It was another strong week in terms of top ten teams in Class 4A. A few teams unfortunately fell off while others gained entrance into the list for the first time this season. Lets dive into how week three impacted the top-ten list in Class 4A.
1.) Johnston (5-1)
One of the bigger headlines in the week had to do with Johnston’s first loss of the season, on a walk off by Southeast Polk. Looking at the grand scheme of things, it was only a minor blimp as the Dragons outscored their opponents 47-14. Their power/speed combo is still on display as they rank first in the class in both RBI (109) and stolen bases (59). They reside top-five in 26 different statistical categories. Those are just a few of the numbers that continue to point Johnston to the top spot in the rankings.
2.) Waukee (4-0)
The Warriors too suffered their lone loss of the season so far as they split the double-header with a surging Urbandale squad. Overall, the Warriors still performed very well, outscoring opponents 29-16. They are one of the better pitching teams in the class (1.82 ERA). Their week three slate also included a double-header sweep over Ottumwa.
3.) Iowa City High (4-1)
What a stretch it has been for the Little Hawks of Iowa City High. The first three victories of the week for Iowa City High helped boost them to an eight game winning streak. They did suffer a one run loss to end that streak but they did outscore their opponents 39-11. They pace the Class 4A scene by over 20 points in batting average (.380) while resting second in both RBI (91) and team strikeouts (126). Their week three did include a split with fellow top-10 team in Cedar Falls.
4.) Dowling Catholic (4-2)
The Maroons had a solid week three where they outscored their opponents 52-29. One of their four victories on the week included splitting with Valley, sweeping Ankeny, falling to Assumption, and taking down Newman Catholic. They hold the second-best batting average (.368) among Class 4A teams while showing their strength defensively with a class-best .971 fielding percentage.
5.) Urbandale (4-1)
Aside from a 6-0 loss to Waukee to begin the week, the Urbandale J-Haws have not had much to complain about. Overall the team outscored opponents by a 50-20 margin. They split with the second-ranked Warriors and took it to previously ranked Indianola by a ten run margin. They currently sit with the third-highest run differential out of any team in the Class 4A field.
6.) Cedar Falls (4-1)
There’s plenty to like about Cedar Falls baseball, especially after the conclusion of week three. The Tigers ended up becoming one of just six teams in the state to touch up double-digit wins on the season. Week three’s efforts included a split with IC High and a sweep of Waterloo West. The Tigers outscored their opponents 27-14. Their 105 total runs ranks top-5 in the class while their 110 runs scored ranks top-three in the class. They bump up once again on the consistent winning the Tigers are doing.
7.) Waukee Northwest (2-0)
Not much action to go off of in week three for the Wolves. However, with the body they had, the team went unblemished and outscored their lone opponent (Fort Dodge) by a 22-5 margin. It was a much needed week after four losses were included in last week’s showing. Overall, the Wolves hold seven home runs while ranking third in Class 4A with 123 strikeouts. Still plenty of reason to have the Wolves reside in the top ten with the potential to climb the ranks here in week four.
8.) Sioux City East (4-3)
Not the best week for the Black Raiders but certainly far from the worst. Sioux City East split with Southeast Polk and Sioux City North while sweeping CB Abraham Lincoln. Even with that said, they managed to outscore their opponents 35-25. The Black Raiders still have more to do and will certainly see another tough schedule which includes top ranked Johnston and Bishop Heelan in the week four ahead. Along with a strong offense, the Black Raiders will be looking upon their strong defense for victories, a defense that ranks first in the class in assists (115) and second in the class in put outs (322).
9.) Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-1)
With their first trip to the Victory Mounds top-10, Cedar Rapids Prairie comes in as a strong team. They came into this week already with a sweep over Iowa City West and a win over 3A’s Davenport Assumption. Week three only added to that as the Prairie Hawks went 4-1 which included a win over Center Point-Urbana and a split with Iowa City Liberty. It’s been a good mixture of offense and defense as Prairie enters the week ranked second in 4A fielding (.968) while also wielding a top-5 doubles mark (25).
10.) Iowa City West (6-0)
It was a flawless week three for the Trojans of Iowa City West at 6-0. That included a 10-2 win over the reigning champs in Pleasant Valley, not to mention an 11-1 victory over previously ranked Solon. They’ve been just as strong as anyone on the base paths, ranking third in 4A with 47 stolen bases. Iowa City West has also flashed the leather quite often, also ranking third in the class with a .963 fielding percentage. It’s an offense that continues to show up while be even more consistent defensively, ranking third in Class 4A with the fewest errors (14).
Top 15: Norwalk, Valley, Ames, Indianola, Ankeny