Kennedy Baseball

J-Hawks jump to No.2 in baseball poll

The Jefferson J-Hawks jumped two spots to No. 2 in the Class 4A baseball rankings Monday by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association.

Waukee replaced Johnston as the No. 1 team in the poll.

Cedar Rapids Prairie climbed three spots to No. 5 this week. The Kennedy Cougars are ranked No. 8 and the Linn-Mar Lions are No. 9.

In last week's poll, Linn-Mar was No. 7, Prairie No. 8 and Kennedy No. 9.

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Daniels wins Metro Spotlight Award

Zach Daniels of Kennedy is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday night.

Daniels, a senior, is one of the top baseball players in the state as a pitcher, hitter and shortstop. He was an elite all-state selection last year and appears headed for the same award this season.

Daniels has a 4-0 record and 1.81 ERA on the mound, with 39 strikeouts and 11 walks in 31 innings. He has allowed only 17 hits and opponents are batting just .155 against him.

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No.9 Cougars sweep City High

IOWA CITY - The ninth-ranked Kennedy Cougars rode the strong right arms of Sammy Lizarraga and Zach Daniels to a sweep of Iowa City High Friday in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Mercer Park.

Kennedy won the first game, 6-3, in eight innings. The Cougars took the nightcap, 4-1.

Lizarraga pitched all eight innings in the opener. He was touched for three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but did not allow another run the rest of the way. He struck out 11 batters with one walk.

Kennedy won the first game with three runs in the top of the eighth. Matt Berst had a triple and three RBIs in the contest. Lizarraga was 2-for-2 with a triple and two walks. Bryce Church scored two runs.

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No. 9 Cougars blank Ottumwa

Blake Hargens and Sawyer Neuhaus combined on a four-hit shutout Thursday night as the ninth-ranked Kennedy Cougars blanked Ottumwa, 3-0, in a non-conference baseball game at Kennedy.

Hargens started and went 5 1/3 innings. He allowed all four of Ottumwa's hits, with two strikeouts and two walks. Neuhaus tossed the final 1 2/3 innings. He did not allow any hits and struck out two Bulldogs.

Zach Daniels set the tone for Kennedy in the leadoff spot by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. Matt Berst also collected an RBI for the Cougars.

Kennedy raised its record to 12-4. Ottumwa fell to 12-10.

Ottumwa     000 000 0 - 0 4 1
Kennedy     101 100 x - 3 7 1

W - Hargens. L - Roane. S - Neuhaus.