SBLive Iowa high school baseball Top 25 rankings: State champions take top spots

By Chris Short | Photo by Eric Niceswanger 

Four more state champions were crowned last week as another exciting baseball season concluded. Johnston and Western Dubuque (Epworth) claimed titles at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, while Van Meter and New London won championships at Merchants Park in Carroll. Here’s our final all-class top 25 rankings. 

1. Johnston (36-4)

The Dragons are the undisputed No. 1 team. They dismantled the field at the state tournament, including an 11-1 beatdown of West Des Moines Dowling in the Class 4A championship game. It was Johnston’s sixth state championship, seventh straight state tournament and fourth consecutive appearance in the championship game. The title was the fourth under the tutelage of coach Michael Barta, who ties former Dubuque Hempstead coach Dick Core for the state record for most 4A state championships. Kirkwood recruit Miles Risley spearheaded the Dragons’ offensive attack, hitting .435 with a team-high 57 RBIs, 49 runs scored and six home runs. Carter Woollums had a perfect 10-0 record and a sparkling 1.59 earned run average.

2. Western Dubuque (32-11)

What an incredible summer for Western Dubuque (Epworth). Less than a month after watching alum Calvin Harris win the College World Series at Ole Miss, the Bobcats won their last seven games and upset perennial Class 3A power Davenport Assumption handily, 7-1, in the title game. Garrett Kadolph hit .435 with 51 RBIs and seven homers, and Tucker Nauman pitched the Bobcats to eight wins, and Isaac Then had a team-best 1.93 ERA and a 7-0 record. Casey Bryant’s squad went 20-8 to get the nod for the two spot.

3. Van Meter (39-0)

The Bulldogs finished with a perfect season with three more wins in Carroll to win their fourth consecutive Class 2A state championship. It would be interesting to see how Van Meter would do if it were given the opportunity to compete against the larger 3A and 4A state champions. Unfortunately, Mother Nature robbed them of a matchup with Assumption. Iowa Hawkeye recruit Reese Moore hit .495, scored 59 times, drove in 63 runs and smacked 14 home runs to lead the Bulldogs’ powerful offense, while Ganon Archer was dominant on the bump with a 10-0 mark and 0.68 ERA.

4. Davenport Assumption Catholic (32-7)

The Knights appeared to be rolling toward another 3A state championship, cursing to 10-run victories in the state quarterfinals and semifinals, but fell short to Western Dubuque in the final. The Knights still get the nod for our top team not to win a state championship. They went an impressive 17-4 against 4A teams, including wins over state tournament teams Dowling and Iowa City High and also beat defending state champion Pleasant Valley. Chance Dreyer pitched the Knights to nine victories and led the team with 54 RBIs.

5. West Des Moines Dowling Catholic (27-15)

The Maroons get the nod over a strong group of teams, by getting to the championship game of the 4A the state tournament. Despite a plethora of errors and hit batters in the title game loss to Johnston, Dowling played its best baseball of the season in the first two games at Duane Banks Field, beating title contenders Cedar Rapids Prairie and Iowa City High. The Maroons, who had injuries to two of their best pitchers during the regular season, were led by super sophomore Trever Baumler hit .487 with 11 dingers and 47 RBIs.

6. New London (31-1)

We knew the Tigers were a dangerous team, and they proved us right, winning the 1A state championship over previously unbeaten Remsen St. Mary’s. New London, which also beat power Newman Catholic in Carroll, got 10 victories and a 0.86 ERA from Dereck Santiago, while Kooper Schulte ripped opposing pitchers with a .444 batting average, had six bombs and drove in 44 RBIs.

7. Iowa City High (32-9)

The Little Hawks made it to the 4A state semifinals before being upended by Dowling. Hawkeye recruit Gable Mitchell hit.452, stole 25 bases, and Cad Obermueller hit .413 with a team-high 40 RBIs and also pitched the team to seven wins with a 1.11 ERA.

8. Waukee Northwest (26-12)

The Wolves played their best baseball down the stretch, winning 12 of their final 14 games, including a state quarterfinal win over their former classmates (Waukee) in the school’s inaugural season. Anthony Watts got it done on the mound with nine wins and a 1.20 ERA, and Ben Burkle had 44 hits and 38 RBIs – both team highs.

9. Cedar Rapids Prairie (31-9)

The Hawks won 19 of their final 21 games before being upended by Dowling in the state quarterfinals. Cal Sullivan spearheaded the offense, hitting .432 with 46 RBIs, and Kam Volz pitched his team to nine wins.

10. Estherville Lincoln Central (33-3)

The Midgets weren’t in anybody’s preseason rankings, but they made it all the way to the 2A title game before losing to mighty Van Meter. Owen Larson pitched the Midgets to nine wins, while Blake Evans hit .411 and Carter Snyder drove in 39 runs.

11. Waukee (27-12)

The Warriors finished second in the deepest conference in the state before losing to their new city rival Northwest in the state quarterfinals.

12. Remsen St. Mary’s Catholic Hawks (35-1)

The Hawks completed a perfect regular season and shut out their opponents in the quarterfinal and semifinal round of the 1A state tournament before succumbing to New London in the title game.

13. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (31-12)

The Warriors finished the season with seven straight wins and battled eventual 3A champion Western Dubuque before losing, 9-6, in the state semifinals.

14. Independence (30-12)

The Mustangs upset Xavier to qualify for state in 3A, and won their eighth straight game, edging West Delaware, 8-7, before bowing out to our #3 ranked team Assumption) in the semifinals.

15. Indianola (25-13)

The Indians had a solid season before losing to our No. 6 team (Iowa City) at Banks Field.

16. Beckman Catholic (25-14)

The Trailblazers, who won a game in Carroll before falling to 2A champion Van Meter, went 17-10 against 3A/4A opponents.

17. Council Bluffs Lewis Central (31-6)

The Titans won 27 of 28 before being upended, 5-4, by Sergeant Bluff-Luton in Iowa City.

18. West Delaware (32-10)

The Hawks rode an 11-game winning streak to the 3A state tournament before losing an 8-7 heartbreaker to Independence.

19. Mason City Newman Catholic (33-4)

The Knights won 21 straight before running into a buzz-saw and losing, 16-1, to eventual state champion New London.

20. Grinnell (34-5)

The Tigers are the first team not to make the state tournament in our rankings. They still had an outstanding season before being upset by Pella in a 3A substate final.

21. Dubuque Hempstead (26-12)

The Mustangs are our highest ranked 4A team not to qualify for the state tournament.

22. Urbandale (25-15)

The J-Hawks fell one game shy of making the 4A tournament, losing 8-6 to Indianola at substate.

23. Cedar Rapids Xavier Catholic (28-12)

The Saints, winners of the predominant 4A Valley Division of Mississippi Valley Conference, came up just one run shy of the 3A state tournament.

24. Pleasant Valley (24-12)

The defending 4A champs were upset by a red-hot Iowa City Liberty squad in the substate final.

25. Dubuque Wahlert Catholic (25-13)

The Golden Eagles edge out Mississippi Valley Conference rival Cedar Falls for our final spot by virtue of having more quality victories.