Here's a closer look at the 2014 Kansas State Baseball Brackets:
2-1A
Udall enters the 2014 2-1A state baseball tournament with a perfect 23-0 record. The interesting thing about this bracket is the fact that none of the teams from last year’s 2-1A state baseball tournament made the tournament again this year.
So there will be no repeat champion this year and there actually hasn’t been a repeat champion in this class since 2009-10 when Pittsburg-Colgan won it in consecutive years. No. 1 seed Udall looks to stay unbeaten against Cedar Vale/Dexter (13-10) on Thursday at 11:00am.
For the complete 2-1A Kansas Baseball Bracket, please CLICK HERE
3A
Council Grove secured the No. 1 seed by going a perfect 23-0 on the year, but the Braves do not have an easy road to the state title this year. Marion and Wellsville come in as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds respectively with only one loss on the year each and experience from last year’s state tournament.
Throw No. 7 seed Silver Lake into the mix who won a state title in 2011 and finished second last year, and this 3A state tournament is going to be tough. The first pitch of the 3A state tournament will be at 11:00 am as Council Grove takes Galena.
For the complete 3A State Baseball Bracket, please CLICK HERE
4A II
Perry-Lecompton (19-3) checks into the 4A Division II state baseball tournament with the No. 1 seed and a matchup against Goodland (7-13) on Thursday. Perry’s three losses in the regular season were to Rossville, Jefferson West, and Paola.
Paola is the No. 5 seed in the 4A Division I state tournament while Rossville lost in the regional championship and Jefferson West actually lost 1-0 to Perry-Lecompton in the regional championship game. Goodland is probably the biggest surprise of all teams to make the state tournament as it entered regionals with a 4-12 record, then knocked off Colby (9-9) in the first round of regionals and pulled a huge upset over 16-1 Hugoton in the regional championship game to qualify for the state tournament.
For the complete 4A Division II State Baseball Bracket, please CLICK HERE
4A I
No. 1 seed Fort Scott (19-3) and No. 2 seed Andale/Garden Plain (19-3) have the so-called easiest path to become the first-ever 4A Division I state baseball champions if there is such a thing as an easy path in a state tournament.
No. 4 seed Topeka-Hayden (16-6) is the defending 4A state champions and No. 3 seed De Soto is looking to improve on a fourth-place finish last year. The tournament starts on Thursday at 11:00 am with Fort Scott playing Andover Central (15-7) and Andale/Garden Plain playing Rose Hill (15-7).
For the complete 4A Division I State Baseball Bracket, please CLICK HERE
5A
Wichita Heights (20-2) is in a familiar position as the No. 1 seed in a state tournament, only this year it is the 5A state tournament and not the 6A state tournament. Heights has been open since 1961 and has won 20 state championships overall, but none of those have been in baseball.
Its competition will be fierce throughout the 5A tournament starting with a first-round matchup against Topeka-Seaman (11-11). Although it was a bit of a down year, Seaman has great experience playing in the state tournament in recent years winning titles in 2008, 2009, 2010, and last year.
No. 4 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (18-4) won a state title in 2007, No. 5 seed Shawnee Heights (16-6) won a title in 2011 and finished third last year, No. 2 seed Bishop Carroll (20-2) won a title in 2012 and finished second last year, and both No. 3 seed Eisenhower (19-3) and No. 6 seed Blue Valley Southwest (15-7) made the 5A state tournament last year but experienced first-round losses.
For the complete 5A State Baseball Bracket, please CLICK HERE
6A
The 6A state baseball tournament is loaded from top to bottom with not only good teams from this year, but teams who have had good runs in the postseason the last couple of seasons. No. 1 seed Manhattan (20-2) finished fourth in 2012 and lost in the first round last year but hopes to survive and advance in to the finals to play for a championship this year.
The 6A champions from last year and 2012, Blue Valley West Jaguars (18-4), are back in the mix again this year, claiming the No. 3 seed. In the first round, they will take on the No. 6 seeded Blue Valley Tigers (15-7), who finished third last year and won a state title in 2010.
Another intriguing first-round matchup is No. 4 seed Shawnee Mission East (17-5) vs. No. 5 Maize (16-6). In 2011, Maize beat Shawnee Mission East in the state tournament semifinals and eventually won the championship while Shawnee Mission East regrouped after the loss to Maize and went on to win the third-place game. This time however, the winner will advance and the loser goes home in the race for the 2014 6A state championship.
For the complete 6A State Baseball Bracket, please CLICK HERE
