IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The annual doubleheader between Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Drake will come to an end after next season. The Hawkeyes announced on Thursday that they are pulling out of the Des Moines-based event partly because the Big Ten is moving from an 18- to a 20-game schedule, which limits their options in non-conference scheduling.

Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta said “The addition of two conference games is good for our fans, the Big Ten Conference and our strength of schedule, but unfortunately it created some scheduling challenges that impacts this event.”

Iowa and Iowa State held home-and-home series with Northern Iowa and Drake, both Missouri Valley Conference members, until 2012 — an unusually generous gesture for the high-major schools. The Big Four Classic, as it came to be known, was a neutral-floor compromise that the Hawkeyes and Cyclones reached with their mid-major rivals. It came on the heels of consecutive blowouts road losses by Iowa at Northern Iowa.

The Hawkeyes and Cyclones’ RPI wasn’t impacted much in the years when they faced the Panthers, one of better mid-major programs in the country. But Drake has struggled mightily ever since the Big Four was created, so facing the Bulldogs didn’t do much to help Iowa or Iowa State’s NCAA Tournament resume. Northern Iowa athletic director David Harris said “We are extremely disappointed that the Big Four Classic is ending following this year’s event. This event has provided a tremendous opportunity for the fans of basketball in the state of Iowa to see all four teams compete in one building on the same day.”

The final doubleheader will be held on Dec. 15, when the Hawkeyes face Northern Iowa and the Cyclones face Drake. The annual series between Iowa and Iowa State will go on as scheduled. Drake athletic director Brian Hardin said “It is a sad day for passionate basketball fans of all four programs who have enjoyed nearly a century of history and rivalries between these four schools that were played in various great venues in our state.”

The Atlantic Trojans softball team will be looking to bounce back from their first conference loss of the season with a home doubleheader against Clarinda tonight. The Trojans fell on Wednesday night to Lewis Central 3-2 for their first conference loss of the year. The Trojans bring a 13-3 overall record and 8-1 conference mark into the double dip today.

Clarinda has struggled so far this season with a 1-19 overall record and 0-8 conference tally.

We’ll have coverage of the games tonight on KJAN. Tune in on AM1220, FM101.1, online at kjan.com, and on the mobile app. Pregame will start at about 5:20pm this evening with game one set to go at 5:30pm.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Strikeout numbers are the highest on record in college baseball with the College World Series set to begin later this week.

The 297 Division I teams have combined to average 7.88 strikeouts per nine innings this season. That is the highest figure in NCAA records dating to 1970 and a huge 21.6 percent increase since 2014.

Pitching staffs for forty-one teams — including CWS participants North Carolina, Mississippi State and Arkansas — average at least nine strikeouts per nine innings. That’s up from 16 teams in 2016 and from just one in 2012.
Six pitchers in the CWS average 10 or more strikeouts per nine innings, led by Oregon State’s Kevin Abel and Luke Heimlich.

What’s happening in the college game mirrors the major leagues, where strikeouts are on track to set a record for the 11th straight year.

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Lewis Central 10, Atlantic 1
Clarinda 14, Southwest Valley 2
Creston 12, Red Oak 1
Harlan 13, Denison-Schleswig 1
Interstate 35 9, St. Albert 2

Western Iowa Conference

AHSTW 14, Essex/South Page 8
Missouri Valley 13, Griswold 0
Underwood 11, Logan-Magnolia 3

Rolling Valley Conference

Coon Rapids-Bayard 10, CAM 7
West Harrison 8, Boyer Valley 4
Woodbine 10, Exira-EHK 0

Other Scores

Lamoni 2, Twin Cedars 1
East Mills 8, Orient-Macksburg 4
Mount Ayr 13, Murray 1
West Central Valley 1, Nodaway Valley 0

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Lewis Central 3, Atlantic 2
Denison-Schleswig 10, Harlan 2
Red Oak 9, CB Abraham Lincoln 4
Sidney 10, Shenandoah 4

Western Iowa Conference

AHSTW 19, Essex 1
Logan-Magnolia 4, Underwood 0

Rolling Valley Conference

Coon Rapids-Bayard 8, CAM 2
West Harrison 9, Boyer Valley 7

Other Scores

Martensdale-St. Marys 14, Lamoni 0
Mount Ayr 7, Earlham 6 (Game 1)
Earlham 10, Mount Ayr 8 (Game 2)

Orient-Macksburg Tournament

Lenox 18, Orient-Macksburg 0
Melcher-Dallas 9, East Union 6
Murray 12, Mormon Trail 0
Nodaway Valley 11, Diagonal 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Padres manager Andy Green is trying not to get too excited about San Diego’s run of success. His players seem to be enjoying it, though.

Eric Lauer carried a shutout into the sixth inning, Manuel Margot had three hits and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Wednesday night to win their fifth straight series.

San Diego has won 11 of 15 games, including five of its last seven. It’s the first time the Padres have won five consecutive series since 2010.

“It means we’re playing good baseball and that’s the most important thing,” said shortstop Freddy Galvis, who sparked the attack with a two-run double in the first inning.

Marcell Ozuna homered for the Cardinals, who have lost three of four.

The Padres took two of three in a stadium where they had struggled. St. Louis had won 30 of its previous 42 home games against San Diego.

Lauer (3-4) gave up two runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He’s 3-0 when getting two or more runs of support.

Brad Hand recorded his 21st save in 23 opportunities. He got Jedd Gyorko to ground into a double play after hitting Yadier Molina to start the ninth.

St. Louis starter Luke Weaver (3-6) gave up four runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. He has just one win over his last 11 starts.

UP NEXT:

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (8-1, 2.47) face LHP Jon Lester (7-2, 2.22) in the first of a three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Wacha has won his last eight decisions against the Cubs.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Eric Lauer carried a shutout into the sixth inning, Manuel Margot had three hits and the San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 to win their fifth straight series. Freddy Galvis drove in two first-inning runs for San Diego, which has won five of seven. The Padres hadn’t won five consecutive series since 2010. Marcell Ozuna homered for the Cardinals, who have lost three of four.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Mahle allowed three hits while pitching into the seventh, Adam Duvall hit a ninth-inning grand slam and the Cincinnati Reds beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 7-0. Mahle allowed only one runner to touch second base in 6 1/3 innings, matching his career longest start.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes II has embraced Kansas City as few athletes before him, whether it’s throwing out the first pitch for the Royals or giving the command to start the engines at Kansas Speedway. He’s already beloved just one year after the Chiefs selected him in the first round of the draft. Now, he needs to win some games.

UNDATED (AP) — Washington is making its first ever trip to Omaha for the College World Series after finally fulfilling the promise of a program that at times has featured great players and great teams but never put together a good enough postseason run. The Huskies face Mississippi State in the first round on Saturday. Washington is the last baseball-playing member of the Pac-12 to reach the College World Series.

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The Iowa Girls Coaches Association released their list of All-State Soccer honorees on Tuesday. Check out the full list in the document below.

2018 Girls Soccer IGCA All State Teams