KHSAA Baseball State Tournament Starts Thursday
The Clark’s Pump-N-Shop KHSAA Baseball State Tournament starts Thursday at Kentucky Proud Park on the University of Kentucky campus. The first rounds are scheduled for June 2 and June 3, with the quarterfinals scheduled for June 4. There is a chance of rain during the first day, but Friday and Saturday look to be clear.
The four semifinalists will reconvene at UK for the semifinals on June 10 and finals on June 11. First-round games begin Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. EST.
Quarter One
#6 Beechwood (28-6; .646 RPI) vs #5 Owensboro Catholic (30-4; .670 RPI)
#17 Russell County (28-6; .612 RPI) vs #13 Madison Central (28-7; .630 RPI)
When state tournaments do not seed, you get lopsided brackets like this. Four of the nine ranked teams are all in this quarter. Beechwood vs Owensboro Catholic could be the matchup of the first round, if not the tournament. Due to rain, the Beechwood Tigers needed to win three games in two days to capture the 9th Region title on Sunday while Owensboro Catholic won the 3rd Region title way back on Thursday, giving them more time to rest. Beechwood is led by juniors Cameron Boyd (.405 AVG, 15 HR), Bryce Estep (.475 AVG, 54 RBI) and football standout Mitchell Berger (7-0, 2.44 ERA). Owensboro Catholic has a deep and talented lineup highlighted by seniors Luke Evans (.505 AVG) and football standout Braden Mundy (.433 AVG).
The Russell County-Madison Central game should be very competitive. Russell County has some big-time arms, including seniors Nathan Lawson (9-2, 0.95 ERA) and Cody Luttrell (11-0, 0.55 ERA). The duo allowed only two earned runs in the big 7-3 victory over #9 Bowling Green in the 4th Region semifinals. Madison Central claimed the 11th Region championship, which is always one of the best regions in Kentucky. The Indians are led by seniors Hayden Robbins (.495 AVG) and John Girard (8-2, 0.94 ERA).
Quarter Two
Boyd County (25-9; .603 RPI) vs #7 Danville (30-8; .620 RPI)
DeSales (25-14; .540 RPI) vs Woodford County (24-13; .589 RPI)
After being nationally ranked at times last year, Danville lost in the state semifinals to McCracken County. Despite suffering heavy graduation losses, the Admirals are back in the state tournament with plenty of firepower including seniors Brady Baxter (2.06 ERA, .487 AVG) and Brady Morse (1.65 ERA, .480 AVG). They will be the favorites to emerge from this quarter but will likely need to get by Boyd County senior Jake Biggs, who is an excellent starting pitcher (1.46 ERA) and hitter (.452 AVG).
DeSales pitched a 1-0 shutout against 6th Region favorite Fern Creek in the semifinals, with senior Jacob Parker (2-0, 1.78 ERA) pitching 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings. Woodford County upset North Oldham in the 8th Region finals behind a gem from sophomore Landon Corum (4-2, 1.67 ERA), who gave up only one earned run in seven innings. Junior Cole Dycus (9-1, 0.68 ERA) could get the start for the Yellow Jackets.
Quarter Three
#1 McCracken County (33-6; .660 RPI) vs Hazard (27-9; .605 RPI)
Johnson Central (16-21; .473, RPI) vs Campbell County (23-10; .595 RPI)
The McCracken County Mustangs have a lot of accomplishments on their resume. They have won the 1st Region all eight years the school has existed. They have made at least the semifinals in the last five state tournaments, finishing runner-up in 2019 and 2021 — the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID. Last year they got a grand slam from Ben Higdon to knock off nationally-ranked Danville 15-10 in an epic comeback in the state semifinals before falling to 2nd round MLB draft pick Daylen Lile and powerhouse Trinity 10-0 in the finals.
Despite all those accomplishments, the Mustangs are seeking their first state title. Led by two-way standout senior Jack Bennett (.063 ERA .468 AVG) and 2021 state final starter sophomore Ross Aldridge (2.64 ERA) this may be the year they win it all. They will be the heavy favorites to defeat Hazard and make it out of the quarter.
Campbell County will be favored to defeat Johnson Central. The Camels are making their second straight state tournament appearance. They were the state runner-up in 2016. The Golden Eagles shocked #17 Lawrence County 4-1 in the 15th Region championship but are the only team with a losing record in the field.
Quarter Four
#21 Central Hardin (28-9; .607 RPI) vs #23 Corbin (26-12; .587 RPI)
#3 St. Xavier (30-10; .641 RPI) vs Christian County (29-7; .606 RPI)
After starting 1-4, Corbin has bounced back nicely and is hot at the right time; their game with Central Hardin should be a barn burner. Central Hardin won the state title in 2011 while Corbin is the home of current UK standout Chase Estep.
St. Xavier destroyed #2 Trinity 11-0 in what was supposed to be a 7th Region final showdown between the rivals. Instead, junior Ty Starke (7-0, 1.13 ERA) and senior Lucas Lantz (4-1, 2.92 ERA) combined to pitch five shutout innings while senior Jacob Bennett (.427 AVG) drove in three on his 13th homer of the season. The Tigers are seeking their 4th title since 2014 and 10th overall and will be the favorites to defeat Christian County to come out of the bottom quarter. The Colonels are led by junior Elijah Underhill (.382 AVG, 2.05 ERA).
Rankings are from Prep Baseball Report.
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