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Four state baseball titles will be decided Friday after a day of dramatic semifinals in Cedar Rapids and Carroll that produced walk-off-style finishes, dominant pitching and a handful of breakout performances. The results set up a full slate of championship games that will determine Iowa’s 1A through 4A champions on July 24.
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In one of the night’s most tense finishes, Pleasant Valley held off top-seeded Sioux City East, 5-4, after a stretched 10-inning duel. The Spartans stopped a potential tying run at the plate in the final frame to secure their spot in the Class 4A title game.
Offensively, Jackson O’Meila belted a home run and Will Frederiksen collected two RBIs from two hits. Gavin Barber added a pair of hits as Pleasant Valley finished with 13 strikeouts on the day. On the mound, Patrick O’Brien fanned eight batters over seven strong innings.
Sioux City East received a standout showing from Callan Koch, who finished with four hits and drove in a run while also logging six strikeouts on the mound.
Indianola rides timely pitching into 4A final
Indianola leaned on pitching depth to punch its ticket to the 4A championship, defeating West Des Moines Valley, 8-1. Bryant Ritchie threw a complete game, allowing three hits and striking out seven to improve to 7-0 on the season.
Earlier in the tournament, George Blake threw a no-hitter for Indianola; in Thursday’s game he contributed two hits and scored twice. Zach Benge went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Daxton Heimbaugh added two more RBIs to supply support for Ritchie’s outing. For Valley, Ryan Stedman plated the team’s lone run.
Pleasantville, Durant advance in Carroll
In Carroll, defending Class 2A champion Pleasantville fended off Cascade in an 8-5 win to return to the title round. The offense was balanced — Logan Rolf, JJ Phillips, Brayden Kennedy, Brody Adreon and Luke Vestal each drove in runs.
Noah Rist and William Mescher both recorded two hits and scored, and multi-sport athlete Braylon Bingham closed the game, retiring the final two batters — one by strikeout — after Cascade rallied late. Cascade’s Cason Rausch finished with three hits; Chance Green had two.
Durant topped Unity Christian, 9-4, powered by a huge night from Colby Gast, who went 3-for-5 with five RBIs. Owen Collier pitched a complete game, surrendering four hits and fanning five. Boston Weimerskirch had three hits and scored twice; Reid Hollenback added two hits for Durant. Unity Christian’s Austin Weringa drove in a run and also scored.
That sets up a 2A final between Pleasantville and Durant after the winners from Carroll advanced.
Quick context: Pleasantville is aiming to defend its 2A crown; Pleasant Valley and Indianola will contest the 4A championship in Cedar Rapids, where momentum from Thursday’s pitching performances could prove decisive.
Championship schedule — Friday, July 24
- Class 1A: Mason City Newman Catholic vs. Moravia — noon (Carroll)
- Class 2A: Pleasantville vs. Durant — 2:30 p.m. (Carroll)
- Class 3A: Dubuque Wahlert Catholic vs. Davenport Assumption — 5 p.m. (Cedar Rapids)
- Class 4A: Indianola vs. Pleasant Valley — 7:30 p.m. (Cedar Rapids)
These matchups pair teams that reached the finals through contrasting paths — some riding dominant arms, others manufacturing balanced offense. For fans and scouts alike, Friday’s games offer a last look at several players who delivered memorable postseason performances.
What to watch: pitching depth in the larger classes, and whether Pleasantville can repeat as 2A champion or if Durant’s lineup will overwhelm their challenge. The outcomes will wrap up a tournament that has already featured standout individual nights and tightly contested finishes.
