Four classes with a total of 32 teams, all with the same goal.
Win a state title.
Four champions will be crowned after the Iowa high school state baseball tournament, which runs July 20-24. Cedar Rapids will host the Class 4A and 3A tournaments, while Carroll will hold the games for Class 2A and 1A.
With that in mind, we’ve made predictions for which team will claim the title in each class following a thrilling regular season and substate action. Based on season results, star power and some educated guessing, here’s who we think will end the year on top.
Stats from gobound.com as of July 16.
Class 4A – Sioux City East
Everything was set up for the Black Raiders to become state champions last season. Aside from a stellar campaign, they were in their hometown for the state tournament and earned the top seed, making them big favorites to leave with a state title.
Ultimately, Sioux City East was upended by No. 8 Bettendorf and came up shy of their goals. The good news, though, is that there has been plenty of motivation to rebound in 2026 with the majority of the squad returning. The Black Raiders have one of the most dynamic offenses in Iowa, with eight of their nine starting batters with over 30 RBIs. All nine of their routine batters have a batting average over .300, helping drive the offense to over 11 runs per game.
If the offense plays like that in Cedar Rapids, a revenge tour could be in the works for Sioux City East.
Class 3A – Wahlert Catholic
Since 2021, the Golden Eagles have been runner-ups at the state tournament twice. In 2026, that changes.
Wahlert Catholic brings both the arms on the mound and the bats at the plate needed to win a state title for the first time. Quinn Flanagan leads the way with a 1.48 ERA and a 9-0 record, but the team’s top three pitchers each have ERA’s under 3.00 and hold their opponents to under a .150 average. At the plate, JP Elbert leads the way with a .392 batting average, three home runs and 41 RBIs, but the depth of the lineup propels Wahlert Catholic offensively.
Class 3A is tough to predict, but the Golden Eagles find a way to win a state title with no weak points across the roster.
Class 2A – Pleasantville
Repeating as state champions isn’t easy, but the Trojans have all the pieces to do it.
It begins with their starting pitching. The five starters in the rotation are a combined 31-1, all with an ERA of 1.40 or better. Add in junior JJ Phillips, who has 10 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .505 batting average, and the star power of this group will be hard to ignore.
Roland-Story, Cascade, West Lyon and Regina Catholic each present tough challenges for Pleasantville, but if there’s any team that can repeat, the starting pitching and Phillips will get Pleasantville to the finish line.
Class 1A – Coon Rapids-Bayard
Is picking all No. 1 seeds a cop out? Maybe, but it’s really tough picking against a team like the Crusaders.
It all starts with one of the best hitters in the state, Ty Heydon. He has a .609 batting average in 87 total at-bats (best in Iowa), as well as eight home runs and 64 RBIs (tied for most in Iowa). He also has a 6-0 record on the mound with a 1.35 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 11 appearances.
With six of their nine starting hitters having a .400 average or better, and four of their top five pitchers holding ERA’s under 2.00, they have the depth around Heydon’s stardom to do something very special in Carroll.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Picking all 4 champions at Iowa high school baseball state tournament
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Eli McKown, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
