This year, Montezuma (13-6) and North Mahaska (21-5) were sent in different directions for the class 1A baseball post-season.
Well, initially, anyhow. But they remained in the same region.
Now, two games later, here they are, again glaring at each other.
They meet at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 17, in a sub-state semifinal, with the winner advancing to the sub-state title game.
It will be played in New Sharon. (The state moved it from Urbandale).
If you’re planning to attend, you again will need to order tickets online through the state. Details are at the bottom of this story, or you can get there by going to the school’s website and following the same instructions.
The teams split their two meetings this season, each winning at home.
Montezuma won 9-3 on June 2.
North Mahaska won 3-2 on June 28.
The Warhawks lost three of their first five games, including that earlier one to the Braves. Since then, they’ve gone 19-2.
The Braves have been pretty steady, but have gotten better the second half of the season as a number of younger players have gotten up to speed their as hitters.
Montezuma hits .304 as a team.
Senior Cole Watts has been good since the start, batting .569 with 33 runs batted in. He has hit seven doubles, three triples, two home runs – and has stolen 30 bases.
Catcher Connor Van Zee hits .426. He has 22 RBIs and nine stolen bases.
Cam Johnson has been a slugger of late. He hit two home runs and drove in five runs in Montezuma’s win over Ankeny Christian Academy.
Junior Sam Terpstra hits .471 for the Warhawks. He has 27 runs batted in, 10 doubles, two home runs and 20 stolen bases.
Nash Smith hits .291 with 30 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.
Good pitching can slow down good hitting, and both teams have guys who are good on the bump.
For the Warhawks, senior Blake Readshaw has six wins, a 1.90 earned run average, and 66 strikeouts in 55 innings of work.
For the Braves, Owen Cook has six wins, and a 2.20 earned run average over 51 innings. He has 52 strikeouts.
Eddie Burgess has a 1.50 ERA over 37.3 innings, with 47 strikeouts.
THE WINNER – Plays the winner of Don Bosco (24-4) vs. Alburnett (26-9), in the sub-state game. That one will be on Tuesday, July 20, at 7 p.m. Right now, it is scheduled for Marshalltown.
YOU NEED AN E-TICKET – Here are the directions of the Montezuma school website for getting tickets to Saturday night’s game:
First, go to :http://iahsaa.org/tickets/ .
Once at website link, find & click on the image of a baseball player in a “rectangle” with wording “baseball in it”. It will take you to next page. Then Look for 1A click & then:
DISTRICT Final (HOSTED BY North Mahaska, New Sharon) 7pm!!