Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The start of the state baseball tournament in just three days away.

Before the first pitch of the state tournament is thrown on Friday the 32 spots in the 2019 field must be filled and that starts on Tuesday night.

Class 1A and 2A substate final matchups are set for Tuesday with 16 teams earning spots in the state tournament that runs from July 26 to August 3 at Principal Park in Des Moines.

Three teams in the Your Prep Sports area will attempt to earn a trip to the state tournament beginning with West Branch on Tuesday evening.

One of the best stories in Class 2A this season the Bears have roared to a 19-7 record and their first winning season since 2012 under first-year head coach Andy Lapel.

West Branch can put an exclamation point on what has already been an impressive season with its first trip to the state tournament since 2012 with a win over River Valley Conference rival Camanche (18-12) on Tuesday.

Here is a quick look at what lies ahead for the Bears in the Substate 3 final.

Class 2A, Substate 3 Final

West Branch (19-7) vs. Camanche (18-12)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Central DeWitt

Top Players: West Branch – Matt Paulsen, Jr., P/INF, .447 BA, 29 R, 15 RBI; Trey Eagle, Jr., INF, .413 BA, 4 HR, 31 RBI. Camanche – Mason Byrns, Soph., .411 BA, 2 HR, 26 RBI; Mason McManus, Jr., P, 3-0, .84 ERA, 28 K, 33 1/3 IP.

About the Indians: Camanche pulled one of the biggest upsets of the 2A postseason on Saturday knocking off eighth-ranked Dyersville Beckman 4-2 in district final. With seven underclassmen as regulars in the lineup the Indians are young but they are battle tested.

Half of the 12 losses for Camanche this season have come to teams currently ranked in the top four in their respective classes.

Toss in losses to perennial 2A power Cascade, Tuesday’s substate final opponent West Branch and Class 4A Clinton and the Indians have seen plenty of competition.

Camanche enters hitting .263 as a team this season and has relied heavily on the top three hitters in its order to provide the offensive punch during the postseason.

Kyle DeWeerdt, Mike Delzell and Mason Byrns have combined for nine of the Indians’ 14 hits in two postseason wins and scored six of the teams’ 11 runs in those two games.

About the Bears: West Branch had to wait an extra day to earn its spot in the substate final, holding off Mid-Prairie 7-6 on Monday in the completion of a district final that started on Saturday evening.

The Bears have been red hot at the plate during the month of July averaging 10.7 runs per game this month.

West Branch has won three straight and seven of its last eight and has scored 11 runs or more runs six times during that stretch.

An offensive overhaul has been a big part of the breakthrough season for the Bears under first-year head coach Andy Lapel.

West Branch enters the substate final ninth in Class 2A with a .335 batting average, nearly 75 points higher than last years team average and the first time a West Branch team has hit .300 or better since 2012.

Five regulars in the West Branch lineup are hitting better than .300 including Matt Paulsen (.447), Brady Lukavsky (.447) and Trey Eagle (.413) who are all hitting over the .400 mark.

What to Watch: The River Valley Conference is guaranteed a state tournament qualifier for the third consecutive season as these two RVC cross-divisional rivals meet for the second time this season.

West Branch won the regular season meeting 10-0 in five innings on June 20 in West Branch behind a one-hitter from Trey Eagle.

One of these teams will snap a lengthy state tournament drought with a win on Tuesday.

West Branch is seeking its first trip to the state tournament since 2012 while Camanche is after its first trip to state since 1996.

The Bears have advanced to the substate final with offense hammering 23 hits and scoring 21 runs while posting a .371 team batting average in a pair of postseason wins.

Camanche meanwhile has allowed just six hits and three runs in district wins over Bellevue and Dyersville Beckman.

West Branch has scored in the first inning in each of its last six games and is 5-1 during that stretch outscoring opponents 14-2 in the opening inning.

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