​The week of July 5-11 marked the height of postseason play for high school baseball teams from the Ames area, as district and substate action unfolded across the region. Roland-Story, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, surged to decisive wins over Greene County (8-0) and Ogden (20-4), clinching the 2A District 4 championship and earning a berth in the substate finals. In 3A substate action, Gilbert dominated Webster City (10-0) and Ballard crushed Perry (11-1) in the quarterfinal round, setting the stage for the next wave of postseason competition. Ames, meanwhile, concluded its season with a 6-4 defeat to Mason City in the 4A Substate 2 quarterfinals on July 10 at Mason City. Nevada also saw its postseason hopes end with a 5-2 loss to Waverly-Shell Rock in the 3A Substate 2 quarterfinals.
In 1A District 4, the playoff run for both Collins-Maxwell and Colo-NESCO ended on July 6. Collins-Maxwell fell 5-2 to Madrid at Alleman, while Colo-NESCO dropped a 10-0 contest to AGWSR at Fort Dodge. Despite the heartbreaks, there were several standout individual performances from area players during these district and substate matchups, as reflected in the Ames Tribune’s weekly list of male Athlete of the Week nominees for July 5-11. Readers of AmesTrib.com were invited to cast votes to determine the winner, who would be revealed at the end of the week.
Ames’ center fielder Cullen Smith, wearing number 27, delivered a memorable defensive and offensive showing in a game against Dowling Catholic at the Ames Baseball Field in Ames on June 26, 2026. Smith’s efforts in the late-season clash against Mason City helped keep the Little Cyclones competitive in their 6-4 loss to the Riverhawks in the 4A Substate 2 quarterfinals on July 10 at Mason City. He contributed a key double, recorded a sacrifice hit, and drove in three runs, while producing a single putout in his sole fly-ball chance in center field.
Another standout performance came from Faber of Roland-Story, who pitched a perfect game in the 8-0 win over Greene County during the Class 2A District 4 semifinals on July 7 at Norsemen Field in Story City. Faber retired all 15 batters he faced, struck out seven, and also contributed offensively with a walk and an RBI.
Miller of Ballard also shined in the 11-1 win over Perry in the Class 3A Substate 7 quarterfinals on July 10 in Slater. Miller went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs, and he also pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts to earn the win.
Gilbert’s Bell delivered an outstanding performance in the 10-0 win against Webster City in the 3A Substate 2 quarterfinals on July 10 at Gilbert. Bell went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, and he also threw out a base runner and played a clean fielding game with no errors.
Beving of Nevada provided a standout baserunning display in a 6-5 regular-season victory over Marshalltown on July 6 at Marshalltown. Beving swiped five bases, went 1-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, and pitched four innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits, underscoring a versatile performance that contributed to the Cubs’ win.
As the postseason push continued, these performances highlighted the depth of talent in the Ames area and around central Iowa, with players rising to the occasion in critical district and substate contests. The weekly Athlete of the Week honors recognized these players for their contributions, while fans followed along to see who would emerge as the top performer by week’s end.