T-R GRAPHIC

There’s no fear of the unknown, beyond playing in the vast expanses at Principal Park.

When Marshalltown and Urbandale square off in the last of four Class 4A state quarterfinal baseball games tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Des Moines, the only mystery will be which team is going to win.

The Bobcats and J-Hawks met four times during CIML Iowa Conference play, with second-ranked Urbandale (33-6) claiming three victories. Not until their final meeting did Marshalltown (20-18) finally break through, beating the J-Hawks 8-2 behind a complete-game pitching performance from junior Wade Canaday.

Urbandale swept MHS in Marshalltown on June 25, winning 2-1 and 9-0, before they split their make-up doubleheader on July 5 as the J-Hawks took the opener 4-3.

Whether it’s facing a familiar foe or knowing you can go toe-to-toe with them, the Marshalltown baseball team believes it has a chance to advance through to Friday’s state semifinals.

“They’ve seen us, we’ve seen them, so now let’s just go execute,” said MHS head coach Steve Hanson. “Urbandale has a tremendous deal of team speed, they’re very good on the bases — just look at the numbers. We have to minimize their running game — they like to bunt — and they’ve got three or four guys who can really run.”

The first thing the Bobcats think about when facing off with Urbandale is their fireball right-handers on the mound. Luke Patzner is 6-0 with a 0.99 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings, while Luke Llewellyn is 9-0 with a 0.49 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings.

Both beat Marshalltown once this season, and both throw really hard according to the Bobcat batters.

“I think we know them pretty well, we’ve just got to make plays and hit the ball,” said Canaday. “I think it gives us more confidence knowing we can beat one of the highly-ranked teams and knowing we can compete with anybody.”

Marshalltown’s first meetings with Urbandale were a part of a seven-game losing skid for the Bobcats that also included defeats at the hands of 3A No. 2 Sioux City Heelan and 4A No. 1 Johnston. Both of those teams are at state, too.

“This season was a great example of baseball,” said MHS senior second baseman Sam Irwin. “We started 11-2, then we go 3-11. Right when you thought you were the greatest of the great, you got knocked down and realized anyone can beat us. It was a great example of anyone can beat us, so we’ve just got to go out there and play.”

The Bobcats will go out there behind senior left-hander Nate Vance, who will get the ball on the mound tonight. Vance is 9-2 with a 1.77 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings, and pitched complete games in both of Marshalltown’s postseason wins against Cedar Falls and Iowa City High.

Vance also was on the losing end of the 2-1 outcome in the first meeting between the Bobcats and J-Hawks during the regular season.

“I think we know what we need to do to win the ballgame,” said Vance, whose older brother Jon was a member of the last Marshalltown baseball team to advance to state in 2009. “No one expects us to win outside of Marshalltown. Being the underdog, that’s the chip on your shoulder. You might as well go play and have fun, play hard and if you lose, you lose.

“If you win, the community’s got our back for sure. This should be a lot of fun, we’ve got nothing to lose.”

Less than a week after a devastating tornado ripped through the northern half of Marshalltown, the Bobcats feel like they’re carrying the community on their backs as they head to Des Moines. Even if the fans are too busy dealing with tornado damage to make the trek to Principal Park, MHS is eager to bring a win back home for those impacted by the storm.

“If anything, it got us looking forward to state even more,” said senior catcher Kody Ricken. “It made us geared up and motivated to go after that and really go and win for the community as a whole. We’re doing it to bring back some good news for the town.”

Marshalltown has scored the fewest runs of the eight state tournament teams — 66 fewer runs than third-seeded North Scott (28-10) and less than half as many as top-ranked and top-seeded Johnston (34-5).

Urbandale is one of the higher-scoring teams in the state, too, and has the second-most stolen bases among all 4A teams.

Marshalltown might just be the little team that could.

“I think in Marshalltown it’s a little bit unique,” said Hanson. “It’s not Urbandale, Johnston, Waukee or Valley. It’s Marshalltown. We have, I think, a greater identity of ourself. We know all our guys grew up here and they are proud to be from here so when hardship hits, you can pretty easily rally your guys and give them a lot of reasons to go work because it’s for the greater good.”

Today’s 4A quarterfinals kick off with an 11 a.m. game between 10th-ranked West Des Moines Valley (27-15) and eighth-ranked Waukee (29-11). No. 1 Johnston and eighth-seeded Cedar Rapids Washington (25-17) close out the day’s opening session.

The 5 p.m. game features third-seeded North Scott and sixth-seeded Western Dubuque (33-9), and the Bobcats’ 7:30 p.m. game against Urbandale will follow.

Iowa High School State Baseball Championships

At Principal Park, Des Moines

CLASS 1A

Quarterfinals

Friday, July 20

Mason City Newman 10, Tri-Center 0 (5)

Martensdale-St. Marys 3, Council Bluffs St. Albert 2

Saturday, July 21

Lisbon 2, Don Bosco 1

North Linn 6, Remsen-St. Mary’s 3

Semifinals

No. 1 Mason City Newman (38-1) vs. No. 4 Martensdale-St. Marys (36-6), 11 a.m.

No. 2 Lisbon (35-0) vs. No. 3 North Linn (41-3), 1:30 p.m.

Championship

Saturday, July 28

Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.

CLASS 2A

Quarterfinals

Monday, July 23

Iowa City Regina 6, Treynor 1

Van Meter 4, Alta-Aurelia 3

Centerville 6, Estherville-Lincoln Central 3

Wilton 3, Denver 2

Semifinals

Thursday, July 26

No. 2 Wilton (26-5) vs. No. 6 Centerville (25-7), 5 p.m.

No. 1 Iowa City Regina (28-7) vs. No. 4 Van Meter (30-8), 7:30 p.m.

Championship

Saturday, July 28

Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.

CLASS 3A

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, July 24

Davenport Assumption 5, Bondurant-Farrar 0

Sioux City Heelan 3, Solon 2, 8 innings

Waverly-Shell Rock 8, Carlisle 5

Harlan 5, Boone 4

Semifinals

Friday, July 27

No. 6 Waverly-Shell Rock (34-7) vs. No. 2 Harlan (32-3), 11 a.m.

No. 1 Davenport Assumption (32-10) vs. No. 4 Sioux City Heelan (32-10), 1:30 p.m.

Championship

Saturday, July 28

Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.

CLASS 4A

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, July 25

No. 4 West Des Moines Valley (27-15) vs. No. 5 Waukee (29-11), 11 a.m.

No. 1 Johnston (34-5) vs. No. 8 Cedar Rapids Washington (25-17), 1:30 p.m.

No. 3 North Scott (28-10) vs. No. 6 Western Dubuque (33-9), 5 p.m.

No. 2 Urbandale (33-6) vs. No. 7 Marshalltown (20-18), 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Friday, July 27

5 or 7:30 p.m.

Championship

Saturday, July 28

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.