IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Law enforcement in Johnson County is preparing for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend as multiple major events converge on the area simultaneously.

The Savannah Bananas are playing to a sold-out Kinnick Stadium crowd Friday and Saturday. A Big and Rich free concert is scheduled in Coralville Friday night. Downtown Iowa City will host Jazz Fest all weekend.

Residents prepare for the crowds

In University Heights — a small city nestled inside Iowa City — resident Maria Scott said she and her husband moved to the corner of Koser and Sunset eight years ago for the quiet.

“Thought it would be a place to land and raise our family,” Scott said.

During Hawkeye home football games, Scott said, that quiet corner becomes a high-demand parking spot. The family uses their lawn as a parking lot.

“I think we park 35 cars just on this property,” Scott said.

This weekend, the Scott family is preparing for two nights of full capacity on their property.

Police plan for game-day-level crowds

The University Heights Police Department is also preparing. University of Iowa Public Safety posted a message to social media listing the weekend’s events and asking the public to be patient.

University Heights Police Chief Chris Akers said the volume of activity is not typical.

“Is this normal to have this much going on during a holiday weekend? Absolutely not,” Akers said.

Akers said officers will assist with traffic and crowd control and will also work inside the stadium. He said the department plans to treat the weekend like a game day, with tens of thousands of people in the area over two days.

“When you come in to Iowa City, you come in to Coralville, you come in to University Heights, you come to the University of Iowa — be patient,” Akers said. “Realize that after that game, the stadium holds about 70,000 people and everybody wants to get home.”

Scott said community participation helps make weekends like this work.

“Our kids love it,” Scott said. “They always ask, ‘When do the tailgaters come back?’”

High School On SI Iowa recently published polls for the midseason high school softball player of the year in each of the five classifications. Now, it is time to vote for the baseball midseason player of the year in Iowa.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association State Baseball Tournament begins July 20 in both Cedar Rapids for Class 4A and Class 3A and in Carroll for Class 2A and Class 1A. Many of the players you will see listed below are part of teams currently ranked in the High School On SI Iowa Top 25 State Baseball Rankings.

Below are the nominees for the High School On SI Iowa Class 1A Baseball Midseason Player of the Year. Stats listed with the players are from Bound and accurate as of June 28, 2026.

Feel free to vote as many times as you like, with voting set to close on Monday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

High School On SI Iowa Class 1A Baseball Midseason Player Of The Year Nominees

Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Junior

Heydon is hitting .623 with a .710 on-base, blasting six homers with 12 doubles, five triples, 53 RBI and 42 runs scored. He has stolen 24 bases and is 4-0 with a save and 61 strikeouts in just under 33 innings pitched.

Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, Senior

Wight, a leader for the Blue Devils, has 44 RBI with 18 doubles, nine homers and three triples. He is batting .581 with 56 runs scored. He has stolen 19 bases and struck out 18 in just under 11 innings.

Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, Senior

Over seven starts and nine games, Mullenbach has yet to allow an earned run, going 8-0 with 41 strikeouts. He has surrendered just three runs total and 23 hits. At the plate, Mullenbach is batting .403 with 33 runs scored and 22 steals.

Colton Moffitt, Baxter, Senior

The Class 1A leader with 109 strikeouts, Moffitt is 9-1 with one save over 53-plus innings. Opponents have just 19 hits and two earned runs off him, as he owns a .106 batting average against and a 0.26 earned run average.

Macklin Loftus, Logan-Magnolia, Sophomore

Just a 10th-grader, Loftus has taken the state by storm, allowing four total hits and one earned run in 32-plus innings, striking out 81 batters. He is a perfect 5-0 on the mound.

About Our Midseason Baseball Player Of The Year Voting

High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.