After four consecutive trips to the state tournament, the expectations were high once again for the Cedar Rapids Kennedy baseball team. So far this season, the Cougars have lived up to the hype. Kennedy is 13-2 and top-ranked in class 4A heading into tonight’s match with fifth-rated Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Three other Mississippi Valley Conference teams are ranked this week and Kennedy coach Bret Hoyer says his team will get plenty of competition. He says it’s great to have good baseball for those following the game and the teams that’re playing.Kennedy’s biggest strength is starting pitching led by Iowa-bound Danny Bales and UNI-bound Mark Bennett. Bales has been bothered by a sore leg and Hoyer says he may not pitch until the end of next week. He says Bales pushed it harder than he should have, and says he should have taken him out earlier in the last game.Kennedy will host its own tournament this weekend.
