BV North Mustangs ride into Kansas 6A semifinals: State baseball scores, schedules
Nothing like a morning upset to kick off the quarterfinal round of the Kansas Class 6A baseball tournament.
Eighth-seeded Blue Valley North provided that excitement by eliminating top-seeded Manhattan 10-4 in Thursday’s quarterfinals, sending the Owls to a Friday showdown against Derby for a spot in the championship game at KU’s Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
In reaching the semifinals, BV North (12-11) handed Manhattan (18-2) just its second loss of the season.
Fifth-seeded Derby (15-8) advanced by shutting out Topeka’s Cair Paravel (16-7), the tournament’s No. 4 seed, 9-0.
No. 2 seed Blue Valley West (18-5) posted an impressive 7-1 win over No. 7 seed Olathe North (14-9) to advance into Friday’s semifinal. Blue Valley West will meet third-seeded Lawrence-Free State (17-6), which won 10-0 over No. 6 seed Shawnee Mission East (14-9) as the final game of the night.
Each classification’s championship game will be held Friday afternoon/evening, following the semifinals scheduled for earlier in the day.
Here’s a look at the other 2023 KSHSAA baseball tournaments taking place around the state this week:
Class 5A
At Eck Stadium on the Wichita State campus, the De Soto Wildcats would not be denied against an upset-minded Spring Hill squad.
No. 2 seed De Soto edged seventh-seeded Spring Hill 3-2 in the morning quarterfinal. The Wildcats, now 20-3, will face third-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, also 20-3, in Friday’s semis.
The Saints marched into the round of four with a 7-0 thumping of sixth-seeded Goddard (16-7).
Top seed Bishop Carroll (22-1) was equally impressive in a 6-0 victory over No. 8 seed Great Bend (13-10). The No. 1 seed will face fifth-seeded Eisenhower (18-4), which defeated fourth-seeded Seaman (18-5) 7-0 in the late game Thursday.
Class 4A
Paola will play for a berth in the 4A state-title game on Friday at 11 a.m.
That much is assured thanks to the No. 7-seeded Panthers’ 5-3 quarterfinal victory in eight innings over second-seeded Rock Creek of St. George at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina.
Paola improved to 15-8 and next plays No. 3 seed McPherson (19-4), an 8-3 winner over sixth-seeded Larned/LaCrosse, in Friday’s semis.
The third game in Class 4A featured an upset, as No. 8 seed Chanute (15-8) handed top-seeded Clay Center Community/Wakefield (21-2) its second loss of the season in a 1-0 game.
Chanute will meet No. 4 seed Fort Scott (17-6), which earned a 3-2 victory over No. 5-seeded Abilene (15-8).
Class 3A
Kansas City’s Bishop Ward, the tourney’s seventh seed at Tointon Family Stadium on the K-State campus in Manhattan, lost a 9-8 heartbreaker to second-seeded Columbus on Thursday.
Columbus (21-2) advanced to face No. 3 seed Santa Fe Trail (20-2) — a 3-2 winner in 10 innings Thursday against sixth-seeded Goodland (18-5) — in one of Friday’s 3A semifinal.
The top seed in the class, Humboldt (23-1), advanced over No. 8 seed Hoisington/Central Plains (15-8), setting up a semifinal matchup between the No. 1 seed and No. 4 seed Wichita Collegiate (20-4), which defeated fifth-seeded Sabetha (19-5) 3-1.
Class 2-1A
At the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, it was another 8-over-1 upset: eighth-seeded St. Mary’s Colgan (13-11) ousted top-seeded Little River (20-2) by a decisive score of 12-5.
St. Mary’s Colgan will play fourth-seeded Onaga (19-3) — an 8-7 victor over No. 5 seed Medicine Lodge (19-5) in 10 innings Thursday — in Friday’s semifinal round.
No. 2 seed Elkhart (21-1) defeated No. 7 seed Kansas City Christian (15-9) 2-0, setting up a semifinal bout against third-seeded Marion (20-2), which won 10-5 over No. 6 Sedgwick (18-6) as the final game of the night.
