Seasons at stake: It’s playoff time for ‘the SEC of high school baseball’
The supreme talent and cruel nature of high school baseball in Lexington and the wider 11th Region goes on full display this week as the postseason begins with district tournament play.
How talented? The 11th Region has seven teams ranked in the final statewide PrepBaseballReport.com Power 25, including six Lexington teams: No. 4 Lexington Catholic, No. 6 Paul Laurence Dunbar, No. 7 Sayre, No. 9 Tates Creek, No. 16 Frederick Douglass and No. 19 Henry Clay. Defending 11th Region champion Madison Central is the other ranked team at No. 15.
How cruel? Only one team can be the region champ and move on to the state tournament in two weeks, and at least one top-10 team will be knocked out in its first postseason game.
That’s guaranteed because No. 6 Dunbar and No. 9 Tates Creek are seeded against each other in the win-or-go-home 43rd District semifinals at Dunbar on Tuesday.
“It’s sad to say there are a bunch of good teams that don’t get to go further, but that’s what we love … . I consider us the SEC of high school baseball,” Dunbar Coach Steve Deaton said. “It’s a lot of great teams that have an opportunity, and it’s just getting hot at the right time.”
And that means unranked teams in this highly competitive region have a shot, too. Last year, 43rd District fifth-seed Lafayette knocked off top-seeded Lexington Catholic; and in the 42nd, then-unranked Henry Clay ousted a highly rated Douglass team.
Dunbar and Tates Creek split their regular-season series, with the Bulldogs sealing their victory on Centre Parkway with a thrilling play at the plate to end the game on Harrison Simpson’s throw from left field.
“I’m looking forward to our guys being ready to show up and do what we need to do,” Deaton said.
In the other 43rd seminal game, Lexington Catholic will await the winner of Monday’s first-round game between Lafayette and Lexington Christian. All 43rd games are at Dunbar.
The 42nd District tournament will be played at Bryan Station and features Sayre, Douglass, Henry Clay, Bryan Station and Scott County, a formidable team that has been ranked at times this season.
Winners of the district semifinals will advance to the 11th Region tournament that will also include two representatives each from the 41st and 44th districts.
Players to watch
Here are some of the players in the 42nd and 43rd districts who will be in action this week with where they have committed to play college baseball, according to PrepBaseballReport.com.
Frederick Douglass: Thomas Howard (Louisville); Henry Clay: Kasen Parks (Wabash Valley); Lexington Catholic: Griffin Cameron (Kentucky), Owen Jenkins (Louisville), Drew Bowles (Transylvania), Harrison Tibe (Centre) and Raleigh Craft (Washington and Lee); Paul Laurence Dunbar: Scott Kendrick (Midway) and Jared Eisiminger (Wabash Valley); Sayre: Raymond Saatman and Gary Gibson (Kentucky); Addison Stockham (Eastern Kentucky); Tates Creek: Braxton Brinegar (Xavier) and Carson Van Haaren (Eastern Kentucky).
42nd District tournament
At Bryan Station
Monday’s game
Henry Clay (21-12) vs. Bryan Station (1-23), 6 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinals
Sayre (26-8) vs. Henry Clay-Bryan Station winner, 5:45 p.m.
Frederick Douglass (18-14) vs. Scott County (19-14), 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s finals
Championship game, 6 p.m.
43rd District tournament
At Paul Laurence Dunbar
Monday’s game
Lexington Christian (14-13) vs. Lafayette (14-20), 6 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinals
Paul Laurence Dunbar (21-8) vs. Tates Creek (20-8), 5:30 p.m.
Lexington Catholic (24-9) vs. Lexington Christian-Lafayette winner, 8 p.m.
Wednesday’s finals
Championship game, 6 p.m.
