Breaking Down the Class 2A State Baseball Tournament
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The Matchups
No. 9 Regina (27-7) vs. No. 2 Treynor (32-4)
Neither team is a state tournament stranger with both programs making trips to Principal Park in the past four years but the winner of the first 2A quarterfinal will end a long stretch without a state tourney win.
Regina is looking for its first state tournament victory since 1994 in its first trip since 2014. Meanwhile Treynor is making its sixth appearance all-time and second straight but hasn’t won a game at state since 1983.
The Cardinals boast one of the most potent lineups in the state.
Treynor leads Class 2A with a .363 team batting average and ranks third in 2A averaging 9.4 runs per game.
All nine regulars in the Treynor lineup are hitting over .324 and eight different players have more than 23 RBI.
Regina enters as hot as any team in 2A, riding an eight-game winning streak after upsetting third-ranked Wilton in the substate final.
The Regals have outscored opponents 83-24 during their current winning streak.
No. 7 Dyersville Beckman (29-11) vs. Denver (18-14)
In what has become an annual expectation Dyersville Beckman is playing its best baseball in July and brings an eight-game winning streak into Monday’s state opener.
The Blazers have outscored opponents 55-11 during its winning streak, including a 22-4 advantage in three playoff wins.
Dyersville Beckman defeated rival and sixth-ranked Cascade 5-0 in the substate final to return to the state tournament for the second straight season and fifth time in the past six years.
Denver will look to pull off a second straight upset after shocking top-ranked New Hampton 4-3 in the substate final to return to the state tournament for the second straight season.
The Cyclones are hoping their third trip to state is the charm after dropping their opener in each of their previous two appearances.
Denver was 11-12 to start the month but has won seven of nine games in July.
No. 8 Van Meter (30-4) vs. Carroll Kuemper (20-12)
Last year’s 2A runner-up Carroll Kuemper enters with 12 losses but has been tested by a strong schedule and has state tournament experience.
Of the 12 losses for Kuemper, 10 were to Class 3A competition with the other two coming against 1A No. 10 Council Bluffs St. Albert.
Senior Tyler Laing worked 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball while striking out 12 as Kuemper edged No. 10 Forest City 1-0 in the substate final.
Van Meter is no stranger to the state tournament itself making its third appearance in the past five seasons.
The Bulldogs are big on the long ball with just two home runs, but make no mistakes they can hit as evidence of their .351 team batting average and 2A-leading 10.6 runs per game.
Estherville Lincoln Central (23-6) vs. Centerville (23-10)
A pair of teams making their first state tournament appearance since 2008 meet in the quarterfinals in their return to Des Moines.
Centerville is making its first trip to state since winning the 3A title with a 1-0 win over Harlan in 2008.
The Big Red enter with a seven-game winning streak that includes a 2-1 win over fifth-ranked Woodward-Granger in the substate final.
Estherville Lincoln Central enters state tournament play with a 1.26 team ERA which leads 2A and is fourth best in the state.
The Midgets have four pitchers with more than 25 innings and an ERA under 2.02 and have allowed one run or less 15 times this season while given up more than three runs in a game just four times.
The Faces
REGINA: Blake Berns, Jr. DH. Berns paces a balanced Regina lineup with a .375 average and leads the Regals in home runs (6) and RBI (44).
TREYNOR: Brett Daley, Sr., P/SS. Daley has done it all for the Cardinals, leading the team with a .446 average, three home runs, 35 RBI and 22 stolen bases while going 6-2 on the mound with a 1.76 ERA in 39 2/3 innings.
DYERSVILLE BECKMAN: Jackson Bennett, Jr., INF/P. One of the top two-way players in 2A, Bennett is hitting .408 and leads 2A in both doubles (21) and RBI (49) and also boasts a 6-0 record with a 1.10 ERA in 44 2/3 innings.
DENVER: Brock Farley, Soph., 1B. Farley provides the pop in the Denver lineup with a team-leading seven home runs and 26 RBI but also owns a .403 average and has 21 walks to 15 strikeouts.
VAN METER: Anthony Lowman, Jr., SS/P. If you are looking for a key to success for the Bulldogs look no further than Lowman. The junior shortstop is hitting .482 with a team-high 31 RBI and 24 stolen bases and is 6-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 32 1/3 innings on the mound.
CARROLL KUEMPER: Tyler Laing, Sr., P/1B. Laing its hitting .390 with five home runs and 46 RBI but may be even more valuable to Kuemper on the mound where he is 5-3 with a 1.40 ERA and has fanned 98 in 60 innings.
ESTHERVILLE LINCOLN CENTRAL: Evan Oleson, Jr., P/INF. Headlines a strong pitching staff with a 6-3 record and .85 ERA and is also a .400 hitter with a team leading 27 RBI.
CENTERVILLE: McCain Oden, Fr., 3B/P. Oden isn’t your typical freshman. He leads the Big Red with a .470 average and 35 runs and is second on the team with 36 RBI. He also owns a 9-0 record with a 2.86 ERA in 49 innings pitched.
The Favorite
The Class 2A tournament only has four ranked teams and just one of the top six ranked teams in the final rankings but there are plenty of teams capable of walking away with the title.
In the 2A field you have the second-ranked team (Treynor), the defending runner-up (Carroll Kuemper), the most successful 2A team at state of all-time (Dyersville Beckman) and the hostest team (Regina).
Any of those teams are capable of winning three straight games and Van Meter has the offense and Estherville Lincoln Central the pitching to make a run.
Five Fast Facts
1. Four of the teams in the 2A field were ranked in the final Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, the fewest number of ranked teams in any of the four classes at state.
2. Dyersville Beckman has 27 all-time wins at the state tournament. The rest of the 2A field combined has 25 state tourney wins with Carroll Kuemper (11-8) on the only team other than Beckman with more than five.
3. Opponents are hitting just .151 against Estherville Lincoln Central pitchers this season, the lowest OBA in 2A and fifth lowest in the state.
4. Treynor senior Brett Daley leads all of Class 2A in both triples (8) and walks (34) and is the only player in the 2A field with 100 at bats with single digit strikeouts (9).
5. Of the seven losses for Regina this season four have come to teams from larger classes, all to teams that reached a 3A or 4A substate final. Regina went 14-2 against 2A competition this season and compiled a 8-4 mark against 3A and 4A squads.
The Schedule
Quarterfinals, July 24
No. 9 Regina (27-7) vs. No. 2 Treynor (32-4) 11 a.m.
No. 7 Dyersville Beckman (29-11) vs. Denver (18-14), 1:30 p.m.
Estherville Lincoln Central (23-6) vs. Centerville (23-10), 5 p.m.
No. 8 Van Meter (30-4) vs. Carroll Kuemper (20-12), 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals, July 27
Regina/Treynor winner vs. Dyersville Beckman/Denver winner, 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
Estherville Lincoln Central/Centerville winner vs. Van Meter/Carroll Kuemper winner, 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
Championship, July 29
Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.
The Leaders
Batting Average
1. Riley LeGrand, Sr., Dyersville Beckman .489
2. Anthony Lowman, Jr., Van Meter .482
3. McCain Oden, Fr., Centerville .470
Home Runs
1. Joel Vaske, Jr., Dyersville Beckman 8
2. Treye Rinehart, Sr., Centerville 7
3. Brock Farley, Soph., Denver 7
Runs Batted In
1. Jackson Bennett, Jr., Dyersville Beckman 49
2. Joel Vaske, Jr., Dyersville Beckman 46
3. Tyler Laing, Sr., Carroll Kuemper 46
Stolen Bases
1. Anthony Lowman, Jr., Van Meter 24
2. Sam Thompson, Jr., Van Meter 24
3. Trey Jacobson, Estherville Lincoln Central 23
Wins
1. McCain Oden, Fr., Centerville 9-0
2. Conner McDermott, Jr., Dyersville Beckman 8-2
3. Zach Miller, Jr., Denver 7-3
Earned Run Average
1. Sam Stelken, Sr., Dyersville Beckman .64
2. Evan Oleson, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central .85
3. Zach Miller, Jr., Denver .92
Strikeouts
1. Tyler Laing, Sr., Carroll Kuemper 98
2. Evan Oleson, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central 88
3. Zach Miller, Jr., Denver 86
