CLASS 6A
 
At LaRoche Baseball Complex, Fort Scott
 

 
BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST
 
Coach: Mike Pangborn
 
Record: 14-8
 
Regional results: beat Blue Valley North, 6-1; beat Gardner-Edgerton, 7-3.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Manhattan (19-3), 11 a.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Matthew Lemke, sr., U; Jack Kreisman, jr., P/OF; Easton Wasinger, jr., P/1B; Trey Mock, jr., SS.
 
Worth noting: Northwest returning to state after making three straight trips from 2017-19, the latter resulting in a runner-up finish. … In all 22 games, the Huskies led in the fifth inning or later, including seventh-inning losses to state qualifiers Blue Valley West and Blue Valley Southwest. … Lemke is two hits shy of the school record with 34 hits and is hitting .472 with 2 home runs and 15 RBI. … Wasinger is 4-0 with 3.03 ERA and 29 strikeouts and also is hitting .324 with 20 RBI. … Kreisman is 3-2 with 2.33 ERA and 62 strikeouts while hitting .338 with 2 homers and 17 RBI. … Mock has 15 RBI.
 

 
BLUE VALLEY WEST
 
Coach: Joe Allison
 
Record: 20-2
 
Regional results: beat Shawnee Mission South, 10-0; beat Blue Valley, 6-3.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Shawnee Mission East (10-12), 3:30 p.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Jackson Lovich, sr., SS; Austin Young, jr., P; Bryce Hanson, sr., P; Zach Darche, jr., DH; Ari Shafton, jr., P; Kyle Jones, sr., 1B.
 
Worth noting: Jaguars making second straight trip to state and 11^th overall. … In last 19 years, Jaguars have won seven Eastern Kansas League titles and two state championships (2007, 2013). … Jaguars knocked out defending state champion Blue Valley in regional title game. … Jaguars were 6-1 in EKL play this season and won the Butch Foster Memorial Tournament, topping Hays 4-3 in title game. … Lovich is a Missouri commit who is hitting .421 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI. … Young is 7-1 with a 2.02 ERA and 56 strikeouts. … Hanson is 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA. … Darche is hitting .387 with 18 RBI. … Jones is hitting .362 with 26 RBI. … Shafton has a 1.68 ERA in 35 innings of relief. … Jaguars is hitting .331 as team with 104 extra-base hits and team ERA is 2.31.
 

 
DERBY
 
Coach: Todd Olmstead
 
Record: 16-6
 
Regional results: beat Wichita East, 5-0; beat Topeka High/Cair Paravel, 10-0.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Washburn Rural (17-5), 5:45 p.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Mercer Thatcher, sr., OF; Saben Seager, sr., SS; Luke Westerman, sr., 2B; Braden Horn, jr., C; Karson Klima, sr., 3B; Drake Thatcher, sr., 1B; Cayden Brown, sr., P; Mitchell Johnson, jr., P; Kade Sheldon, jr., P.
 
Worth noting: Panthers have qualified for state in eight of nine seasons since 2013, taking third last season. … Panthers were 2001 state champions and fourth in 2013. … Panthers swept 5A qualifier Bishop Carroll. … Derby posted shutouts in both regional wins and allowed just four hits and in last six regional games have allowed just 13 total hits while outscoring foes 55-7. … Johnson is 4-1 this season with 38 strikeouts, while Brown has a 1.88 ERA and 35 strikeouts and Sheldon has a 1.85 ERA in relief with 5 holds and 2 saves. … Klima leads team with .471 average and is on 17-game hitting streak. … Seager is hitting .444 with 10 doubles and Westerman is hitting .403 with team-high 22 RBI. … Horn is hitting .459 with 5 home runs. … Mercer Thatcher has scored 27 runs and is hitting .375.
 

 
FREE STATE
 
Coach: Mike Hill
 
Record: 15-7
 
Regional results: beat Junction City, 1-0; beat Dodge City, 10-0.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Olathe West (18-4), 1:15 p.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Maddox Burkitt, sr., OF/P; Brady Kern, jr., SS; Grant Gregory, sr., 3B; Kyle Graves, so., 2B/P.
 
Worth noting: Firebirds making 12^th trip to state and have qualified four straight seasons and six of last seven seasons. … Free State captured state titles in 2006 and 2015 and was runner-up in 2004, 2016 and 2019. … Burkitt was named Sunflower pitcher of the year this season, going 8-1 with a 0.85 ERA and striking out 91 in 57.1 innings. … He also led the Firebirds in hitting at .475 with 13 RBI. … Kern hit .400 with 15 RBI and 15 stolen bases. … Gregory hit .360 with 14 RBI. … Graves had 4 saves and has a 2.92 ERA with 22 strikeouts.
 

 
MANHATTAN
 
Coach: Don Hess
 
Record: 19-3
 
Regional results: beat Wichita Southeast, 9-0; beat Wichita Northwest, 9-0.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Blue Valley Northwest (14-8), 11 a.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Cade Perkins, sr., P; Kyler Horsman, P; Braden Dinkel; Ian Luce.
 
Worth noting: Indians return to state after placing fourth last year. … Program has two state titles (1992, 1998) and has finished runner-up three times. … Indians were tri-champs of Centennial League with fellow state qualifiers Washburn Rural (6A) and Seaman (5A), splitting with both. … Only other loss came to Wichita Life Prep. … Perkins is 7-0 while Horsman is 5-1. … Horsman is also hitting .512, while Dinkel is hitting .500. … Luce is hitting .421. … Hess is 433-128 in career.
 

 
OLATHE WEST
 
Coach: Richard Sabath
 
Record: 18-4
 
Regional results: beat Wyandotte, 14-0; beat Olathe South, 2-1 (8 innings).
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Free State (15-7), 1:15 p.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Alec Stewart, SS; Cameron Carter, OF; Will Krzykowski, OF; Mitch Warren, OF; Andrew Evans, P; Kasey Crawford, P.
 
Worth noting: Owls qualified for state for the second straight year for only appearances in program's brief history. … Last year's trip ended with 5-3 quarterfinal loss to Manhattan. … Owls were Sunflower League champions, going 12-1 in league play. … Two of four losses came to Missouri schools and another to 5A qualifier and defending champion Blue Valley Southwest. … Owls avenged only other loss with 2-1 extra-inning win over Olathe South in regional title game on walk-off RBI single by Carter in bottom of eighth. … Owls are hitting .332 as team with Stewart's .500 average leading the way. … He also is tied with Warren for team lead in RBI with 21. … Carter is hitting .435 and has driven in 17 while Krzykowski also has 17 RBI and 15 stolen bases. … Jon Davis set school record with 5 home runs and Warren has 3. … Evans leads staff with 6-1 mark ad 1.60 ERA with 56 strikeouts. … Crawford is 5-1 with 38 strikeouts.
 

 
SHAWNEE MISSION EAST
 
Coach: Will Gorden
 
Record: 10-12
 
Regional results: beat Shawnee Mission Northwest, 1-0; beat Olathe Northwest, 5-3 (11 innings).
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Blue Valley West (20-2), 3:30 p.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Jack Laird, jr., P; Tate Moody, sr., SS; Anthony Mazza, so., C; Carter Rose, fr., P.
 
Worth noting: Last time Lancers played in the state tournament in 2016, they captured Class 6A state title. … Championship was third for the program with others coming in 1984 and 1995. … Regional semifinal upset of SM Northwest came a week after losing to the Cougars 3-2. … The 11-inning regional title win over Olathe Northwest was third such win of the season and avenged a 10-0 loss to the Ravens in the regular season. … Lancers started season 2-8 before winning 8 of last 12. … Laird has given up just four earned runs all season and has a 0.56 ERA with opponents hitting .176 against him. … Rose has a 1.29 ERA as a freshman. … Mazza is hitting .369. … Moody is a four-year starter hitting .324.
 

 
WASHBURN RURAL
 
Coach: Jay Mastin
 
Record: 17-5
 
Regional results: beat Wichita North, 11-1; beat Campus, 5-0.
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Derby (16-6), 5:45 p.m. Friday.
 
Key players: Robby Bolin, sr., OF; Brock Howard, sr., 1B; Carson Rosen, sr., P; Colin Redeker, so., OF; Kyle Walker, so., SS.
 
Worth noting: Junior Blues making fourth straight state appearance and sixth since 2014, taking third in both 2016 and 2019. … Rural was state champion in both 1950 and 1952. … Rural shared Centennial League title with state qualifiers Manhattan (6A) and Seaman (5A), splitting doubleheaders with each. … League title was third straight. … Only other losses came to Hays, Mill Valley and Liberty (Mo.). … Rosen posted five wins and sports a 1.85 ERA with 43 strikeouts. … Walker led team in hitting as sophomore with .478 average, driving in 15 and scoring 39 runs. … Bolin hit .426 with 2 home runs and 26 RBI. … Redeker hit .411 with 19 RBI and Howard hit .357 with 15 RBI.