BRIAR KLAVER AND TY MCKINNEY (10) celebrate a Webster City run earlier this season. (DFJ file photo)

With the beginning of July fast approaching, it could mean one thing within the realm of Iowa high school sports. That main thing? Regional softball tournaments while baseball teams prepare for district and substate brackets.

As these postseason pictures began to formulate by way of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, the baseball and softball teams within Hamilton County knew what and who they’ll have to go through to achieve greater glory or to salvage underwhelming campaigns.

The latest postseason announcement, which came from the IHSAA on Wednesday, placed the Webster City baseball team into the Class 3A-Substate 2 Tournament. There, the Lynx will begin their quest for an elusive berth to the Class 3A State Baseball Tournament at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City with a rubber match against North Central Conference foe Hampton-Dumont-CAL.

The most meaningful game of the season series between the Lynx and Bulldogs will take place at 7 p.m. on July 7 on the campus of Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School in Hampton. Both squads will technically face one another twice in a week’s time, as the Lynx and Bulldogs will square off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Lynx Field in Webster City.

Hampton-Dumont-CAL took the first game against the purple and gold, taking a narrow 6-5 result on June 12 in Hampton.

The winner will play the winner of July 7’s first round matchup between No. 2-ranked (Class 3A) North Polk and Greene County in Alleman.

Last Friday, the Webster City softball team found out that they will have to become road warriors once the postseason starts, landing in the Class 4A-Region 5 tournament. At 7 p.m. on July 6, the Lynx will take on Mason City at the Mason City High School Softball Complex.

Before Webster City and the Riverhawks go head-to-head, the Lynx will wrap up their NCC slate against Hampton-Dumont-CAL at Lynx Field. Webster City will then engage in the Carlisle Softball Classic this weekend, and play Southeast Valley in both teams’ regular season finales on July 3 in Harcourt.

Historically, Webster City and Mason City have only played one another twice since 2009 — split between the Lynx and Riverhawks.

The winner will advance into the regional semifinals, where Gilbert awaits. The regional semifinal will take place on July 8 in Gilbert.

Beyond that matchup against the Tigers, are possible rematches against No. 2-ranked North Polk or Boone, or against Waverly-Shell Rock in the regional finals.

The South Hamilton baseball team, which has endured its share of ups and downs this summer, will enter the Class 1A-District 3 tournament with a road match against Colo-NESCO at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Duane Newton Field in Zearing.

In recent history between the Hawks and Royals, it’s been mostly South High — who owns a 6-1 advantage in meetings since 2009. In their previous matchup, held last year, the Hawks soundly defeated Colo-NESCO with an 11-1 victory.

Whoever wins will earn a district semifinal matchup against No. 1-ranked Newman Catholic, barring a major upset by BCLUW.

Of the four Hamilton County teams, the South Hamilton softball team gets to enjoy the comforts of home to start their postseason. The Hawks will welcome in Woodward-Granger for a Class 2A-Region 4 first round contest, set for 7 p.m. on Friday evening at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex in Jewell.

It’s been a while since either team has seen one another in action, as both Hawks squads haven’t met on the diamond since 2016. In that meeting, South High picked up a 5-4 victory over Woodward-Granger.

Should South High or Woodward-Granger win, they will earn a road trip to No. 15-ranked South Hardin, slated for 7 p.m. on July 5 on the campus of South Hardin High School in Eldora.