SBLive Iowa high school baseball rankings: The season's initial Top 25
By Chris Short
Welcome to our debut of the Top 25 Iowa high school baseball rankings. SBLive is excited to be in Iowa and get things started with baseball. Check out our softball rankings which will be released Monday, May 23. We will have rankings for many of the sports as the next school year begins.
There will be more on that and other coverage later. But as for baseball, Iowa is loaded with great teams, and many of those programs have a returning nucleus of players that will try to drive them back to state title games. Other teams are reloading and hoping to make deep runs. Stay tuned weekly to see if the top teams can hold their spots and which surprise team will make a run.
1. Pleasant Valley
Graduated seniors to South Dakota State in Alex Clemons (.389 avg., 41 RBI) and Minnesota Golden Gopher pitcher Seth Clausen (10 wins, 0.81 ERA), but returns a formidable lineup and have some young guns eager to emerge. With the talent returners Drew Micek (CF), Carson Knebel (pitcher) and Ryan Thoreson (catcher), the defending Class 4A state champions deserve the No. 1 ranking until proven otherwise.
2. Johnston
The Dragons have been the team to beat in Class 4A, qualifying for the state tournament eight of the past 10 seasons and six in a row under coach Michael Barta. The Dragons won 37 games before being upended in the title game last season by Pleasant Valley. Johnston has played in the state championship three straight seasons and four of the past five. The Dragons graduated three players to the Big Ten (Iowa Hawkeyes Ben Wilmes and Cole Moss and Nebraska Cornhusker Gabe Swanson), but they are loaded again and aiming for another trip to the title game.
3. Dowling
If Johnston is the gold standard in Class 4A, the Maroons are a close second, having won 30 games in 10 of the past 13 seasons. They lost six of their top seven hitters to graduation, but still have enough talent to make a run to Iowa City. Blake Anderson (.351 avg., 30 runs scored, 20 RBI) could be the top bat but Dowling’s strength is on the mound. The Maroons return sophomore Blake Larson (6-0, 1.23 ERA), junior Drew Mauro (5-1, 3.06), senior Jake English (4-1, 4.69), junior George Nahas (4-0, 3.97).
4. Indianola
The Indians return a ton of talent, led by Brady Blake with 55 hits and a .407 batting average, including three home runs and a share of the team-high 32 RBIs with Kael Kolarik, who hit .375 and had a team-high five dingers. Indianola returns four others who hit over .300 – Carter Erickson (.402), Bennett Brueck (.361), Jack Strong (.373) and Noah Johnston (.326). Casey Stecker (6-3, 1.97 ERA) and Blake (6-3, 2.14) return as the top Indian hurlers.
5. Iowa City High
The Little Hawks return plenty of offense from a 29-win team that is hoping to end their season across town at Duane Banks Field. Carter Seaton, the team’s leading hitter last year (.357, 27 RBI), and Hawkeye commit Gable Mitchell (.352, 30 RBI) carry the biggest sticks for City High. Senior bats Joe Bouska (.342), John Klosterman (.319), Gavin Koch (.274) and Cade Obermueller (.319) along with junior Ben Kueter (.333) will also be counted on. Alex Knudtson led the team on the bump with a 5-1 record and 1.38 ERA. Obermueller (4-1, 1.65 ERA), an Iowa commit, with Klosterman (4-2, 1.64) and Kock (3-2, 1.81) all return to a pitching staff with four hurlers under a 2.00 ERA.
6. Marion
The newly named Wolves are the first non-Class 4A team to crack our poll. Marion is coming off a state championship in its third straight state tournament appearance. The Wolves return freshmen sensation Myles Davis, who led the entire state with 70 hits in 2021, to an offense that led Class 3A in batting average (.384), runs scored (447), and RBIs (333). Power hitter Kaden Frommelt (7 homers) returns for his junior season.
7. Urbandale
The J-Hawks return plenty of talent to a program that has become a regular at the state tournament and could very well make a return in 2022. Urbandale, which lost its head coach Jeremy Heinen to the new Waukee Northwest High School, returns plenty of offense, including Duke commit Sam Harris for his junior season. Harris (.314), Dillon Kuehl (.395 avg. 49 RBIs), Dawson Roberts (.295) and Jaylen Ziegler (.337) all return. Kuehl (3-1, 1.77 ERA), Parker Stewart, Sam Harris (2-2, 2.33) lead the pitching staff.
8. Davenport Assumption
The perennial Class 3A power Knights had a “down year,” winning just 25 games in 2021. They’ve eclipsed the 30-win mark six times in the past 10 years and could very well find themselves with 30-plus victories again this year. The mighty Knights return their top 11 hitters, who combined for 343 hits in 2021, led by senior Max Stein with 50.
9. Dubuque Wahlert Catholic
The Golden Eagles return a plethora of talent to a team that made its first appearance in the state tournament since 1965 last season. They banged out 24 home runs, including 18 from Ben Freed, 14 from Tommy Specht and 13 from Ryan Brosius. They do lose Jared Walter’s 24 dingers, but Wahlert could make a run to the Class 3A title game.
10. Dubuque Hempstead
Hempstead can argue that it’s the best team in Dubuque after putting together a 30-win season, which included its 15th state tournament appearance. The Mustangs lost a ton of senior talent, but Hawkeye commit Kellen Strohmeyer is the top returner with a robust .427 batting average and 61 hits – both team highs. Brock Booth and Lane Weis return with six and five wins, respectively.
11. North Scott
North Scott rounds out the top 10, returning its top four hitters –Ryan Campbell, Noah Young, Sam Skarich and Cody Sunny. The four combined for 219 hits from last season’s substate team. Skarich also had a sparkling 6-1 record and a team-best 2.53 ERA.
12. Van Meter
Van Meter is the first “small school” to make our all-class top 25. The three-time Class 2A state champions won 30-plus games for the seventh time in 14 seasons in 2021. The Bulldogs return their top two hitters for their senior season in Ganon Archer (.420) and Jack Petitt (.376). They will also benefit from adding Iowa commit Reese More, who moved in from Forest City.
13. Ankeny Centennial
Centennial went just .500 in 2021, but the Jaguars return a lot of talent. Including their top three sticks in Damian Churchman, Kyle Miller and Easton Miller – all juniors who combined for 97 hits and 67 RBIs. All three will see time on the bump as well.
14. Grinnell
Grinnell had its first 30-win season in over 15 years and returns most of the talent, including its top five hits leaders. Isaiah Seck and Colin Gibson both banged out 40+ hits last season. Pitcher Brady Steward 9-2 with a 1.58 ERA.
15. Cedar Rapids Xavier
Xavier’s record is somewhat deceiving since the Saints play a heavy Class 4A schedule. They return their top six hitters, including senior Alex Neal, who hit .378 with an on base percentage of .557.
16. Independence
Independence returns its top nine hitters who combined for 345 hits and 211 RBIs in 2021, led by all-state catcher Keegan Schmitt. He hit .436, with 4 homers and 38 RBIs. The Mustangs also return its top two winners on the mound in Marcus Beatty and Korver Hupke, who each won six games.
17. MOC Floyd Valley
The Dutchmen returns seven of its top eight hitters off a team which set a school record for wins. Carson Jager and Nikolai Wede combined for 88 hits as sophomores. Jackson Van Den Bosch (6-1, 1.85 ERA) returns as the staff ace.
18. SE Polk
The Rams lost their top four hitters off last year’s squad but have a ton of young talent. Junior Carson Medina leads the pitching staff with a 4-1 record and 2.90 ERA.
19. Solon
Solon finished its season with a tough loss at substate, just one game shy of 30 wins and a state tournament appearance. Sophomore Blake Timmons returns as the top hitter with 59 base hits and a .431 batting average in 2021, and sophomores Brett White and Gehrig Turner are back as well as junior Kinnick Pustooska, who is committed to Tennessee Tech.
20. Kuemper Catholic
The Knights play their home games at the best baseball park in the state and hopes to end its season there as Merchants Stadium in Carroll which will play host to the Class 2A state tournament again. The Knights return Cal Wanninger, who hit .345 with 26 RBIs and went 7-0 on the bump with a microscopic 1.22 ERA. Kuemper plays in a predominantly Class 3A conference (Hawkeye 10) so it will be battle tested in July.
21. Newman Catholic
The Mason City private school is coming off another 30-plus winning season – its 11thin the past 14 seasons. Nash Holmgaard, who mashed 12 dingers, and Hawkeye recruit Max Burt return to lead the Knights.
22. Waverly-Shell Rock
The Go-Hawks return senior Chance Key who led the the club with 54 hits and 54 RBIs at the dish; he also went 6-2 on the mound. The Go-Hawks also return Carson Graven and Will Soesbe who each won seven games last season.
23. Kee
The Kee-Hawks have almost everyone back from a squad that made it to the Class 1A state championship game. Nine-game winner Dalton Dibert leads a strong pitching staff. He also hit .379. The Hawks’ offense will be led by .400-plus hitters Tyson Cota and Damon Weber.
24. Bishop Heelan
The Crusaders showed promise with a young team last season. Heelan return a balanced attack led by Ian Gill and Shane Sanderson, who combined for 50 base hits.
25. Jesup
The J-Hawks lost some key players, but return most of their pitching staff and have proven to be a consistent winner. Jesup will rely on the arms of Nate Cagney and Cole Bucknell, who combined for a 14-2 record.
