Preseason baseball rankings released

The website iabaseball.com released its preseason rankings for Iowa high school baseball last week.

The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association will release its preseason rankings on the first day that games are allowed to commence, June 15.

No local teams were named in the rankings but South Iowa Cedar League's HLV was 10th in Class 1A while Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division's Central Lee was 10th in 2A and River Valley Conference member West Branch was seventh.

SEISC North member Pekin (17-9 record in 2019) qualified for state last year in Class 1A but wasn't ranked in the preseason poll. Newman Catholic was the 1A champion.

Van Meter won the 2A title. Cedar Rapids Xavier was the 3A champion and Urbandale won the 4A title.

Davenport Assumption, which defeated both Washington (22-9 record last season) and Fairfield (26-5) by a single run in the post season last season before losing in the semifinals is slotted at second in Class 3A.

The rankings are listed below with the team's record from last year.

CLASS 1A

Rank Team 2019 Record

1. Remsen St. Mary's 27-8

2. Martensdale-St. Mary's 34-7

3. Alburnett 34-6

4. Calamus-Wheatland 33-4

5. Newman Catholic 38-3

6. Don Bosco 29-5

7. South Winneshiek 29-10

8. Coon Rapids Bayard 29-5

9. Hinton 26-5

10. HLV 25-4

CLASS 2A

Rank Team 2019 Record

1. Van Meter 34-3

2. North Linn 40-6

3. West Sioux 22-6

4. West Lyon 27-2

5. Underwood 26-5

6. Dike-New Hartford 28-6

7. West Branch 20-8

8. Pochahantas Area 24-5

9. Treynor 27-11

10. Central Lee 21-3

CLASS 3A

Rank Team 2019 Record

1. Central DeWitt 38-4

2. Davenport Assumption 32-5

3. Bishop Heelan 29-11

4. Cedar Rapids Xavier 41-2

5. Harlan 26-8

6. Waverly Shell-Rock 24-15

7. Carlisle 22-14

8. Vinton-Shellsburg 8-27

9. Marion 33-6

10. Winterset 22-8

CLASS 4A

Rank Team 2019 Record

1. Urbandale 31-14

2. Southeast Polk 30-14

3. Dowling 31-12

4. Ankeny 21-18

5. Western Dubuque 32-10

6. Johnston 36-3

7. Waukee 28-13

8. Iowa City West 34-8

9. Ankeny Centennial 28-12

10. North Scott 13-21