The Norwalk baseball team opens postseason play today, making the short drive to Southeast Polk for a Class 4A, Substate 2 opening round game against the Rams. The start time has been moved up three hours to 4:00 p.m. in an effort to avoid forecasted thunderstorms. The game will be streamed live on kniakrls.com (KNIA3), beginning with pregame coverage at about 3:45.

The Warriors are seeking their first playoff win since 2021, having lost their last three substate games by a combined four runs. Norwalk is 13-16 overall and lost seven of their final nine regular season games. However, the Warriors won their last game 8-7 over ADM on Brady Wilkening’s walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Konner Holtorf tells KNIA Sports that the team hopes to build off Tuesday’s victory and put a complete game together against the Rams.

“Just going out there with energy and… why not make a little run at the end of the season?” he said. “Anything can happen with baseball, so hopefully just go out there and play hard, play 100 percent, and see what happens.”

Southeast Polk has won four of its last five games, including Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of Ottumwa. The Rams outscored the Bulldogs 30-4, improving to 22-17 overall.

Norwalk and Southeast Polk have split their only two matchups in recent history. The Warriors won the last meeting, 4-2, in 2022.

Today’s winner advances to the second round and a likely game vs. Ames on Monday night. Additional first round games include Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson at top-seeded Waukee Northwest and Des Moines Lincoln at Ames.