City High Finds Enjoyable, First Ever State Baseball Title in Journey to Sioux City

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SIOUX CITY – Iowa has been crowning state baseball champions for almost a century.

Since the state began championships in 1928 a state title had eluded City High.

There had been definitely shut calls.

City High reached the state title sport thrice together with one-run losses in 1992 and 1995.

There had been alternatives lately to snap the title drought.

City High made 4 journeys to the state event over the previous 5 seasons enjoying in three totally different cities.

Every season led to heartbreak, probably the most disappointing semifinal losses in 2022 and 2024.

This week City High lastly discovered the key to state event success almost 300 miles from residence within the type of a throwback type baseball journey that ended with the primary title in program historical past.

“This week, the drive, staying out here in the hotel, being around each other, it’s exactly what we needed,” City High senior Talon Young stated. “It was everything to us.”

City High misplaced state semifinals in Eastern Iowa twice up to now three seasons.

The Little Hawks fell to West Des Moines Dowling at Banks Field in Iowa City in 2022 and two years later at Veterans Memorial Park in Cedar Rapids.

For a single season the schedule despatched the Class 4A state event to Lewis & Clark Park in Sioux City a mere 293-mile, 4 hour and 30 minute drive from City High.

It was precisely what City High wanted.

“This has been an unbelievable experience being out here,” City High coach Brian Mitchell stated. “Everyone is like ‘oh you have to go to Sioux City’ this has been awesome for us. We’ve bonded through this.”

In earlier state event journeys Mitchell stated he felt his staff wished to win virtually an excessive amount of. Those Little Hawk groups wished so badly to do what no different staff in class historical past had carried out that stress mounted late within the season.

Playing the state event near residence the previous a number of seasons took the stress to a brand new stage.

“Sometimes we talk that the guys want it so bad, (we said) ‘want it less’,” Mitchell laughed. “When you want things so bad you tense up.”

This week the journey to Sioux City supplied a reprieve from the postseason stress.

The consequence was a looser, extra relaxed City High staff.

“It felt like the old USSSA days, running around the hotel, playing cards,” Young stated. “We were loose, excited, we had two of the most fun days of practice ever. We know when we play loose no one can beat us.”

After a quarterfinal win over Waukee on Tuesday morning the Little Hawks had greater than 48 hours collectively in Sioux City.

It felt like youth baseball days for the Little Hawks, a lot of which grew up enjoying collectively since elementary faculty

“It’s been amazing, amazing,” City High senior Drew Nye stated. “I stated early within the week it was like USSSA baseball days. Having enjoyable with the boys and successful ball video games. We’ve all been enjoying collectively since 7U with Little Hawks and this week appears like 7U, 8U, 9U.

City High avenged an everyday season doubleheader sweep to Cedar Rapids Prairie with a 6-3 win over the Hawks within the semifinals.

The message for City High heading into Friday’s 4A title sport, was the identical because it was after they had been rising up – chill out and have enjoyable.

“I think our best swings have been in the later season just because we’ve been having fun with the boys,” Nye stated. “Coach talked about us being loose and being how we’ve been. Be loose and have fun.”

City High accomplished a memorable week with a 4-1 win over eighth-seeded Bettendorf within the 4A title sport to safe the primary state title in program historical past.

“Our kids grow up playing together,” Mitchell stated. “They’ve grown up playing together, they’ve been through the battles together on the baseball field. To have that experience where you get a couple of classes coming together, it’s special. They’ve played together for so long and it means so much.”

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