The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball team continues their large school test in the early season, taking a Tuesday road trip to Johnston to match up with the Class 4A powerhouse Dragons. The Hawks opened the season Monday in Wellman at newly renovated Paul N. Bailey Field with a 6-4 come-from-behind win over 4A Davenport West. The Hawks trailed by three before putting up six runs in the fifth and sixth innings on a three run homer by Karson Grout and RBI hits from Alex Bean and Camron Pickard. Mid-Prairie pitching was stellar, striking out 10 Falcons on the night, nine Ks from Golden Hawk starter Collin Miller, and the first career win for Carson Pence at the varsity level out of the Mid-Prairie pen as he finished the final two frames. Mid-Prairie is ranked No. 2 in Class 2A according to the preseason poll from the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association and No. 5 in the Varsity Bound power rankings.

Johnston dropped their season opener Monday night against Pleasant Valley 4-1. They surrendered 10 hits, a homer, and five walks to the Spartans. The Dragons are the defending Class 4A state champions after going 36-4 in 2022. They are ranked No. 3 in Class 4A in the initial coaches poll of the season. They lost three of their top four hitters from last year’s team but do return four that hit over .300 a year ago including Tyne Weeden after a sophomore season at .438 with 21 RBI. The Dragons hit .344 as a team last season. On the mound, they had a 1.90 team ERA and bring back Carter Woollums, Pierce Anderson and Kaden Halsrud who were 23-0 combined a season ago, working 118 total innings with a compiled 1.30 ERA and 165 strikeouts. These two programs have never met. Action starts tonight at 7p.m. at Johnston Middle School in the Des Moines metro.