CLASS 5A
 
At Eck Stadium, Wichita
 

 
BISHOP CARROLL
 
Coach: Charles Ebright
 
Record: 18-4
 
Regional results: beat Salina Central, 3-0; beat Goddard, 7-6.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Shawnee Heights (13-9), 3:30 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: James Brennan, sr., P/1B; Tate Blasi, jr., SS; Van Haneberg, so., 2B/P; Reed Haneberg, jr., 3B; Jack Weakland, jr., P; Ryan Pacha, sr., P.
 
Worth noting: Golden Eagles have qualified for state five straight seasons and 16 times since 2001. … Carroll won titles in 2005 and 2012 and was runner-up in 2010, 2013 and 2018. … Eagles were Greater Wichita Athletic League champions with 15-1 league mark, the lone loss coming to Wichita West. … Two of four losses came to 6A qualifier Derby. … Carroll went 5-0 in 4 days in the final week of regular season as team finished with wins in 16 of last 17 games. … Ebright won 400^th career game this season and is 412-97 in his career. … Blasi was lone returning starter from last year's team and is hitting .410 with 25 RBI and is 15-for-15 in stolen bases. … Brennan is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 49 strikeouts. … Van Haneberg is hitting .435 with 19 RBI and 2 homers and also is 4-1. … Reed Haneberg is hitting .500. … Weakland is 5-0 with a 2.80 ERA.
 

 
BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
Coach: Tyler Kincaid
 
Record: 16-6

Regional results: beast KC Washington, 15-0; beat St. James Academy, 5-2.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. De Soto (16-6), 1:15 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Bo Shinkle, jr., OF-INF; Cooper Kelly, sr., P-IF; Seth Dandridge, jr., P-OF; Ben Bybee, sr., P; Charlie Christensen, sr., P-INF; TJ Coats, jr., P-IF; Mason Pangborn, so., IF-P.
 
Worth noting: Timberwolves are defending Class 5A state champions, beating Andover Central 2-0 in last year's championship game, capping state tourney where they held three opponents to just one run. … Title was second in program history, the other coming in 2015. … Southwest also took second in 2014 and has reached seven times in last nine seasons. … Timberwolves were 11-2 against 6A opponents this season and beat defending Arkansas 6A state champion Rogers 2-0. … Southwest captured Eastern Kansas League title for first time in program history.
 

 
DE SOTO
 
Coach: Joel Thaemert
 
Record: 16-6
 
Regional results: beat Leavenworth, 4-3; beat Mill Valley, 4-2.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Blue Valley Southwest (16-6), 1:15 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Cooper Schwindt, sr., 1B; Bryce Englehart, sr., 2B; Zack Schwarzenberger, srt., OF; Wyatt Lowry, sr., OF/DH; Ethan McCombs, sr., OF; Landon Reith, sr., OF/P; Will Thurman, sr., P/3B; Jack Millman, so., P; Greyson Chappel, jr., P.
 
Worth noting: Wildcats qualified for state for second straight year for second time in program history, and fifth time overall. … Wildcats won 2014 4A Division I championship. … De Soto shared United Kansas Conference with fellow 5A qualifier Shawnee Heights with Heights winning tiebreaker for outright title. … Wildcats beat fellow 5A qualifier and defending champion Blue Valley Southwest 3-1. … Schwindt lead team with .500 average, which set a team record, one of multiple records he set this year. … He also drove in 27 and had 3 home runs. … Four other starters hit better than .300 with the Wildcats hitting .321 as a team. … Thurman was the staff ace with a 5-0 mark and 2.77 ERA. … Reith was 3-4 with a 1.77 ERA and 57 strikeouts, while Millman and Chappel each went 2-1 with Millman also posting 2 saves.
 

 
 
EISENHOWER
 
Coach: Mike Warren
 
Record: 16-5
 
Regional results: beat Arkansas City, 10-0; beat Great Bend, 8-5.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Valley Center (16-6), 5:45 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Tyner Horn, jr., P; William Rogers, jr., OF; Carson Roy, jr., OF; Trey Omli, sr., P.
 
Worth noting: Eisenhower making third trip to state and first since back-to-back appearances in 2013 and 2014, each ending in quarterfinals. … Tigers won the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail II title this season, sealed with doubleheader sweep of rival Goddard in which Tigers won both games in bottom of seventh. … Tigers overcame loss of returning starters Jason McCarty – the team's leading hitter in 2021 – and catcher Noah Stevens to offseason injuries. … Horn was 5-1 and had a save and didn't give up an earned run until the final regular-season game. … He struck out 63 and has a 0.34 ERA. … Rogers is hitting .338 with 2 home runs and 19 RBI. … Roy is hitting .408 with 21 runs scored and 17 RBI. … Omli is 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA. … Warren in second year as head coach of program after spending 35 years coaching in the KJCCC, the last 30 of those at Barton Community College.
 

 
SEAMAN
 
Coach: Trent Oliva
 
Record: 20-2
 
Regional results: beat Emporia, 15-0; beat Hays, 5-0.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (13-9), 11 a.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Dagen Brewer, sr., C; Maclane Finley, sr., P; Bryson Vawter, jr., P/1B; Mason McConnaughey, sr., P; Aidan Polter, sr.
 
Worth noting: Vikings making 18^th straight trip to state, which ties Wyandotte for most consecutive state appearances. … Vikings were knocked off in quarterfinals last year by Hays, who they beat 5-0 in this year's regional finals. … Seaman has nine state championships overall, the last coming in 2019. … Vikings also won titles in 2018, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2004 and 2000. … Vikings were tri-champions of the Centennial League along with 6A state qualifiers Manhattan and Washburn Rural, splitting doubleheaders with each. … Brewer was All-5A third baseman last year, but moved to catcher this season and leads Vikings with .567 average with 7 home runs and 36 RBI. … Finley is hitting .439 with 30 runs scored and has 5 wins and 2 saves. … Vawter is hitting .419 with 24 RBI and also has 5 wins. … McConnaughey has thrown two of the Vikings' three no-hitters this season and has 6 wins. … Polter is hitting .350 with 24 runs scored.
 

 
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
 
Coach: Ryan Schmidt
 
Record: 13-9
 
Regional results: beat Spring Hill, 2-0; beat Bonner Springs, 3-0.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Bishop Carroll (18-4), 3:30 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Caden Walker, sr., OF/P; Evan Smith, jr., 2B; Deacon Pomeroy, fr., C/3B/1B; Trevor Schattilly, sr., P; Nic Perez, jr., P; Braeden Ginter, sr., P.
 
Worth noting: T-Birds return to state for first time since 2018 when they finished third in Class 5A. … Heights has won five state titles in program history – 1991, 1994, 1999, 2001 and 2011 – and also has a pair of runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2016. … Heights won United Kansas Conference title this season, splitting with fellow 5A qualifier De Soto with a 10-9 extra-inning win. … T-Birds also beat fellow 5A qualifier and defending champion Blue Valley Southwest 7-6 in extra innings this year. … Schattilly threw a perfect game against Topeka West this season and is 5-1 with a 1.06 ERA and 36 strikeouts. … Ginter is 2-1 with 4 saves and a 3.00 ERA. … Perez has a 2.06 ERA and 46 strikeouts. … Walker is hitting .397 with 20 runs scored. … Pomeroy is ranked as the No. 1 player in Kansas for the Class of 2025 and is hitting .311 and team leader in doubles and RBI.
 

 
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
 
Coach: Lorne Parks
 
Record: 13-9
 
Regional results: beat Lansing, 3-0; beat Pittsburg, 12-5.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Seaman (20-2), 11 a.m. Thursday
 
Key players: John Merfen, sr.; John Andrews, sr.; Ashton Larson, jr.; Blake O'Brien, so.; Cru Huenfeld, fr.
 
Worth noting: Saints returning to state for first time since 2019 and trip is 12^th overall for the program. … Saints have won three state titles in program history (2007, 2014, 2016) and also have a pair of runner-up finishes and two thirds. … Parks in 23^rd year at Aquinas and in 35^th year of coaching overall. … Aquinas took bulk of losses in ultra-tough Eastern Kansas League.
 

 
VALLEY CENTER
 
Coach: Matt Robertson
 
Record: 16-6
 
Regional results: beat Newton, 1-0; beat Maize South, 7-1.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Eisenhower (16-5), 5:45 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Payton Graham, sr., P; Alex Gillig, sr., 1B/P; Nash Crosby, sr., 2B/P; Jacob Rutschman, jr., SS.
 
Worth noting: Hornets making seventh state appearance in program history and first since 2010 when they finished fourth. … Best state finish was runner-up showing in 2001. … 16-win season was first for program since 2016. … Graham threw 1-0 shutout in regional semifinals against Newton and is 6-1 overall with 0.45 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. … Crosby is hitting .360 with 12 RBI and 13 runs scored. … Rutschman is hitting .354 and has scored 15 runs. … Gillig has 5 saves and 1.50 ERA with 20 strikeouts and worked 4 innings for the win in the regional title game. … He also leads team with 27 RBI. … Hornets led by seven seniors.