The Mississippi Valley Conference is showcasing its baseball talent this season with seven teams earning rankings or votes in the latest Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association poll. Led by top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy, other MVC schools like Iowa City High, Linn-Mar, and Iowa City Liberty are also making waves in Class 4A. Western Dubuque, the two-time defending 3A state champion, along with Dubuque Wahlert, Cedar Falls, and Cedar Rapids Xavier, have also been recognized in the rankings.
The tough competition in the MVC has prepared teams for success in the postseason, with four of the eight substate No. 1 seeds belonging to MVC teams. The regular season has proven to be a test for teams, with Linn-Mar’s coach noting that each conference game feels like a substate game, which prepares them for the playoffs. Teams like Western Dubuque have faced adversity in the regular season, which has made them battle-tested for the postseason.
In Class 3A, the Wamac Conference is also well-represented, with Marion, Grinnell, and Solon all in the top 10. Smaller class teams are also gearing up for district play, with Dyersville Beckman and Sigourney making their mark in the rankings. Overall, the competitive play in the MVC and other conferences in Iowa has set the stage for an exciting postseason for high school baseball in the state.
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