Highland gets top seeded Wayne in state opening round

FORT DODGE — Highland will look to continue its magical postseason run on Tuesday in the Class 1A state tournament at Rogers Park — Channel Seeds Field in Fort Dodge.

The Huskies (17-9), earning the No. 8 seed, face a formidable challenge in the opening round as they take on top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Wayne (25-2) at 4:45 p.m.

Highland enters the tournament on a hot streak, having won eight straight games since June 30. Most recently, the Huskies punched their ticket to state with a 6-3 victory over Iowa Valley.

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Their regular season also featured some impressive performances, including a 4-3 win over Class 3A qualifier Washington. They also played close with Class 2A contender Louisa-Muscatine, dropping two tight games, 4-1 and 6-5.

Despite being one of the youngest teams in the tournament — with just one senior, Lilly Barre — Highland has shown resilience.

Freshman Kamryn Fink leads the offense with a .429 batting average, collecting 36 hits, 33 runs, and 37 stolen bases. Barre leads the team in RBIs with 27 and has six home runs among her 20 hits.

Eighth-grader Jillian Stransky anchors the pitching staff, logging 101 1/3 innings with a 2.56 ERA and 82 strikeouts. She has recorded 10 wins this season.

Wayne, meanwhile, has only two losses on the year — to Creston (9-2) and Centerville (5-4). The Falcons secured their state berth with a 6-1 win over Seymour.

Senior Ava Whitney leads the Wayne offense, hitting .524 with 43 hits, 37 runs, and 37 RBIs. She’s a power threat with 14 doubles, a triple, and six home runs.

In the circle, senior Izzie Moore has been dominant. Her 1.14 ERA ranks second-best in 1A, and she’s notched 240 strikeouts across 141 innings with 20 wins.

Highland will need another standout performance as it looks to upset the tournament favorites and extend its remarkable postseason journey.