DES MOINES -- Clinging to a two-run lead in Friday’s Class 3-A state semifinal vs.

 DES MOINES -- It should be an interesting two days that determine the Class 3-A champion of the 2016 State Baseball Tournament at Principal Park. Friday’s 3-A semifinals will feature the top pitching team in the field (Pella) vs. the top hitting team (Carlisle), followed by the team with the best record (Harlan Community) against the Cinderella qualifier with the most losses (Solon).

 DES MOINES -- There’s no such thing as an ugly ‘W’ at the state tournament. Harlan Community head baseball coach Steve Daeges probably had to tell himself that a few times on Tuesday afternoon, but left Principal Park in a good mood nonetheless after the Cyclones held off Sioux City Bishop Heelan 8-6 in a Class 3-A quarterfinal. HCHS, which scored five unanswered runs to take a seemingly-comfortable 8-2 lead into the seventh, sweated a couple

 CEDAR FALLS -- Ethan Knudson and Max Langenfeld of Harlan Community and Martin Olson of Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton each participated in the 44th annual Iowa Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Classic, held Saturday, July 23, at the UNI-Dome. The three area players - all 2016 graduates - played for the South Squad, which was defeated by the North, 49-35, in the highest-scoring Shrine Bowl to date.

 WARRENSBURG, MO. -- Andrea Greve, a 2015 graduate of Harlan Community High School, was one of 86 student-athletes from the University of Central Missouri named to the Academic Honor Roll of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) for the first time. Andrea is the daughter of Dave and Diana Greve, Harlan, and a member of UCM’s NCAA Division II bowling team.

 WESTPHALIA - The Harvest Baseball Tournament returns after a five-year hiatus in 2016, according to event organizer Tom Wageman, and will be held on two weekends, August 27-28 and September 3-4, in Westphalia. Begun in 1964 under the leadership of Wageman’s late father, John, the annual tournament featured teams from across the state. Playing in the tourney were many professional, semi-pro and college ball players.

 DES MOINES -- It’s been nearly two months to the day since Harlan Community beat Sioux City Bishop Heelan 12-0 to cap the first week of the high school baseball season. When the Cyclones and Crusaders meet again Tuesday morning (11 a.m.) in the first round of the Class 3-A state tournament, a much more competitive contest is expected at Principal Park. HCHS certainly has the edge when it comes to big-game experience, boasting three seniors an

 DES MOINES -- Tri-Center was defeated by Don Bosco of Gilbertville 11-1 in six innings in a Class 1-A quarterfinal at the State Baseball Tournament Saturday night. The sixth-seeded Trojans, who finished 19-9 overall, were making their first trip to Principal Park and their first state tournament appearance since winning the Class 2-A state title in 1987.

 HARLAN -- Harlan Community head baseball coach Steve Daeges was recognized prior to the team’s July 11 home game vs. Abraham Lincoln and presented a commemorative plaque for reaching 600 career wins earlier this season. Now in his 23rd year at HCHS, Daeges enters this week’s state tournament with a career record of 606-206 (.746).

 HARLAN -- Only three other baseball programs in the state have accomplished what Harlan Community just did Wednesday night. Bolstered by a six-run, first-inning outburst and the sturdy right arm of senior pitcher Brett Croghan, the Cyclones held off Winterset, 9-5, in a Class 3-A substate final at Jim Goeser Field, securing the team’s sixth consecutive state tournament berth. In the 71-year history of Iowa’s summer state baseball championship

 CEDAR FALLS -- Three area football players, one cheerleader, one coach and a manager are taking part in this week’s Iowa Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Classic, culminating with Saturday’s 44th annual Shrine Bowl game at the UNI-Dome. The game will start at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 23, and will be televised on a tape-delay basis by Mediacom Connections Channel 22 starting at 5:00 p.m. The game will be re-aired at 8:00 p.m.

 HARLAN -- It was shades of early June at Jim Goeser Field Monday night - a welcome sight for the Harlan Community baseball team and its fans. Playing one of their best all-around games since a dominant 10-1 stretch to open the season, the 2nd-ranked Cyclones crushed Denison-Schleswig for the third time this summer with an 11-1, five-inning win in the District 16 (Class 3-A) final. HCHS junior Josh Cheek pitched three-hit ball with seven strik

 HARLAN -- Senior Brett Croghan pitched six scoreless innings and sophomore Jared Moser provided an offensive spark from the bottom of the lineup Friday night as Harlan Community opened the postseason with a 7-0 win over Carroll in a Class 3-A district baseball semifinal. The 2nd-ranked Cyclones took care of business against the winless Tigers, but by no means dominated as the score was only 4-0 going into the bottom of the sixth.

 COON RAPIDS -- When it was all said and done Thursday night - after seven innings of pressure-packed baseball, his final postgame huddle and media interviews - Tony Petersen received just the right medicine when he was mobbed by hugs from his young grandchildren. Perhaps this retirement gig won’t be so bad after all. Following 32 seasons and 513 coaching victories - all at Elk Horn-Kimballton and Exira-EHK - Petersen’s final game was a gut-wr

 AUDUBON -- Early errors proved costly for the IKM-Manning baseball team last Tuesday as CAM grabbed an early four-run lead and beat the Wolves, 4-1, in a Class 1-A district quarterfinal game held at Audubon. The Cougars (23-5) scored two runs in the first and two in the third (all unearned) and won despite managing just three singles offensively. Thomas Hensley (6-2) pitched a four-hitter for the win, striking out nine and walking three.