The action got started hot and heavy for the Class 4A ranks in 2022. Just one squad across the Class 4A landscape did not play within the first week. From that, nine programs started out the season with an unblemished note. Offensively, Class 4A has produced six instances where at least three teams make up the top-5 across the state in certain statistical categories. Overall, the top-10 for Class 4A didn’t disappoint, outscoring their opponents 341-122. Without further wait, lets get to our newest Victory Mounds Team Rankings.
1.) Johnston (4-0)
Hard to argue with this one. The Dragons have been on a tear, taking down preseason second-ranked Pleasant Valley, fourth ranked Indianola, and Ames. Their bats as well as their pitching have been some of the best in the state and their week one has earned them a solid spot at number one. They currently have 60 total bases to go along with a team average of .345 at the plate. That’s without mentioning the 20 stolen bases on the season so far, making them one of just three 4A teams to post 20 or more stolen bases. Next up will be another tough week to go undefeated with an Ottumwa double-header and a single-game battle with Ankeny.
2.) Dowling Catholic (3-1)
There was only one blemish to the Maroons as they began the new season. That came against a scrapy Des Moines Roosevelt squad who ambushed Dowling 11-6 in game one of the double header. The team also picked up a victory against the Rough Riders as well as a W against Lewis Central to begin the season. The lone loss brings the team down but certainly not out at number two. Next up will be a week filled with Des Moines Lincoln and Ankeny Centennial.
3.) Iowa City High (4-1)
The Little Hawks of Iowa City High move up a few spots this week, leaving behind the number five spot to rest at number three for week two. That comes on the heels of a sweep over Prairie, a split against Hempstead, and a win over Burlington. City High has outscored their opponents 33-18 with two batters in the top five for hits so far on the season. Next up is a six game slate including Davenport West, Cedar Rapids Washington, Clinton, and Waterloo East.
4.) Indianola (5-1)
Aside from the loss to top ranked Johnston, the Indianola baseball team has been pretty dominant to begin the 2022 campaign. The first three games alone saw the Indians outscore their opponents 37-2 before the 8-0 loss to Johnston. Just like a good team tends to do, Indianola followed up their lone loss of the season with a sweep of Ottumwa who is coming off of a state tournament season in ’21. Indianola has scored the second-most runs among top-10 teams so far this season and have helped use that to find their way to number four. Next up will be a six game stretch that includes Creston, Bondurant-Farrar, Valley, Des Moines North, and Des Moines East. Hard not to keep an eye on the team that already posts 23 stolen bases on the year, leading Class 4A.
5.) Waukee Northwest (4-0)
Just nine teams in Class 4A started the season out undefeated, and the fresh faced Waukee Northwest Wolves were one of them. In their inaugural campaign, the Wolves found themselves as strong defensively as offensively, tying for the second-fewest runs allowed by a Class 4A team through one week. Waukee Northwest swept both West Des Moines Valley and Des Moines Hoover and currently rest second in the class with 39 RBI. They’ll need to use all of that power and more as they head into week two’s slate that includes double-headers against Ankeny, seventh-ranked Waukee, and Des Moines Roosevelt.
6.) Pleasant Valley (2-2)
It hasn’t been the easiest start in the world for the reigning Class 4A champs in Pleasant Valley. Two straight losses opened up the seasons for the Spartans. With that strong resolve however, PV came through and rounded out the week with two straight victories, pushing their record to 2-2. That included a season opening loss to Johnston, a split with Ankeny, and a win over Dubuque Senior. Despite losing out on their top three arms and over 50 percent of their strikeout total from ’21, the Spartans head into week two leading 4A with 46 strikeouts off the mound. They’ll need that this week as they battle Western Dubuque and Burlington.
7.) Waukee (3-0)
No better way to start the season than to do so without a loss. That’s what Waukee baseball has done, with impressive form to boot. They started off with their substate title battle from last year against Norwalk, winning that 5-0 before they took down then sixth ranked Ankeny Centennial in a double-header sweep. The Warriors have gotten the job done despite just 11 hits to their name at the moment, giving a mantra of efficiency for their week one efforts. Next up for the Warriors this week will be their annual dust up with DCG and a double-header with Waukee NW.
8.) Cedar Falls (6-0)
Cedar Falls officially became the fastest team in the state to six wins as they went undefeated through the first week of the ’22 campaign. The Tigers posted up 67 runs across the first week of action alone, the highest mark out of any Class 4A squad through the first week. Their 0.66 team ERA has helped them to 32 strikeouts on the mound while leading the Class 4A ranks with 45 RBI offensively. Two of the top-5 individual RBI leaders belong on the Tigers’ roster as Cedar Falls ranks first in the class with 21 extra-base hits. Next up for the Tigers will be a four game slate up against Class 3A’s second ranked Wahlert Catholic and sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier.
9.) Urbandale (2-1)
The Urbandale J-Hawks fall just a bit in the week two rankings. They do so primarily thanks to the work of other teams such as Cedar Falls, Waukee, and Waukee Northwest. Their impressive wins slightly bump ahead of Urbandale’s loss to Class 3A’s DCG. That marked their only loss of the year as they won their other two battles against DCG and Norwalk. Overall they outscored their opponents 19-6 through their first three games. It will be a mixed bag for the J-Hawks across week two as they have six games against Des Moines East, Ames, Des Moines Hoover, and Lewis Central. This is a team with plenty of firepower that the world hasn’t gotten to see fully of just yet, but they will soon enough.
10.) Dubuque Hempstead (3-2)
It’s been a mixed bag for the Mustangs of Dubuque Hempstead. Double-header splits with Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Iowa City High, followed by a Davenport North win have landed them at 3-2. It’s been their worst start since the 2018 campaign but there seems to be no panic for the Mustangs. After all, a good bunch returns from the state tournament trip just a year prior. They have accumulated 45 total bases and 19 RBI through the first five games of action. Up next for week two will be double-headers against Linn-Mar and Waterloo East and a one game battle against Clinton.