What week it has been to start the 2022 Iowa high school baseball season. There has been plenty of action, especially within the Class 3A ranks. Across the first week of action, despite nine teams not in action, Class 3A teams produced 799 RBI and included two of the top five teams across all classes in the top-5 for RBI. Class 3A also holds two of the states’ top strikeout leading teams (Wahlert Catholic and Center Point Urbana).
In terms of the top-ten ranked squads, 3A teams held pretty strong, combining for a 25-6 record while outscoring their opponents 263-121. Fifteen teams left week one action unblemished and still perfect heading into week two. Now with all that being said, lets dive into how the Victory Mounds Top-Ten team rankings for the start of week two looks like.
1.) Marion (4-0)
The Wolves went undefeated on the week (4-0), capturing a double-header sweep over Mount Vernon, an 11-7 win over MFL MarMac, and a top-10 victory over Cedar Rapids Xavier. They currently reside top-5 in strikeouts across Class 3A while sporting 50 total bases and a .322 team batting average. Still the top dogs (or wolves) in the class, especially when taking down a strong Saints team early.
2.) Davenport Assumption (3-1)
A light week to start the season for Assumption, conducting their annual out of state contest with Moline HS from Illinois. That was followed by a 10-2 victory over Iowa City Regina and bigger yet, a massive 10-4 route over Iowa City High in the Class 4A ranks. In the end, there’s too much firepower to bump the Knights down by any means but instead a reason to bump them up just a notch by one spot. They’ll look to continue their strong start as they head into week two with a .325 average and 45 total bases. They’ll start the week off against West Des Moines Valley and Cedar Rapids Prairie.
3.)Wahlert Catholic (4-1)
The Golden Eagles came out of the gates strong with double-header sweeps over Linn-Mar and Waterloo West before faltering in a cross class battle with 4A’s then eighth-ranked North Scott. Losing to a tough North Scott squad not enough to move the needle to far downward for Wahlert and for that reason, they now rest at third. Overall week one went pretty well and for all the top-10 teams, the Golden Eagles posted the largest scoring differential, outscoring their opponents 42-10. Their stock could still rise this week, especially with Beckman Catholic, Cedar Falls, Iowa City West, and Sergeant-Bluff Luton on tap.
4.) Independence (2-0)
The Mustangs of Independence High School became one of 15 teams in Class 3A to go undefeated (one of 59 total in the state) across week one. Their slate included a double-header sweep over South Tama. A good start for Independence with a .328 team average at the plate with 36 total bases to their credit. Week two looks to be big as well for the Mustangs with a double-header against West Delaware, single game stints against Charles City and North Fayette Valley and a double-header showdown with top-10 ranked Solon.
5.) Grinnell (5-0)
The Tigers of Grinnell won the race as being one of just two teams in the class to capture five wins on the season. The team had a strong double-header sweep over Ballard and a big win over Carlisle while ultimately outscoring all of their opponents 38-6. Their pitching, which looks to be their biggest strength once again, helped in that hot start with 44 strikeouts (third in Class 3A) and a 1.35 team ERA. They move up a few spots with the hot start and look to improve upon that as they head into week two with Albia, East Marshall, West Marshall, Van Buren County, and Davis County.
6.) Xavier (4-1)
Another strong start to the season for the Saints of Cedar Rapids Xavier. This time, they followed along the lines of Marion, besting Waterloo West and Linn-Mar in double-header series. The only difference is that the Saints came out on the losing end of the 8-7 final with Marion. That was their only blemish on the week as the Saints struck out 33 batters on the mound while ranking second in the class with 33 walks. That also included 39 hits, including 14 extra-base hits. They bump up a bit with a solid outcome from a busy schedule. The schedule doesn’t get any easier this week with Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids Kennedy on the docket.
7.) Solon (2-1)
The Spartans had a solid first week with two victories and one loss. They move two spots more so from the volume of what other teams did and the teams they battled early on. The loss to Bettendorf helped push them down a bit. Having said that, the top ten could easily have any number of ways these teams can be ranked. For the Spartans, their week began with two blowout victories over Vinton-Shellsburg and an 11-2 loss to 4A Bettendorf. They still are one of the strongest offensive teams in Class 3A on paper and they showed that to begin the ’22 campaign. Now it’s a matter of keeping it consistent as they take on Maquoketa, fourth ranked Independence, Central DeWitt, and Washington.
8.) Winterset (2-0)
Not a ton of action comparatively for Winterset, but with that said, they did go unblemished across week one action. There is something to be said about striking 21 runs within two games and that’s why the Huskies are camped out squarely at eight, remaining there for at least one more week. Winterset took down a tough Martensdale St. Mary’s squad before besting Creston in a one run game. They’ll need even more come this week when they face Bondurant-Farrar, Carlisle, and Oskaloosa.
9.) Western Dubuque (5-0)
The Bobcats had just about as good of a start as any coach could ask for. They joined Grinnell as the first two teams to reach five victories on the season, going a perfect 5-0. That included victories over Class 4A opponents Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Waterloo East before taking down Beckman Catholic. They outscored their opponents 44-9 and ended up ranking 5th in the class with 56 total bases. That’s without mentioning becoming Class 3A’s hits leader with a class best 45 RBI while also being ranked second in the state with 14 at-bats ending in hit-by-pitch. Tough week ahead as they look to stay undefeated, taking on Pleasant Valley, Prairie, and Cedar Rapids Jefferson.
10.) MOC-Floyd Valley (0-0)
The move downward for the Dutchmen has nothing to do with their wins or losses…because they have neither. MOC-Floyd Valley hasn’t begun their competitive season (ninth team in Class 3A not to yet) so far. With that said, action for the state tournament qualifier is heating up as they will be battling Okoboji, Central Lyon, West Lyon, Spencer plus two more games at the Akron-Westfield tournament.
Top-15:
Center Point Urbana, Sergeant-Bluff Luton, Lewis Central, West Delaware, Pella