By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high school baseball teams will compete in regional tournaments this week, vying for berths in state May 23-24 at sites across the state.
Topeka High in Class 6A and Seaman in 5A both earned home-field advantage for regionals, with the Trojans gunning for their second straight state appearance after ending a seven-decade drought last season while the Vikings set a state record with their 19th straight appearance a year ago and will be gunning for their 20th consecutive trip to state this week.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving Shawnee County schools:
Senior pitching star Nate Plankinton and the Topeka High baseball team will host a Class 6A regional tournament on Tuesday at Hummer Sports Park, with the Trojans aiming for their second straight state berth. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 6A
At Hummer Sports Park -- Topeka High is the No. 2 seed in the West and will be at home to host its four-school regional on Tuesday.
Topeka High is 15-4 on the season and will host No. 15 seed Wichita East (7-18) in Tuesday's second semifinal at approximately 4 p.m. following a 2 o'clock game between No. 7 Liberal (13-10) and No. 10 Derby (11-15).
The winners will play for the regional title at about 6 p.m., with the regional champion advancing to the 6A state tournament May 23-24 at the University of Kansas' Hoglund Stadium in Lawrence.
Topeka High has won 10 of its last 11 games, including four straight wins, entering postseason.
Senior Kyle Walker is a top player for Washburn Rural, which will compete in a Wednesday Class 6A regional at Free State. [File photo/TSN]
At Lawrence Free State -- Washburn Rural, 13-9 on the season, is the No. 6 West seed and will open its postseason bid at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Free State against No. 11 seed Campus (10-14) in the first regional semifinal at Free State.
Host Free State, the No. 3 seed at 19-6, will play the second semifinal at about 4 p.m. against No. 14 Dodge City (9-15).
The semifinal winners will clash at about 6 o'clock in the regional final, with the winner advancing to Lawrence's Hoglund Stadium for the 6A state tourney on May 23-24.
Seaman junior catcher David Dobbs (10) is congratulated by his teammates after hitting a two-run homer earlier this season. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 5A
At Seaman -- Seaman, which will be aiming for its 20th straight state berth, is the No. 4 West seed at 17-6 and will host a Tuesday regional.
The Vikings, who have won six straight games, will play the second semifinal, 25 minutes after the conclusion of the first semifinal, against No. 13 seed Newton (11-13).
The first semifinal at 2 p.m. will match No. 5 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (19-7) against No. 12 Eisenhower (12-12).
The semifinal winners will play for the regional title 25 minutes after the end of the Seaman-Newton semifinal, with the regional champ advancing to the 5A state tournament at Wichita State's Eck Stadium on May 23-24.
At De Soto -- Shawnee Heights is the No. 9 seed in the East at 11-11 and will compete in the regional hosted by No. 1 seed De Soto.
The T-Birds will play the 2 p.m. Tuesday semifinal against No. 8 seed Leavenworth (14-12), followed by the second semifinal between De Soto (20-6) and No. 16 St. James Academy (5-18).
The regional title game will begin 25 minutes after the conclusion of the second semifinal, with the regional champion moving on to the 5A state tournament May 23-24 at Wichita State's Eck Stadium.
Shawnee Heights split a regular-season doubleheader with United Kansas Conference foe Leavenworth while the T-Birds dropped a UKC twinbill against De Soto, with the second game a 5-4 extra-inning decision.
At St. Thomas Aquinas -- Highland Park is the No. 13 East seed and will face regional host St. Thomas Aquinas, the No. 4 seed, in the second semifinal on Tuesday at Aquinas.
Highland Park is 7-14 on the season while Aquinas is 18-7.
The first semifinal, at 12 p.m., will pit No. 5 seed Blue Valley Southwest (18-8) against No. 12 Kansas City Sumner Academy (10-14).
The Highland Park-Aquinas semifinal will follow 25 minutes after the Blue Valley Southwest-Sumner game.
Junior Cooper Grace, running the bases, is a top player for Hayden, which will play a Class 3A regional semifinal at Overbrook on Monday. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 3A
At Jones Park -- The eight-school Santa Fe Trail Class 3A regional got under way Friday with four quarterfinal games at home sites and moves to Overbrook's Jones Park for semifinals and championship games on Monday.
No. 6 seed Hayden, now 12-11, opened its postseason bid with a 10-1 road win over Silver Lake, avenging an earlier doubleheader loss to the Eagles.
The Wildcats will face tourney host Santa Fe Trail in a 4 p.m. semifinal Monday, with the second-seeded Chargers (20-4) advancing with an 11-1 quarterfinal win over West Franklin.
No. 4 seed Rossville (12-7) advanced to the semifinals with a 14-4 home win over Council Grove and will take on top seed Osage City (20-3) at 2 p.m. Monday. Osage City advanced with a 5-3 win over St. Marys.
The regional championship game will be played at approximately 6 p.m. on Monday, with the winner advancing to the 3A state tournament on May 23-24 at Kansas State's Tointon Stadium.
