Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The start of the state baseball tournaments in Iowa are less than a week away.

Play begins at Merchants Park in Carroll and Lewis & Clark Park in Sioux City next Monday with state champions set to be crowned in all four classes on July 25.

Teams have already secured spots at the Class 1A and 2A tournaments in Carroll with substate finals taking place in the two smallest classes in Iowa on Tuesday.

On Wednesday the attention turns to the larger classes with 3A and 4A teams attempting to secure a spot at tournaments schedule to run July 21-25 in Sioux City.

Here is a quick look at the Class 3A and 4A substate finals on Wednesday featuring teams from the Your Prep Sports area.

Class 3A, Substate 6

Clear Creek Amana (22-12) at No. 2 Pella (26-6)

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Pella High School

Top players: Pella – Isaiah Kettler, Sr., .370 BA, 12 EBH, 2 HR, 31 RBI; Lake Cowman, Sr., .307 BA, 4 HR, 23 RBI. Clear Creek Amana – Ty Fuller, Sr., .472 BA, 50 R, 24 BB; Reece Cochran, Sr., .446 BA, 14 EBH, 3 HR, 33 RBI.

About the Dutch: Top-seeded Pella enters the substate final on a seven-game winning streak and is yet to allow a run in postseason play.

Pella defeated Keokuk 8-0 in the substate quarterfinals, downed Fairfield 6-0 in the semifinals and has allowed a total of eight runs during its current seven-game winning streak that dates back to July 1.

The Dutch are seeking first trip to state since 2022 and already own a win over Clear Creek Amana this season, defeating the Clippers 10-2 in the season opener for both teams on May 21 in Tiffin.

Pella has six pitchers with 29 or more innings pitched this season and all six own an ERA of 2.31 or better.

Senior Nathan Carey leads the way with a 5-1 record, .94 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.

Offensively the Dutch are led by senior Isaiah Kettler who is hitting .370 with 31 RBI and senior Anderson Schirm who is hitting .381 with 14 RBI.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana has found its rhythm at the right time, winning 10 of its last 11 games entering the substate title game.

The Clippers have posted back-to-back postseason shutouts, downing Newton 10-0 and adding a 3-0 win over Cedar Rapids Xavier in the substate semifinals.

Clear Creek Amana is seeking its second ever state tournament appearance and first since 2020.

The Clippers have been among the best offensive teams in Class 3A all season and have eight players in the lineup hitting over .320.

Senior shortstop Ty Fuller leads the way batting .468 with 50 runs scored and 17 RBI while senior Reece Cochran is hitting .442 with 14 extra-base hits and 33 RBI.

Senior Maclane Morgan is batting .384 with a team-high 21 extra-base hits and 33 RBI.

What to watch: This sets up as a classic strength on strength matchup between one of the best offensive teams in 3A in Clear Creek Amana and one of the stingiest pitching staffs in 3A in Pella.

Clear Creek Amana leads Class 3A with a team batting average of .358 and is averaging 9.5 runs per game over its last 11 games.

The Clippers have scored eight or more runs seven times during that stretch while putting up double digit runs five times.

Pella counters with a pitching staff that leads 3A with a 1.65 team ERA and has limited opponents to a .196 batting average against.

The Dutch have posted seven shutouts this season, allowed one or fewer runs in 16 of 32 games while giving up more than three runs in a game just seven times.

Class 4A, Substate 6

No. 7 Indianola (32-5) at No. 4 City High (29-9)

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Duane Banks Field in Iowa City

Top players: Indianola – George Blake, Soph., .375 BA, 13 EBH, 30 RBI; Dallas Harlan, Jr., .404 BA, 32 R, 16 RBI. City High – Drake Obermueller, Sr., .425 BA, 38 R, 24 RBI; Dominic Salibi, Sr., .309 BA, 30 R, 30 RBI.

About the Indians: Indianola is seeking its first state tournament appearance since 2022 when it lost to City High 10-0 in the 4A quarterfinals.

The Indians have already put together one of its best season in recent history, it’s 32 wins are the most since it won 34 in 2018.

A win on the road in a substate final on Wednesday would make it one of the best seasons in program history.

Indianola enters playing perhaps its best baseball of the season, winners of 14 of its last 15 games including back-to-back substate wins over Ankeny (8-4) and defending 4A runner-up West Des Moines Dowling (3-1).

The Indians have seven starters hitting over .300 on the season led by junior Dallas Harlan who is batting .404 with 32 runs scored and sophomore George Blake who is hitting .375 with a team-high 30 RBI.

About the Little Hawks: Among the most consistently successful programs in the state the past half decade City High is seeking a fourth consecutive 30-win season and fourth straight state tournament appearance on Wednesday.

The Little Hawks reached the 4A state semifinals last season and have their sights set on an even deeper run at state to close this summer.

City High has won five of its last season entering Wednesday night’s substate final, a stretch that includes an 11-1 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson in the Substate 6 quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Little Hawks are bolstered by an impressive pitching staff led by junior right-hander Adam Bowman and senior lefty Jaxton Schroeder.

Schroeder is 3-3 with a 2.13 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings while Bowman is 7-1 with a 1.06 ERA and 50 strikeouts in a team-high 46 1/3 innings.

Offensively City High is paced by senior infielder Drake Obermueller who is batting a team-high .425 with 20 extra-base hits and 24 RBI and senior Parker Sutherland who is hitting .354 with two home runs and 17 RBI.

Five City High starters are hitting over .300 this season a group that includes senior Dominic Salibi (.309) and juniors Paxton Bell (.315) and Blaine Heick (.318).

What to watch: Don’t expect a lot of runs in this showdown between two of the best pitching teams in Class 4A.

City High leads Class 4A with a team ERA of 1.75 while Indianola is right behind at 2.04.

Opponents are hitting just .191 against City High pitching this season, which ranks third in 4A while Indianola is holding opponents to just a .223 batting average which is 13^th best in 4A.

Indianola will be forced to dig into a deep pitching staff that has four players with an ERA of 2.75 or better in more than 35 innings of work this season.

Look for a tight, low-scoring contest on Wednesday with the edge perhaps going to the team that can play with a lead early.

Class 4A, Substate 7  

Linn-Mar (20-20) at No. 6 Liberty High (31-9)

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Liberty High School

Top players: Linn-Mar – Charlie Sarsfield, Soph., .438 BA, 40 R, 3 HR, 26 RBI; Dylan Muszynski, Sr., .411 BA, 34 R, 30 RBI. Liberty High – Evan Schmierer, Jr., .353 BA, 48 R, 19 RBI; Dallas Miller, Sr., .352 BA, 31 R, 25 RBI.

About the Lions: Linn-Mar has been the surprise of the Class 4A postseason advancing to the substate title game with back-to-back wins over West High (7-3) and ninth-ranked Ankeny Centennial (16-1).

The Lions opened the season 4-10 and were 15-20 on July but enter the substate title game on a season-best five-game winning streak in which they have outscored opponents by 35 runs while allowing a combined seven runs.

Linn-Mar has been red-hot at the plate in two postseason wins hammering 31 hits in wins over West High and Ankeny Centennial.

After being held scoreless for the first four innings of its quarterfinal win at West High on Saturday Linn-Mar has scored runs in seven of its previous nine at bats.

Sophomore Charlie Sarsfield leads the way batting .438 with 17 extra-base hits and 26 RBI while senior Dylan Muszynski is hitting .411 with 34 runs scored and 30 RBI.
About the Lightning: Liberty High is seeking a third state tournament trip in the past four seasons after falling to Pleasant Valley in the substate title game last season in 12 innings.

The top-seeded Lightning received a bye to the title game following an 11-1 win over Waterloo West in the quarterfinals and bring a five-game winning streak into the substate title game.

Liberty High boasts one of the top pitching staffs in Class 4A led by senior left-hander Mason Waterbury who is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA and .98 WHIP this season in 34 2/3 innings.

Eight starters in the Lightning lineup are batting over .310 this season led by junior second baseman Evan Schmierer who is hitting a team-high .353 with 48 runs scored and 19 RBI.

Brayden Mayer is batting .330 with a team-best .517 on-base percentage and 39 walks and has three home runs among 18 extra-base hits and a team-high 38 RBI.

What to watch: There is an old sports adage about the difficulty of beating an opponent three times in a season.
Liberty High has already defuncted that theory going 3-0 against Linn-Mar this season.

It will be the fourth meeting between the two teams in less than two months that is the biggest.

Liberty High swept Linn-Mar in a doubleheader at Liberty High on May 28 winning the opener 5-0 and taking the nightcap 7-2 and added a 10-3 win over the Lions in a non-conference game at Norway on July 1.

Waterbury tossed a complete-game two hitter in the 5-0 win over Linn-Mar in May striking out seven and walking one.

In three games against Liberty High this season the Lions have a combined 13 hits off four different Liberty High pitchers.

Linn-Mar has been much different offensively over the past several weeks so this game likely comes down to the Lions ability to muster offensive opportunities against a seasoned and postseason savvy Lightning pitching staff.

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