BY BRENT MAYCOCK
KSHSAA COVERED
COLONY-CREST (24-0) def. Pittsburg Colgan (9-13), 5-3
CREST 5, COLGAN 3 – Crest pitcher Trevor Church (7-0) struck out seven batters in a nifty 94-pitch outing.
Holden Barker scored on a wild pitch and Church scored on a first-inning error. Gerardo Rodriguez scored on an error and Barker and Ryan Golden delivered RBI singles in a 3-run second inning.
Colgan’s Colin Hite hit an RBI single and scored on an error in 2-run fifth inning. Gus Keller scored on a sixth-inning groundout.
Colgan 000 020 0 – 3 6 3
Crest 230 000 x – 5 5 1
Kysen Bennett, John Potusek (3) and Simmons. Church and Blaufuss. W—Church, 8-0. L—Bennett, 2-4.
Coach Roland Weir
Regional—beat Marais des Cygnes Valley, 14-3; beat Central Heights, 10-2; beat Southern Lyon County, 4-1.
Key players—Trevor Church, jr., P/OF; Stetson Setter, jr., P/IF/OF; Holden Barker, jr., IF; Jack White, jr., P/1B/3B; Avery Blaufuss, jr., P/C; Rogan Weir, so., P/OF/IF/C; Ryan Golden, so., P/OF.
The Lancers have qualified for state two straight years, falling in quarterfinals last year to Spearville. … Lancers were undefeated Three Rivers League champions and are 45-2 over past two seasons. … Lancers average 12.6 runs per game and allow just 1.7 per contest. … Team set school record with 17 home runs this year, breaking old mark of 10 set last year. … Setter accounted for six of those long balls and is hitting .565 with 47 RBI. … Barker and Blaufuss each hit 3 homers with Barker hitting .441 with 27 RBI and Blaufuss .357 with 14 RBI. … Church is 7-0 with a 0.52 ERA and 78 strikeouts, having allowed just five runs all season. … Setter is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 50 Ks. … Blaufuss is 4-0 and White 3-0. … Weir is hitting .439 with 27 RBI. … Golden has 20 RBI.
PITTSBURG COLGAN (9-11) vs. Colony-Crest (23-0), 11 a.m. Thursday
Coach Mike Watt
Regionals—beat Marmaton Valley, 10-0; beat SE-Cherokee, 14-4; beat St. Paul, 19-4.
Key players—Cooper Simmons, so., C; Connor VanBecelaere, so., OF; Kysen Bennett, so., P; Carter Jacquinot, jr., P; Gus Keller, so., P; John Potusek, so., P.
Colgan owns a state-record 20 state championships, including seven straight from 2004-10. … Panthers also have 13 runner-up finishes and 49 appearances overall. … Panthers fell in state quarterfinals last year in 15-inning loss to Valley Falls. … Panthers finished fourth in CNC League this season behind 3A state qualifiers Columbus and Girard and 3A regional runner-up Frontenac. … Colgan was No. 4 seed at regionals, but outscored regional foes 43-8. … Simmons is hitting .397 with 20 RBI, both team-leading marks. … Bennett is 2-3 with 53 strikeouts and a 2.52 ERA. … VanBecelaere is hitting .369 and has scored 17 runs. … Watt is in 37thyear as head coach and has five current players whose fathers played for him.
ELKHART (19-5) lost 7-5 to Little River (19-5)
Coach David Aranda
Regional—beat Kinsley, 13-1; beat Sublette, 11-1; beat South Central, 5-2.
Key players—Cesar Gomez, jr., SS/P/C; Kage Ralstin, jr., P/3B/SS; Austin Rich, jr., C/OF/P.
Wildcats return to state after one-season hiatus and captured state championship in last appearance in 2019, beating Marion 3-2 in title game to cap 22-0 season. … Program also won state title in 2002 and finished second in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and third in 1994 and 2004. … Elkhart has reached state or regional title in all nine of Aranda's seasons and Aranda picked up 100th career win in regional semifinals. … Ralstin set school record with 104 strikeouts this season, topping old record of 88 which came without current pitch-limit rules. … He is 6-1 overall with a 0.57 ERA and also is hitting .500 with 3 home runs, 34 RBI and 12 stolen bases. … Gomez broke Elkhart's single-season record for hits (48) and runs (56) and is tied for first in triples (7). … He is hitting a blistering .716 and has 8 home runs and 35 RBI while going 24-for-24 in the stolen base department. … He's also 5-0 with a 1.15 ERA. … Rich is hitting .570 with 23 RBI and is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA. … Wildcats won Hi-Plains League title for fourth time in last five years.
LITTLE RIVER (19-5) def. Elkhart (19-5), 7-5
Coach Terry Renken
Regional—beat Wilson, 18-0; beat Republic County, 11-1; beat Ellis, 10-3.
Key players—Kaden Schafer, sr., 1B; Ty Herzog, sr., 3B; Dalton Mantz, jr., C/P; Braden Young, jr., SS/P; Grant Stephens, jr., OF; Logan Renken, fr., SS/2B/P; Spencer Strecker, fr., 2B; Treygan Birdsong, so., OF; Corbin Herbst, jr.
Redskins making first state trip since taking fourth in 2014 and just the third in program history overall. … Roster has only 11 players with just two seniors. … Schafer is hitting .590 with 5 home runs and 32 RBI and hit 4 homers with 15 RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Ell-Saline. … Mantz is hitting .427 with 32 RBI. … Young is hitting .521 with 33 RBI and 50 runs scored and also has a 2.80 ERA. … Renken has a 2.25 ERA and is hitting .353 with 29 RBI. … Stephens has 37 RBI and a .549 average. … Four of 5 losses came to Ellsworth and Marion.
LITTLE RIVER 7, ELKHART 5 — The strategy of Elkhart coach David Aranda backfired when Little River rallied against the Wildcats' relievers. Elkhart ace pitcher Kage Ralstin (6-1) struck out five batters in two innings when Aranda went to the bullpen.
Little River's Kaden Schafer drilled a game-tying 2-run triple against Elkhart reliever Austin Rich (2-1). Ty Herzog's singled home Schafer and Logan Renken scored on an error for a 7-5 lead. After Justin McKinley singled and Weston Hall walked, Little River centerfielder Grant Stephens saved the game with a diving catch on Clayton Cole's pop fly. Braden Young struck out Julian Duran and Logan Renken struck out Tayson Zimmerman to end the game.
Elkhart two three first-inning runs on a bases-loaded hit batter, walk and groundout. Gomez scored on a fourth-inning error after his second hit. Little River's Braden Young earned a bases-loaded walk and Dalton Mantz's RBI single made it 4-2. Elkhart's Julian Duran hit an RBI fifth-inning single for a 5-2 lead. Renekn scored on a sixth-inning wild pitch for a 5-3 score.
Little River 000 021 4 – 7 11 4
Elkhart 300 110 x – 5 8 1
Young, Renken (7) and Mantz. Ralstin, Gomez (3), McKinley (5), Rich (7), Gomez (7) and Rich, Gomez (7), Rich (7). W—Young. L—Rich, 2-1. SV—Renken. 2B—E—Gomez. 3B—LR—Schafer.
MISSION VALLEY (21-1) def. Remington (15-9), 10-0
Coach Justin Duncan
Regional—beat Northern Heights, 5-2; beat Lyndon, 12-9; beat St. Marys, 12-2.
Key players: Carter Phillips, sr., P/U; Keaton Marcotte, sr., 1B; Joel Deters, sr., SS; Victor Vargas, jr., P/U; Nick Price, P/OF.
Worth noting: Vikings were undefeated Flint Hills League champions, winning league title for sixth time in last seven years, and only loss came in split with fellow 2-1A qualifier Valley Falls. … Trip to state is ninth for the program, which is still seeking its first state-tournament victory with previous eight ending in quarterfinal losses. … Vikings' seven seniors are 65-5 in their career. … Phillips set school's career strikeout record and now has more than 200 in his career, including 79 this season. … He's hitting .533 with 4 home runs and 30 RBI and also has a 1.31 ERA. … Marcotte is hitting .483 with 4 homers and 32 RBI. … Deters is hitting .465 with 18 RBI. … Vargas is hitting .407. … Price has a 3.16 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.
REMINGTON (15-9) lost 10-0 to Mission Valley (21-1)
Coach Darrin Rasmussen
Regional—beat Medicine Lodge, 4-2; beat Sedgwick, 6-2; beat Marion, 8-5.
Key players—Braden Scribner, sr., P/SS; Josiah Claassen, jr., 1B; Duke Kinley, sr., C; Sterling Lies, P/MI.
Broncos make second trip to state in program history, the other appearance coming in 2016. … Behind complete-game effort from Scribner, Remington knocked off No. 1 Sedgwick 6-2 in regional semifinals after getting swept by Cardinals in the regular season. … Broncos finished runner-up in Heart of America League play. … Scribner set four school records this season – batting average (.612), hits (46), career hits (88) and win-loss record (6-0). … He also had 31 RBI and a 1.67 and also stole 22 bases as Remington set team record with 117 steals. … Claassen hit .387, Kinley hit .357 and Lies hit .339. … Freshman Kole Klaassen threw a five-inning no-hitter against Marion in regional title game.
MISSION VALLEY 10, OSWEGO 0 — Mission Valley pitcher Carter Phillips (7-0) threw a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts. Preston Bolte and Keaton Marcotte each drove in two runs.
Remington 000 00 – 0 1 0
Mission Valley 402 13 – 10 11 0
Scribner, Lies (5) and Jones. Phillips and Jones. W–Phillips. L–Scribner. 2B–MV–Peters.
VALLEY FALLS (20-3) def, West Elk (17-7), 4-1
Coach Luke Burns
Regional—beat Atchison County, 10-0; beat Oskaloosa, 14-7; beat Maur Hill, 8-3.
Key players—Avery Gatzemeyer, sr., P/C; Dylan Cervantez, jr., 3B; Brennen Miller, sr., OF/P; Trenton Kraxner, sr., OF/P; Hayden Kearney, fr., SS; Carson Clark, sr., OF; Zac Evans, so., OF/P; Mason Allen, sr., 2B; Denten Elias, sr., 1B.
Valley Falls returns to state tourney after finishing runner-up last year to Sedgwick. … Trip is sixth in last 13 years and Dragons also took second in 2010 and were fourth in 2012. … Last year's state trip was highlighted by 15-inning win over perennial power Colgan. … Dragons beat Maur Hill three times and also handed fellow 2-1A qualifier Mission Valley its only loss of season. … Dragons were undefeated Northeast Kansas League champions and only losses came to Mission Valley and Osage City (twice). …. Dragons have outscored opponents 271-77 this season and are hitting .422 as a team. … Gatzemeyer is hitting .461 with 6 home runs and 39 RBI, while also serving as team ace with 7-1 mark, 1.57 ERA and 46 strikeouts. … Cervantez is hitting .506 with 29 RBI. … Miller is hitting .500 with 24 RBI and is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA. … Kraxner is 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 25 strikeouts and Evans is 2-0, including a no-hitter against Atchison County in the regional quarterfinals. … Kraxner has 32 RBI, Elias 23 and Kearney 22.
WEST ELK (17-7) lost 4-1 to Valley Falls (20-3)
Coach Dana Taliaferro
Regional—beat Flinthills, 15-0; beat Sedan, 15-0; beat Bluestem, 12-6.
Key players—Garrett Toon, sr., OF; Wesley Young, sr., 1B; Nolan McDow, sr., IF/P; Blade Kenyon, sr., C.
Patriots return to state for first time since 2018 and trip is sixth overall. … After getting off to slow 1-4 start, Patriots have won 16 of last 18 games. … Taliaferro calls Kenyon one of most improved players over career he's ever coached. … Patriots got big wins over Sedan, one in Walter Johnson League Tournament semifinals and the other in regional semifinals.
VALLEY FALLS 4, WEST ELK 1 – Valley Falls pitcher Avery Gatzemeyer struck out 12 batters and delivered a 2-run double that scored Dylan Cervantes and Trenton Kinxner. Brennan Miller and Hayden Kearney scored on wild pitches.
West Elk 001 000 0 – 1 2 1
Valley Falls 020 020 x – 4 7 1
Montgomery and Jones. Gatzemeyer and Jones. W–Gatzemeyer, 8-1. L–Montgomery. 2B–VF–Evans, Gatzemeyer.
