wall to drive in the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 5-4 win.

The Gazette’s class-by-class, round-by-round predictions for the 2024 Iowa high school state baseball tournament.

Isaac, Isaiah and Elijah Scott are inspired by faith, family and baseball. They have merged all three together and found success, making up one-third of the Marion starting lineup. They will all start together for the Class 3A state quarterfinal against Center Point-Urbana on Monday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.

Here’s a look at the 32 Iowa high school state baseball tournament qualifiers.

Pleasant Valley and Iowa City Liberty needed 12 innings to decide the Class 4A Substate 8 titlist. Jack Reiter drove in Finnley Martinolich for the go-ahead run in a 4-3 victory and a state tournament berth for Pleasant Valley.

Kaiden Griffith homered for Marion’s first run and then delivered a walk-off RBI single to score Trey Franck for a 3-2 win in nine innings over Cedar Rapids Xavier in a Class 3A Substate 6 semifinal Tuesday night.