North state foe won five times on own diamond
'Cats pack bags for first time
By Steven Allspach - Journal sports writer | Posted: Friday, July 18, 2008
Posted from 07/18/08:
In nine previous state baseball tournament appearances, the Marshalltown Bobcats had to trudge approximately 50 yards from the school's legendary "Roundhouse" basketball arena down to their home diamond that served as the venue for Iowa's big-school state tournament.
The 'Cats won't have the homefield advantage this summer, though. They've got to pack their travel bags for the first time since the four-class state tournament moved to Des Moines in 2005.
And that's just fine with the Sioux City North Stars.
"We're excited to be playing or a little bigger stage than the Marshalltown high school field," reflects North Coach Brian Drent, whose Stars earned the school's fifth state tourney berth with a 12-1 win over East in six innings Wednesday on another big stage, Lewis and Clark Park.
"The kids from all over the state playing at Principal Park in Des Moines really has a state tournament atmosphere," adds Drent. "With the big electronic scoreboard and the big league surroundings it is very impressive."
All four of Sioux City's high schools have experienced playing in blistering hot, steamy and dusty conditions in Marshalltown, where, for many years, a picket fence served as the outfield wall.
That won't be the case next Wednesday night (8 o'clock) when second-seeded and second-ranked North (37-4) squares off seventh-seeded and unranked Marshalltown (25-12) in a first-round Class 4A clash at Principal Park.
Marshalltown won five state titles, one in the 2A in the old two-class system in 1976, and four in 4A in the four-class system in 1981, 1985, 1986 and its last in 2002. The Bobcats also finished second twice in 2000-01.
The school owns a home-cooked 16-4 state tourney record on its home field.
The Marshalltown lineup includes Tyler Peschong, one of the state's most prolific passing quarterbacks last fall. Peschong plays first base and is also regarded as the team's closer.
The 6-foot-5 Peschong, who has signed with Southwest Minnesota State for football, currently ranks second in Iowa in career passing with 7,259 yards and his 3,117 yards last fall ties him for fourth all the all-time single season chart.
Junior southpaw Jimmy Six will be Marshalltown's probable starting pitcher and junior righty Dean McArdle will start for North.
McArdle is 11-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 65 innings that includes 93 strikeouts. In the substate win over East Wednesday, college coaches from Iowa, Notre Dame and Kentucky were observing from the stands.
The prized recruit is also being pursued by Nebraska and Creighton, among several others.
The most famous Marshalltown High School grad is catcher Jeff Clement, who in 34 games this season with the Seattle Mariners, has five homers, 11 RBIs and is hitting .258.
As a prep, Clement set the all-time national high school home run record of 75, which still stands, and earned first-team All-America plaudits at Southern Cal and was named the winner of the Johnny Bench catching award in 2005.
At USC his 46 career homers ranks second to Mark McGwire.
West High, in its only state appearance, lost a controversial 1-0 decision to Davenport Central in the 2A (two-class) tourney in Marshalltown in 1975.
East lost consecutive title games to Ottumwa in the Marshall County seat in 1996-97 and fell in the first round in 2000 and 2003.
North lost first-round games in 1982 (Davenport Assumption) and 1998 (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) and 2004 (West Des Moines Valley).
In 1999, Coach Kelly Neustrom guided the Stars to their only win in Marshalltown, an 11-3 decision over Burlington, before losing a 16-12 donnybrook to West Des Moines Dowling in the semifinals.
In nine previous state baseball tournament appearances, the Marshalltown Bobcats had to trudge approximately 50 yards from the school's legendary "Roundhouse" basketball arena down to their home diamond that served as the venue for Iowa's big-school state tournament.
The 'Cats won't have the homefield advantage this summer, though. They've got to pack their travel bags for the first time since the four-class state tournament moved to Des Moines in 2005.
And that's just fine with the Sioux City North Stars.
"We're excited to be playing or a little bigger stage than the Marshalltown high school field," reflects North Coach Brian Drent, whose Stars earned the school's fifth state tourney berth with a 12-1 win over East in six innings Wednesday on another big stage, Lewis and Clark Park.
"The kids from all over the state playing at Principal Park in Des Moines really has a state tournament atmosphere," adds Drent. "With the big electronic scoreboard and the big league surroundings it is very impressive."
All four of Sioux City's high schools have experienced playing in blistering hot, steamy and dusty conditions in Marshalltown, where, for many years, a picket fence served as the outfield wall.
That won't be the case next Wednesday night (8 o'clock) when second-seeded and second-ranked North (37-4) squares off seventh-seeded and unranked Marshalltown (25-12) in a first-round Class 4A clash at Principal Park.
Marshalltown won five state titles, one in the 2A in the old two-class system in 1976, and four in 4A in the four-class system in 1981, 1985, 1986 and its last in 2002. The Bobcats also finished second twice in 2000-01.
The school owns a home-cooked 16-4 state tourney record on its home field.
The Marshalltown lineup includes Tyler Peschong, one of the state's most prolific passing quarterbacks last fall. Peschong plays first base and is also regarded as the team's closer.
The 6-foot-5 Peschong, who has signed with Southwest Minnesota State for football, currently ranks second in Iowa in career passing with 7,259 yards and his 3,117 yards last fall ties him for fourth all the all-time single season chart.
Junior southpaw Jimmy Six will be Marshalltown's probable starting pitcher and junior righty Dean McArdle will start for North.
McArdle is 11-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 65 innings that includes 93 strikeouts. In the substate win over East Wednesday, college coaches from Iowa, Notre Dame and Kentucky were observing from the stands.
The prized recruit is also being pursued by Nebraska and Creighton, among several others.
The most famous Marshalltown High School grad is catcher Jeff Clement, who in 34 games this season with the Seattle Mariners, has five homers, 11 RBIs and is hitting .258.
As a prep, Clement set the all-time national high school home run record of 75, which still stands, and earned first-team All-America plaudits at Southern Cal and was named the winner of the Johnny Bench catching award in 2005.
At USC his 46 career homers ranks second to Mark McGwire.
West High, in its only state appearance, lost a controversial 1-0 decision to Davenport Central in the 2A (two-class) tourney in Marshalltown in 1975.
East lost consecutive title games to Ottumwa in the Marshall County seat in 1996-97 and fell in the first round in 2000 and 2003.
North lost first-round games in 1982 (Davenport Assumption) and 1998 (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) and 2004 (West Des Moines Valley).
In 1999, Coach Kelly Neustrom guided the Stars to their only win in Marshalltown, an 11-3 decision over Burlington, before losing a 16-12 donnybrook to West Des Moines Dowling in the semifinals.
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