2023 BASEBALL PREVIEW
 

 
CLASS 6A
 
2022 State Champion: Blue Valley West
 
2022 State Runner-up: Manhattan
 
2022 Review: Blue Valley West spent much of the 2022 season looking like the team to beat in Class 6A. The Jaguars lost just twice during the regular season and then knocked off 2021 6A state champion Blue Valley in the regional finals to secure the No. 1 seed in the 6A state tournament bracket. Powered by 6A player of the year Jackson Lovich, West rolled past Shawnee Mission East 8-2 in the state quarterfinals and then routed Washburn Rural 12-5 in the semifinals. But the Jaguars found themselves in a dogfight in the finals against No. 2 seed Manhattan, which had only three losses in its regular season and had edged Blue Valley Northwest 3-2 in the quarterfinals and topped Olathe West 8-2 in the semifinals. West went up 3-1 in the fourth inning of the title game on a two-run double by Alex Villegas only to see Manhattan come back in the fifth and tie the game. Lovich came on in relief and shut down the Indians from there and in the bottom of the seventh, Kyle Jones’ RBI single gave West the 4-3 win and its first state title since 2013. West finished the season 23-2 while Manhattan finished 21-4. Washburn Rural beat Olathe West 13-9 in the third-place game to finish its season 19-6 while Olathe West ended up 19-6 as well.
 
2023 Contenders: After losing nine seniors off its 2022 state championship team, Blue Valley West will have to do some serious reloading to make a run at a second straight title this season. The most notable of the graduation losses was 6A player of the year Jackson Lovich, a Missouri signee who hit well over .400 from his shortstop position and also was a key pitcher for the Jaguars. West also lost All-6A first-team first baseman Kyle Jones, who had the game-winning RBI in the state championship game, and honorable mention outfielder Alex Villegas. The cupboard is far from bare with the Jaguars returning their top-two pitchers from last year in seniors Austin Young, who was 8-1 and a first-team All-6A selection, and Ari Shafton, an honorable mention All-6A pick. Zach Darche also returns after being a second-team All-6A pick at designated hitter. Runner-up a year ago, Manhattan also has some big holes to fill with the loss of seven seniors, including first-team All-6A pitcher Cade Perkins and first-team All-6A shortstop Braden Dinkel. But first-team All-6A third baseman Kyler Horsman returns, as does first-team All-Centennial League pick Ian Luce, a pitcher-outfielder. The Indians will have at least 10 seniors on this year’s roster and have finished top-four at state the past two seasons. Washburn Rural shared the Centennial League title with Manhattan and 5A state qualifier Seaman and has qualified for state each of the past four seasons, taking third for the third time since 2016. The Junior Blues must replace second-team All-6A outfielder Robby Bolin, first-team all-league first baseman Brock Howard and ace Carson Rosen, but return a strong nucleus led by senior Ty Weber, an honorable mention All-6A pick at DH and juniors Colin Redeker and Kyle Walker, the latter last year’s league newcomer of the year. Olathe West captured the Sunflower League title last year and finished fourth at the state tournament, posting a program-best record of 19-6. West hit .332 as a team last year but must replace 11 seniors, including first-team All-6A picks Andrew Evans, Will Krzykowski and Alex Stewart. Returners Cameron Carter and Kasey Crawford give the Owls a solid 1-2 punch on the mound with Crawford going 5-2 and Carter hitting over .400 on his way to first-team All-6A honors. Free State has been a consistent contender in Class 6A, qualifying for state last year for the fourth straight season and sixth time in the last seven years. The Firebirds, who have five top-two finishes since 2004 including titles in 2006 and 2015, fell in last year’s quarterfinals to Olathe West. Free State lost 6A pitcher of the year Maddox Burkitt and first-team all-league third baseman Grant Gregory to graduation with Burkitt also earning first-team All-6A honors at outfield as well as being named the Sunflower League pitcher of the year. Senior infielder Brady Kern and junior infielder/pitcher Kyle Graves leads a relatively young team this season with just four seniors returning off last year’s state team. Derby has qualified for state eight times in the past nine years with a best finish in that stretch a third-place showing in 2021. The Panthers were 16-7 last year, falling in the quarterfinals to Washburn Rural. Eight seniors graduated off last year’s state team with four of them first-team All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I picks. Senior catcher Braden Horn was a second-team All-6A pick last year and the AVCTLI player of the year, hitting over .450 with 5 home runs, as was senior pitcher Mitchell Johnson, who was 4-1. Senior pitcher Kade Sheldon was a standout reliever/outfielder for the Panthers last year. Blue Valley Northwest returned to state for the first time since 2019 when the Huskins finished as state runners-up. Northwest went 14-9 last season, but led in the fifth inning or later in all of those games, falling 3-2 in the state quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Manhattan. The Huskies must replace nine seniors, including first-team All-6A pick Matt Lemke, but have one of the top returning 1-2 pitching combos in 6A with the return of Easton Wasinger and Jack Kreisman, the latter a first-team All-Eastern Kansas League pick at both pitcher and outfield. Shawnee Mission East was a surprise state qualifier last year, starting the season 2-8 before winning 8 of last 12 in the regular season and then upsetting Shawnee Mission Northwestand Olathe Northwest in regional play after losing to both during the season. The Lancers lost seven seniors, including four-year starting shortstop Tate Moody, but return a bulk of the their starters, including ace Jack Laird, who has a sub-1.00 ERA last year. Carter Rose had a 1.29 ERA last year as a freshman and catcher Anthony Mazza led the team in hitting last year as a sophomore. Gardner-Edgerton took a 19-2 record into its regional finals before getting upset by Blue Valley Northwest 7-3. The Trailblazers return first-team All-6A designated hitter Austin Buie but must replace a trio of All-Sunflower League picks including second baseman Carson Schrack. Shawnee Mission Northwest finished 13-8 after getting upset by SM East and lost first-team All-6A pitcher Ryan Borberg. Wichita Northwest was just 10-11 last year but reached the regional finals after upsetting Wichita Heights and returns second-team All-6A selections Taccari Brown and Brady Unrein. Olathe South went 13-9, falling 2-1 in 8 innings in the regional finals to Olathe West. The Falcons will be led by senior catcher Nick English. State champs in 2021, Blue Valley slipped to a 13-9 mark last year, losing to Blue Valley West in the regional finals. The Tigers graduated both of their all-league selections, but are expected to challenge this year.
 

 
CLASS 5A
 
2022 State Champion: Blue Valley Southwest
 
2022 State Runner-up: Bishop Carroll
 
2022 Review: Blue Valley Southwest and Seaman have been the dominant programs in Class 5A the past four years and appeared headed for a semifinal showdown at last year’s state tournament. Southwest rolled past De Soto 10-0 in its quarterfinal and Seaman jumped out to an 8-0 lead after two innings its quarterfinal against St. Thomas Aquinas. But the Saints rallied for a wild 10-9 win to stun and knock out Seaman and Blue Valley Southwest blew past Aquinas 12-2 in the semifinals and then beat Bishop Carroll 5-2 in the championship game to capture the program’s second straight state championship, finishing the season 19-6 overall. The crown was Southwest’s third since 2015 with Seaman capturing two of the three in between with back-to-back crowns in 2018 and 2019. Kansas signee Cooper Kelly threw five innings of three-hit ball in the title game for Southwest and the Timberwolves used a four-run second inning to grab control against the Golden Eagles, who had edged Shawnee Heights 2-0 in the quarterfinals and then won 4-3 over Valley Center in the semifinals on a walk-off hit batsman. Carroll finished 20-5 overall, while Aquinas beat Valley Center 13-3 in the third-place game to finish the season 15-10. Valley Center finished 17-8.
 
2023 Contenders: After winning the 2021 state title, Blue Valley Southwest had to replace 5A pitcher of the year Ben Kudrna, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas, and a host of other standouts. After going through some growing pains during the regular season, the Timberwolves gelled and captured a second straight state title last season. In 2023, Southwest once again will have to replace the 5A pitcher of the year, losing Charlie Christensen to graduation. Also gone are first-team All-5A pitcher Ben Bybee, the Eastern Kansas League pitcher of the year, as well as all-league infielders Kuyper Kendall and Cooper Kelly and six other seniors. But plenty returns for the Timberwolves to make a run at a three-peat. Senior Bo Shinkle was the team’s leading hitter last season and was a first-team All-5A selection. Junior Anson Seibert will move into the ace position after closing out last year’s title game win over Bishop Carroll. Seniors Seth Dandridge and TJ Coats and junior Mason Pangborn will provide pitching depth and fill key position roles. Bishop Carroll is poised to end Southwest’s reign and capture its first state title since 2012 after losing just four seniors off last year’s 20-5 runner-up team. The Golden Eagles gave veteran coach Charlie Ebright his 400^th career win last year, a season that saw the team enter with just one returning starter from 2021, shortstop Tate Blasi. Blasi is back for his senior year this season after earning first-team All-5A honors last year. He’s one of three returners that earned All-5A honors with fellow senior pitcher Jack Weakland and junior infielder Van Haneberg honorable mention picks. Weakland went 6-0 last year and Haneberg led the team in hitting. St. Thomas Aquinas rode the momentum of a stunning rally against Seaman in the state quarterfinals a year ago to a third-place state finish. The Saints trailed 8-0 after two innings of their quarterfinal with the top-seeded Vikings, but rallied for a 10-9 win. Aquinas fell to eventual champ Blue Valley Southwest in the semifinals, but routed Valley Center for third. The Saints only lost five players to graduation, most notably infielders Joe Puetz, John Merfen and John Andrews, but return a strong nucleus including second-team All-5A selections Cru Huenfeld and Ashton Larson and honorable mention pick Blake O’Brien. Aquinas last won a state title in 2016, the third in its history. Valley Center rode seven seniors to a 17-8 record and fourth-place finish last year, the program’s best showing since taking fourth in 2010. The Hornets must replace All-5A pitcher Payton Graham and all-league infielders Alex Gillig and Nash Crosby, but Jacob Rutschman returns at shortstop after hitting over .350. Seaman’s stunning exit spoiled the Vikings’ bid to capture their first state championship since going back-to-back as champs in 2018 and 2019. Graduation hit the Vikings hard with the loss of All-5A catcher Dagen Brewer and middle infielder/pitch Maclane Finley among nine seniors on last year’s team. Seaman does return ace Bryson Vawter, who was a first-team 5A pick at both pitcher and designated hitter. He’s one of only five returners with varsity experience for the Vikings with sophomore Max Huston and senior Scout Jellison both earning All-Centennial League honors last year. Eisenhower was 16-6 last year, falling in the state quarterfinals to Valley Center 6-5. The Tigers were a junior-dominated team last year despite having seven seniors on the state roster. Senior Tyner Horn returns as the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail II pitcher of the year last season when he was 5-1 in the regular season and didn’t give up an earned run until the final game of the regular season. He also earned All-5A first-team honors, while fellow senior Carson Roy was a second-team pick after leading the team in hitting. De Soto and Shawnee Heights were both state qualifiers out of the United Kansas Conference and will battle with league newcomer Seaman this year for the league title this season. De Soto fell 10-0 to eventual champion Blue Valley Southwest in the state quarterfinals last year, the second straight state trip for the Wildcats. De Soto graduated eight seniors who earned all-league honors of some kind, including league player of the year Cooper Schwindt – a first-team All-5A pick – and pitcher of the year Landon Reith. Returning pitchers Jack Millman and Greyson Chappel give the Wildcats a solid duo after each went 2-1 last year. Heights, meanwhile, lost 10 seniors to graduation, four of whom earned all-league honors. Sophomore Deacon Pomeroy played all over the field and was a first-team all-league selection in the infield and is one of three returners who earned honors along with seniors Nic Perez and Evan Smith. The T-Birds lost 2-0 in the quarterfinals last year to runner-up Bishop Carroll and own five state titles in program history, the last coming in 2011. Maize was 13-8 last season and won the 5A state title in 2017. The Eagles return first-team All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I pitcher Cooper Burke but must replace six players who earned all-league honors. Hays was 13-9 but also lost a stellar senior class including 5A player of the year Dylan Dreiling, now playing for the University of Tennessee. St. James Academy fell 5-2 to Blue Valley Southwest in the regional finals but return first-team All-Eastern Kansas League outfielder Jeremy Comer and two others who were second-team all-league selections in senior catcher Miller Murray and fellow senior Bryce Ungashick. Maize South went 16-6 and was knocked off in the regional finals by Valley Center. In addition to replacing two-way first-team all-leaguer Isaac Epp, the Mavericks also lost four others who earned all-league honors. Junior pitcher Luke Youngdahl, junior second baseman Jack Martens and sophomore third baseman Tate McNew lead the returners. 
 

 
CLASS 4A
 
2022 State Champion: McPherson
 
2022 State Runner-up: Tonganoxie
 
2022 Review: After being a fixture at the state tournament for years, McPherson finally reached the top of Class 4A last year under veteran coach Heath Gerstner. The Bullpups went into the state tournament as the No. 1 seed and showed why they were every bit the favorite. After beating El Dorado 7-3 in the quarterfinals, McPherson downed Ottawa 6-1 in the semifinals before beating No. 2 seed Tonganoxie 5-2 in the championship game. The Bullpups scored twice in the bottom of the first of the title game and got RBI hits from Dawson Feil and Tucker Pelnar later in the game to build a 5-0 lead before Tonganoxie scored twice in the seventh before Hunter Alvord clinched the title. McPherson finished the season 23-2 while Tonganoxie, which reached the title game with a 10-5 win over Abilene in the quarterfinals and a 7-5 win over Frontier League rival Paola in the semifinals, finished with a 20-4 mark. Paola topped Ottawa 6-0 for third place as the Frontier League put three in the top four Paola finishing 16-8 and Ottawa 16-8.
 
2023 Contenders: Now that McPherson has broken through for its first title, the pressure would seemingly be off the Bullpups. Then again with so many key players returning off last year’s title team, expectations for a repeat run at the state title are extremely high, giving McPherson a different kind of pressure to deal with. The Bullpups only graduated three seniors off last year’s title team, most notably first-team All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail III picks Aiden Hoover and Tytin Goebel. But the roster is loaded, particularly on the mound where seniors Hunter Alvord and Jaret Myers were a combined 17-2 last year with both first-team all-league selections and Myers a first-team All-4A pick. Alvord shared 4A player of the year honors with Tonganxoie’s Gehrig Goldbeck and was the league player of the year. Senior catcher Dawson Feil was a first-team all-leaguer and is one of three other returners who earned league honors. Tonganoxie’s runner-up finish a year ago was the best in program history. The Chieftains won the Frontier League title, a league that produced three of the top-four finishers at the state tournament, and knocked out 2021 state champion Bishop Miege in the regional finals on Sam Kleidosty’s three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth. Kleidosty was one of eight seniors on the roster last year and the graduation losses are significant with 4A co-player of the year Gehrig Goldbeck and 4A pitcher of the year Owen Welsh among them. Senior catcher Logan Wake was second-team All-5A and first-team all-league and is one of three returners who earned postseason honors along with junior outfielder Trevor McGraw and senior infielder Rocco Gehring. Paola is in a similar boat as Tonganoxie in having to replace a bulk of its key performers from teams that have finished third at state each of the past two seasons. The Panthers graduated nine seniors overall, including 2021 4A pitcher of the year Caden Marcum, who was a first-team 4A pick in the outfield last year. Departed players Dalton Picek and Dillon Ohlmeier also earned All-4A honors of some kind. Seniors Kolby Wheeler and Kale Murdock lead the returners with Wheeler a second-team 4A and all-league pick. Fourth at state last year in its first state appearance since 2018, Ottawa split with Tonganoxie last year to finish runner-up in the tough Frontier League. The Cyclones lost six seniors, but return first-team All-4A pitcher TJ Kerns, who was just a sophomore last year. Brandon Reynolds and Jake Titus also return after earning honorable mention all-league honors last year. Iola very well could be McPherson’s top challenger in 4A this season after capturing a state title in 2018. The Mustangs were 16-5 last year and only graduated five seniors off a team that hit a collective .371 and had a team ERA of 3.12. Seniors Jarrett Herrmann and Branon McKarnin were first-team All-4A selections last year at third base and outfield, respectively, while junior Korbin Cloud was a second-team 4A pick at pitcher. The Mustangs return six starters overall, including their entire infield and pitching staff. After taking runner-up at state in 2021 with a senior-dominated team, Clay Center returned to state last year with a 16-4 mark before falling 5-0 in the quarterfinals to Paola. The Tigers will be primed to make another run at a title this season, returning all but one player off last year’s team. That includes a trio of first-team All-North Central Kansas League performers in senior infielder Mark Hoffman and juniors Carter Long and Tucker Jackson, as well as three second-team all-league picks. Jackson and Long were the team’s leading hitters last year with Long belting 5 homers and driving in 31. Fellow NCKL rival Abilene also qualified for state last year, rallying from a 7-0 deficit to Andale/Garden Plain in the regional finals with a five-run seventh for the walk-off win. The Cowboys lost 10-5 to Tonganoxie in the state quarterfinals to finish 13-9 and must replace seven seniors, including all-leaguers Carter Taplin and Sam Burton. But they return staff ace Stocton Timbrook, who also was the team’s leading hitter as a sophomore last year. Fellow juniors Zach Miller and Kyson Becker joined him as first-team all-leaguers. El Dorado was just the No. 12 seed in the west bracket last year, but qualified for state after upsetting Circle and Clearwater in regional play. The Wildcats were 10-13 overall, losing to eventual champion McPherson 7-3 in the state quarterfinals. Senior pitcher Drew Veatch earned second-team All-4A honors and leads a veteran returning squad with only three seniors graduating off last year’s state roster. Buhler was 15-5 and the top seed in the regional El Dorado advanced out of, but was upset 4-3 in eight innings by Clearwater. The Crusaders return standout Jeffrey Neil, who was a first-team all-league pick at two positions last year as a sophomore. Fellow junior Jace Henderson also was a first-team all-leaguer but Buhler must replace three all-league selections. Circle was 13-7 when it lost to El Dorado in regional play. The T-Birds lost standout Jake Hagemann but return all-leaguers in Blaine Bourne, Landon Haines and Cooper Chadwell. Bishop Miege captured the 2021 state title but fell to Tonganoxie in the regional finals. The Stags are traditionally battle-tested by the Eastern Kansas League and return first-team All-4A selection Victor Christal. Rock Creek saw its bid to return to the state tournament end with a 5-0 loss to Iola in the regional finals, ending a 14-6 season. The Mustangs lost All-4A catcher Zac Becker but return almost everyone else after being a young team last season. Four players who earned All-Mid-East League honors are back. Wamego was 15-5 last year, upset in the regional semifinals by Hayden last year. Both teams should be in the hunt this season with Wamego returning standouts Chase Cottam, Hayden Oviatt and Dawson Tajchman, who were first-team all-league selections. Hayden returns all-leaguer Bradyn Rose, a three-year starter. 
 

 
CLASS 3A
 
2022 State Champion: Wichita Collegiate
 
2022 State Runner-up: Columbus
 
2022 Review: Returning all nine starters from its 2021 state-qualifying team, Wichita Collegiate entered the 2022 season as the team to beat in Class 3A. And nobody in 3A could. The Spartans suffered a regular-season loss to 4A Mulvane, but that was the lone blemish on their ledger all season. Collegiate cruised to the fifth state championship in program history, beating Goodland 7-1 in the state quarterfinals, Girard 7-2 in the semifinals and then topping Columbus 10-3 in the championship game, finishing with a 23-1 record. Ashtun Villagomez had three hits and drove in two runs in the title game and Landon Ramsey and Brady Hunt each drove in two as Collegiate hit Columbus with a four-run second inning and then rode Ramsey and Drew Charbonneau on the mound to the win. Columbus finished 22-3 while Bishop Ward edged Girard 7-6 in the third place game to finish 23-3 and Girard finishing 21-5.
 
2023 Contenders: While Wichita Collegiate won’t return its entire roster as it did a year ago, the Spartans will look awfully familiar to the rest of 3A as they go for a second straight championship. Graduation claimed only three players off last year’s title team, most notably the middle infield duo of Ashtun Villagomez and Drew Charbonneau, who were second-team All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail IV selections last year. Pitching was a strength for the Spartans all season as they went into state with a team ERA of 1.57 and allowed just 51 runs in 24 games, and it will be again this year as 4A pitcher of the year and AVCTL IV player of the year Hayden Malaise returns to lead the staff. He was 10-0 last year while fellow returner Brett Black was 8-1 and was a first-team all-leaguer at pitcher and first-team all-league and All-4A at first base. Junior catcher Brady Hunt was a first-team All-4A and all-league pick as well and junior outfielder Brett Wetta was the team’s leading hitter. Coming off the best season in program history, Columbus is poised to challenge Collegiate once again for the title. The Titans lost just two players to graduation, senior infielder Jaxson Haraughty and pitcher Jake Scibor. Columbus will be senior-dominant this season with 10 returning from last year’s state roster, led by staff aces Seth Stover and Kolt Ungeheuer and catcher Landon Midgett, who were second-team All-3A selections with Stover also a unanimous All-CNC pick. The Titans will get pushed in league play by Girard, which finished fourth last year and with a 21-5 mark. The Trojans split with Columbus last year as the two shared the CNC title. Graduation claimed seven players from the state team, but the Trojans return ace Trevor Amershek and leading RBI guy Alex Coester. Bishop Ward only lost to 5A programs St. Thomas Aquinas and St. James Academy before falling 9-3 to Columbus in last year’s state semifinals. The Cyclones were undefeated Kaw Valley Conference champions and have as rich of a history as nearly any program in the state with 13 state championships overall. The Cyclones must replace eight seniors, including All-3A infielder Erik Tapia, who also was the team’s ace. Junior Chris Mancinas and sophomore Manny Dunn were first-team all-league selections last year and will lead the team this season. Sabetha has qualified for state three times in the program’s five-year existence and won state titles in 2018 and 2019. The Bluejays might have another title run in them this year, returning all but one player off last year’s team that lost 5-4 to eventual runner-up Columbus in last year’s quarterfinals. Seniors Josh Herrmann and Jonathan Renyer and juniors Christian McAfee and Marcus Bauman were first-team All-Big Seven League picks last year with Renyer leading the team in hitting and McAfee going 4-1 on the mound as Sabetha went 15-8 overall. Renyer will miss the season with a shoulder injury from football and wrestling, however. Halstead is coming off just the second trip to state in program history, losing in the quarterfinals to Bishop Ward. The Dragons graduated six seniors, but returns their top player in senior Kaleb Wise, who led the team in hitting and RBI and also went 4-2. Jase Mueller gives Halstead another strong arm after the graduation of first-team All-Central Kansas League pitcher Chandler Drake, who threw three shutouts last year. TMP-Marian went 14-6 last year, losing in the quarterfinals to Girard. Only five seniors graduated pff that team. Goodland was seeded just fourth in its regional last year before winning three straight to make it to state for the first time since 2016. The Cowboys lost only senior Jackson Griffith off the state team, returning everybody else to make another run. Juniors Cole Linton and Manny Gonzalez were first-team All-Great West Activities Conference picks last year. If not for Columbus being in their regional, Frontenac very well could have challenged for the 3A state title with the Raiders falling 5-1 to the Titans in the regional finals to end a 18-4 season. The Raiders lost a pair of first-team All-CNC picks in pitcher Collin McCartney and outfield Jeremy Reid, but return unanimous all-league infielder Logan Myers and second-team all-league picks Mario Menghini and Lane Sullivan. Anderson County went 19-1 in the regular season and reached the regional finals before falling 8-6 to Girard, finishing the season 21-2. The Bulldogs lost leading hitters Dalton Kellerman and Derek Rockers, who were All-3A picks last year but first-team All-Pioneer League pick Dallas Kueser is back after hitting .449 with 24 RBI, as is Braden Blaufuss, who hit .444 with 27 RBI and as a second-team all-leaguer. Humboldt also saw its season ended by Girard in regional, finishing the season 20-2. First-team All-Tri-Valley League players Trey Sommer and Logan Page return as does second-teamer Sam Hull. Osage City was in the same regional, losing in the semifinals to Anderson County, and finished last year 18-4. The Indians lost second-team All-3A pitcher Garrett Fager to graduation and return just one All-Flint Hills League selection, junior infielder Logun Fager, among six starters back. Fager is one of three returning pitchers that went 2-0 last year along with juniors Noah Lohmeyer and Zane Orender, while senior Kaden Kirkpatrick was 4-2. Southeast of Saline was 17-5 last year and Haven went 18-5, both falling in regional play to Halstead. Southeast lost first-team All-3A third baseman Evan Nickelson to graduation but return a pair of first-team All-NCAA picks in Landen Allen and Luke Gebhardt, who each hit better than .400 last year. Allen also led the pitching staff in victories and ERA. Haven returns a trio of All-Central Kansas League performers, including first-teamer DJ Miller. Rossville went 19-2 last year, upset in the regional semifinals by Santa Fe Trail in a 1-0 decision. The Bulldawgs only return two starters, senior Kade Perine and junior Camden Horak, and 75% of the roster will be made up by freshmen and sophomores. Ellsworth was 18-4 last year, but graduated 3A player of the year Dayton Davis.
 

 
CLASS 2-1A
 
2022 State Champion: Mission Valley
 
2022 State Runner-up: Little River
 
2022 Review: The state tournament had been nothing but frustration for Mission Valley, which hadn’t won a game in its previous eight trips prior to last season’s appearance. When the Vikings were finally able to get over that hump, they opened up the floodgate of those years of shortcomings. After routing Remington 10-0 in the quarterfinals for that elusive first state win, Mission Valley followed with a dominating 14-4 victory over Valley Falls in the semifinals. That set up a showdown with Little River in the title game and it was an epic clash. Tied 2-2 after four innings, Little River took a 4-2 lead in the fifth. But Mission Valley came back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning as Keaton Marcotte and Jon Grame each delivered RBI doubles and Grame scoring on a balk. In the seventh, Little River’s Braden Young led off with a bunt single and Dalton Mantz reached on an error. Viking reliever Joel Deters got a double play ground ball and then retired the next hitter on a flyout as the Vikings held on for a 5-4 win and the program’s first state title, capping a 23-1 season in which they only lost to Valley Falls in the regular season. Little River finished 20-6. Valley Falls beat Colony-Crest 16-6 in the third-place game to finish 21-4, while Crest finished 24-2.
 
2023 Contenders: Fresh off winning the first state championship in program history, Mission Valley will have almost a completely new look to it in 2023 as it goes after a repeat. Not only did the Viking lose seven seniors, including first-team All-Class 2-1A picks Carter Phillips and Keaton Marcotte and two other first-team all-league picks, but coach Justin Duncan also has left. First-year coach Darrin Godfrey takes over for Duncan and inherits a team that will be led by returning first-team All-Flint Hills League outfielder Victor Vargas and second-team all-leaguers Porter Deters and Preston Bolte. Runner-up to Mission Valley at state last year, Little River is better positioned for a return to the title game this season with seven starters back. The Redskins will miss departed starters Kaden Schafer and Ty Herzog, who anchored the corners, but return first-team All-2-1A picks in seniors Braden Young, the team’s second-leading hitter last year, and Grant Stephens, who led the team in RBI. Young, fellow senior Dalton Mantz and sophomore Logan Renken will anchor the pitching staff. Colony-Crest was the one unbeaten in last year’s state tourney, going 20-0 in the regular season and taking a 23-0 record into the state tourney. After beating Pittsburg St. Mary’s-Colgan in the quarterfinals, but Lancers lost a tough 10-8 decision to Little River in the semifinals and wound up fourth. With only two seniors graduating off that team, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be among the favorites to win it all this season. Stetson Setter and Holden Barker were first-team All-Class 2-1A picks last year with Setter hitting 6 of Crest’s team-record 17 home runs. Barker and Avery Blaufuss each cranked two and the Lancers have six seniors overall who have been a part of two state-tourney teams in the program’s four years. Valley Falls took third a year ago and only lost to Mission Valley and Osage City last year in a 21-4 season. The Dragons will sorely miss four-year starting pitcher and All-2-1A first-teamer Avery Gatzemeyer as well as first-team All-2-1A outfielder Brennan Miller. But senior Dylan Cervantez is a four-year starter who was second-team All-2-1A last year and led the Dragons in hitting. Valley Falls graduated nine seniors overall and return just five players off last year’s state roster. Elkhart won the 2-1A state title in 2019 and was considered one of the favorites a year ago, but fell 7-5 in the quarterfinals to Little River. The Wildcats only graduated three seniors off last year’s 19-5 team and return a trio of first-team All-2-1A picks in senior catcher Austin Rich, senior pitcher Kage Ralstin and senior shortstop Cesar Gomez. Gomez was the player of the year in the Hi-Plains League last year after setting school record for hits, runs scored and triples and hitting better than .700 and stealing 24 bases, while Ralstin set a school record for strikeouts in a season and also hit better than .500. Gomez and Rich also went a combined 7-0 on the mound. A perennial power with a state-record 20 state championships in its rich history, Pittsburg St. Mary’s Colgan narrowly missed upsetting Crest in the quarterfinals last year, falling 5-3. The Panthers were dominated by underclassmen last year with just one senior on the state roster and eight sophomores. Kysen Bennett was a second-team All-2-1A pitcher with 53 strikeouts and a 2.52 ERA, while Cooper Simmons led the team in hitting and RBI. The Panthers were just 9-12 overall, but play in a tough CNC league that produced 3A state runner-up Columbus and fourth-place finisher Girard. West Elk returned to state for the first time since 2018 last year, falling 4-1 in the quarterfinals to Valley Falls. The Patriots lost a quartet of seniors that were the core of the squad, including first-team All-South Central Border League picks Blade Kenyon, Nolan McDow and Wesley Young. Remington qualified for state for just the second time in program history last year and fell 10-0 to eventual champion Mission Valley. The Broncos knocked off No. 1 and defending champion Sedgwick in the regional semifinals on the way to the state berth and lost pitcher/shortstop Braden Scribner, who set four school record last season, including batting average and win-loss record. All but two other players return, however, and senior Josiah Claassen hit nearly .400 and sophoimore Kole Klaassen threw a no-hitter in the regional finals against Marion. Marion finished 18-5 overall and returns a strong core of players, including first-team All-Heart of America selection Jack Lanning and second-teamers Ian Ingels, Mitch Norris, Trevor Schafers and Cooper Bailey, giving the Warriors enough to make a deep run this season. Sedgwick had only one loss before losing to Remington in the regional semifinals and should be hungry after seeing its title defense from 2021 end prematurely. The Cardinals will have to replace standouts Lance Hoffsommer and Austin Harjo, but sophomore Corey Crumrine was an impact freshman a year ago who will lead the team this season. Pratt-Skyline went 13-6 and fell in the regional quarterfinals, but has a standout in Brayden Berens. Southern Lyon County was denied its first state berth by a 4-1 loss to unbeaten Colony-Crest in the regional finals and went 18-3 overall, its only losses coming to Lebo/Waverly, which went 13-6 but was upset by Central Heights in the regional quarterfinals. Lebo/Waverly lost standout Jason Konrade, but returns a strong 1-2 punch in Corey Reese and Drew Konrade. Southern Lyon lost a great senior class that helped the football and basketball team to back-to-back state championships. Elkhart knocked out Bucklin/South Central in the regional finals, ending Bucklin’s season with a 19-2 record. Bucklin must replace a pair of first-team All-2-1A selections in Nate Bowman and Nathan Imel. Central-Burden went 15-2 before falling to Bluestem in the regional semifinals. The Raiders return first-team All-South Central Border League picks in Braden Balman, Laine Schooley and Russ Smith and second-teamer Hunter O’Neil. Southeast-Cherokee was 12-4 last year and returns Easton Renn, an honorable mention All-2-1A selection.