Mid-Prairie No. 6 in preseason baseball rankings

The past two years, Mid-Prairie has been ranked as one of the top teams in Class 2A by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association rankings.

The same holds true with this year’s 2024 preseason rankings.

The Golden Hawks come into the season ranked No. 6 in the class. After a semifinal appearance in 2022 and coming one game short of state last season with a loss to Van Buren County, Mid-Prairie will look to get to back to Carroll this summer.

So far, the Golden Hawks have won four straight games to begin the season. In their next matchup, Mid-Prairie (4-0) will take on Ottumwa (1-2) at home.

Hillcrest Academy is just outside the rankings in Class 1A. The Ravens, who where one game from state a year ago, are receiving votes.

The Ravens will begin their season on Thursday against Winfield-Mt. Union.

Ankeny Centennial (4A), Western Dubuque (3A), Underwood (2A) and Coon Rapids-Bayard (1A) are all ranked No. 1.

The full list of preseason rankings can be found below.

Iowa High School Baseball Association preseason rankings

(2023 record in parentheses)

Class 4A

1. Ankeny Centennial (30-8)

2. Johnston (36-8)

3. Iowa City High (30-13)

4. Dallas Center-Grimes (30-7)

5. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (29-12)

6. West Des Moines Dowling (27-12)

7. Ames (31-14)

8. Cedar Rapids Prairie (33-7)

9. Cedar Falls (28-14)

10. Sioux City North (26-13)

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Ottumwa (29-12), Pleasant Valley (27-16), Sioux City East (25-15), Waukee (18-21), Waukee Northwest (21-21)

Class 3A

1. Western Dubuque (36-9)

2. North Polk (29-6)

3. Sioux City Heelan (27-13)

4. Ballard (21-11)

5. Central DeWitt (26-15)

6. Marion (30-7)

7. Davenport Assumption (23-13)

8. Dubuque Wahlert (30-14)

9. Adel ADM (23-9)

10. Council Bluffs Lewis Central (29-5)

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Bondurant-Farrar (24-14), Cedar Rapids Xavier (18-20), Harlan (22-15), Solon (22-20), Spencer (23-8)

Class 2A

1. Underwood (25-4)

2. West Marshall (27-7)

3. Dyersville Beckman (25-9)

4. Van Meter (25-10)

5. Pleasantville (28-7)

6. Mid-Prairie (27-7)

7. Cascade (25-9)

8. Carroll Kuemper (25-11)

9. New Hampton (23-10)

10. Estherville-Lincoln Central (21-7)

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Anamosa (19-13), Clarinda (16-10), Forest City (19-8), Sumner-Fredericksburg (18-6), West Lyon (25-3)

Class 1A

1. Coon Rapids-Bayard (25-5)

2. Burlington Notre Dame (26-7)

3. Saint Ansgar (26-8)

4. Mason City Newman (31-5)

5. Lynnville-Sully (29-2)

6. Remsen St. Mary’s (32-2)

7. North Linn (26-5)

8. Wapsie Valley (24-13)

9. Akron-Westfield (21-9)

10. South Winneshiek (24-12)

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Alta-Aurelia (22-8), Council Bluffs St. Albert (21-18), Hillcrest Academy (21-5), Kingsley-Pierson (28-3), Newell-Fonda (23-6)