Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Half the state tournament field is set with 16 teams in Class 1A and 2A securing spots last night.

When the dust settles on baseball diamonds across the state on Wednesday night all 32 qualifiers will be locked in.

Substate finals in Class 3A and 4A are set for Wednesday with 16 more state tournament bids up for grabs.

The prize for Wednesday’s winners is a trip to the state tournament that runs from July 26 to August 3 at Principal Park in Des Moines.

Here is a quick look at the substate finals on Wednesday featuring Your Prep Sports area teams.

Class 3A, Substate 6 Final

Solon (22-17) at No. 4 Marion (31-5)

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Marion

Top Players: Solon – Cam Miller, Jr., P/INF, .348 BA, 6-3, .90 ERA, 62 IP. Chris McSweeney, Sr., 2B, .344 BA, 25 R, 23 RBI. Marion – Rick Atkins, Sr., P, 9-1, .45 ERA, 103 K, 61 2/3 IP. Gage Franck, Soph., OF, .374 BA, 28 RBI.

About the Indians: Marion enters the substate final among the hottest teams in Class 3A winning 23 of its last 25 games after being swept in a doubleheader by third-ranked Central DeWitt on June 10.

Runs have been hard to come by this season against a Marion pitching staff that leads Class 3A with a 1.46 ERA.

The Indians have allowed one run or fewer in 17 games this season including 11 shutouts and are allowing opponents to bat just .168 against them on the year.

Marion defeated Newton 5-0 in its playoff opener and scored 10 first-inning runs in a 12-6 win over South Tama in the district final.

The Indians are seeking their second trip to the state tournament in three seasons after edging Solon 4-3 in nine innings in a substate final in 2017.

About the Spartans: Solon scuffled down the stretch, losing seven of its final 10 regular season games but has gotten back on track in the postseason behind stellar pitching performances from its talented junior duo.

Cam Miller tossed a two-hit shutout in a 13-0 win over Pella in the district opener and Lucas Walker allowed just two hits in four innings in a 3-2 win over Oskaloosa in the district title game.

The Spartans must find a way to manufacture runs against Marion pitching on Wednesday after scored just two runs on five hits while being swept in a regular season doubleheader by the Indians back on June 24.

Solon has 14 hits in its two playoff wins this season but has average under 2.5 runs per game in its 17 losses this season.

What to Watch: If you enjoy a good pitchers’ duel this is the substate final to watch as two of the best in 3A are expected to go head to head.

Marion senior ace Rick Atkins is 9-1 with a .45 ERA and has struck out a Class 3A best 103 in 61 2/3 innings.
The left-hander fanned 11 and allowed two runs on three hits in a complete game 3-2 win over Solon earlier this season.

Solon will counter with junior Cam Miller who is 6-3 with a .90 ERA and has struck out 102 in 62 innings.

Miller has allowed two hits and struck out 11 in six postseason innings this season.

Class 4A, Substate 5 Final

Cedar Rapids Prairie (22-19) at No. 2 West High (32-7)

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: West High

Top Players: West High – Ryan Cooper, Sr., C, .455 BA, 3 HR, 50 RBI; Marcus Morgan, Soph., P, 8-0, .74 ERA, 81 K, 47 IP. Cedar Rapids Prairie – Ryan Kilpatrick, Sr., CF, .305 BA, 35 R, 33 SB; Logan Burg, Sr., SS, .299 BA, 3 HR, 31 RBI.

About the Hawks: Cedar Rapids Prairie lost three in a row to end regular season but won back-to-back substate games over North Scott and Davenport West by a combined score of 11-4.

The Hawks are seeking a third state tournament trip in four seasons after missing out last season but will need an about face from the regular season doubleheader with West High in which it was outscored 25-1 in a pair of losses.

Prairie got a boost in its playoff opener from the return of senior Harrison Cook who allowed one run on four hits and struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings and had a double in a 5-2 win over North Scott.

The Hawks had 11 hits in a 6-2 semifinal win over Davenport West on Monday to reach the substate title game.

About the Trojans: West High has won 12 of its last 13 after a 2-1 win over Muscatine in its opening round substate game on Friday.

The Trojans have scored double digit runs eight times in its last 13 games and are average 10.4 runs per game during that.

The recent offensive surge is nothing out of character for a West High team that ranks second in 4A in both team batting average (.354) and runs per game (8.7) and has seven regulars in the lineup hitter better than .320.

Sophomore standout Marcus Morgan was stellar in the substate quarterfinal win over Muscatine striking out 15 while allowing one run on two hits.

The hard-throwing righthander is expected to get the start on Tuesday and allowed just one hit and struck out five in four shutout innings against Prairie on June 24.

What to Watch: These two Mississippi Valley Conference rivals play annually but will meet in the playoffs for the first time since Prairie knocked off West High 12-3 in the 2016 state title game.   

West High is seeking to start a new state tournament streak after having a string of four consecutive appearances snapped with a 5-2 loss to Cedar Rapids Washington in the substate final last season.

The Trojans have been stellar with a trip to the state tournament on the line in the last decade going 8-2 in substate finals during that span.

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