Iowa High School Baseball State Tournament Ends With Attendance Up, Titles Awarded

You want positive news to get your Wednesday rolling? Here you go. The Iowa high school baseball season — yes, Iowa high school baseball is played in the summer — ended over the weekend with fans in the stands and state title trophies were handed out. That’s right, the season ended on the field at Principal Park in Des Moines where it’s being reported over 29,000 fans attended championship weekend last week.

So how did Iowa pull off this tournament during a pandemic? Ticket sales to games at Principal park were capped at about 1,800, according to the IHSAA.  Fans were asked to leave after each game so the park could be cleaned during a three-hour break between games. There weren’t direct orders to social distance away from other fans, but Iowa baseball fans appear to be adults and from what can be seen in videos from the games, fans acted like adults.

Were there issues this summer with the virus? Yes, but the season rolled on with teams that were comfortable continuing, even after positive tests.

On the softball side, more than 17,000 fans showed up for the state tournament held in Fort Dodge. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, at one point during the softball tournament, “the Iowa High School Athletic Association counted 300 more spectators than a year ago.”

The best-attended state tournament since 2014, all during a global pandemic and safety protocols. Thanks for your support.
Recent totals
13 — 35,095 (record)
14 — 34,428
15 — 26,311
16 — 29,153
17 — 25,709
18 — 27,533
19 — 28,797
20 — 29,904
Total (16 years) — 483,254 pic.twitter.com/MDIPaSQpHq

— Iowa HS Baseball (@iahsbb) August 2, 2020

I never thought the sound of an aluminum bat and fans going nuts over a final out during a high school state championship game would sound so good. After a week or so of silent MLB games, this is a beautiful sound. Sound up!

4A state champions: Johnston Dragons #iahsbb pic.twitter.com/zb8HrC2B0F

— Iowa HS Baseball (@iahsbb) August 2, 2020

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