There’s a realistic chance that multiple area baseball and softball teams will be playing simultaneously across eastern Kansas Tuesday evening for a bid to for their respective upcoming state tournaments.
Weather permitting, all of the schools in the Register’s readership umbrella will know their postseason fate by Wednesday evening.
IOLA
The Class 4A regional pairings were announced Saturday morning, and as expected, Iola will serve as a baseball host site.
The Mustangs (15-3) will take on Baldwin (8-11) at about 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Allen Community College baseball diamond. The winner stays on the field to take on the winner of Rock Creek (13-5) or Parsons (8-11) for the regional title and a berth in the 4A State Tournament in Salina.
Unfortunately, Mustangs fans will have to decide in advance whether to root on the IHS baseball or softball teams in person.
That’s because Iola’s softball team (9-9) will be on the road at Wamego for its regional at 3 p.m. Tuesday against Fort Scott (10-10). The winner will play later that evening, likely also around 7 o’clock, to take on either top-seed Wamego (19-1) or 16th seed Baldwin (4-15) for the regional title and state bid.
Both the state baseball and softball tournaments are scheduled for May 26-27 in Salina.
HUMBOLDT
Humboldt High’s Cub baseball team gets the second seed for what could be one of the toughest Class 3A regionals in the state, with four teams sporting records of 17-3 or better.
The Cubs (19-1) will travel to Osawatomie to take on the tournament host Trojans (3-17) at about 4 p.m. Monday. A win puts Humboldt up against either Girard (17-3) or Burlington (3-15) later that evening in the regional semifinal. That winner advances to the regional championship at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Osawatomie, with potential opponents Anderson County (19-1), Osage City (17-3) West Franklin (8-10) or Prairie View (2-15).
The Lady Cub softball team is the only school hosting its own postseason tournament this year.Humboldt (17-3) is the top seed, and will host Fredonia (1-15) sometime Monday evening, depending on how long the three preceding games take to finish. (Best guesses are about 7 o’clock).
The winner returns to action at 3 p.m. Tuesday for semifinal action, against either Burlington (8-8) or Anderson County (7-12) with a bid in the championship game at about 7 p.m. Tuesday against any of four opponents: Prairie View (15-3), Douglass (9-9), Eureka (5-9) or Wichita-Trinity Academy (5-15).
The Class 3A state baseball and softball tourneys are May 26-17 in Manhattan.
CREST — YATES CENTER — MARMATON VALLEY
