Although district action for golf and track began last week, every other sport begins its district tournaments today.
We’ve compiled the schedules for all the area teams in baseball and soccer, as well as a quick preview of each district.
We also made predictions, but those are mostly based on teams we’ve seen (and what we’ve read on the internet—you can do anything online!).
Needless to say, the predictions might be totally off. We’d like to think that in every district we’d have a team from Pulaski County (or Iberia...or Plato) advance, but hey, you probably won’t win ‘em all.
Track and tennis schedules appear in another article.
Without further ado, the 2009 baseball and track district tournaments:
Baseball
Class 4 Division 10 - at Hickman
1. Rock Bridge (14-13); 2. Helias (15-8); 3. Hickman (6-12); 4. Jeff City (8-14); 5. Lebanon (9-14); 6. Marshfield (10-14); 7. Camdenton; 8. Waynesville (2-17)
Ed.’s take: To say that the Tigers have had a rough season would be an understatement.
Although at times they struggle to hit, when they pitch well they usually stay in the game even without much hitting. Against Rolla earlier this season, that’s exactly what they did despite losing.
Coincidentally, sophomore Matt Hesteness, who started that game, is scheduled to take the mound today against the Bruins.
Rock Bridge won’t throw their No. 1 or 2 pitchers against Waynesville, but they might throw freshman Ryan Phillips (4-3) at the Tigers. Phillips was on Columbia’s Little League World Series team in 2006.
The Tigers have a chance if they can pitch well and get a few key hits. Also, Rock Bridge has also had a rough patch, recently losing eight straight games.
Even if the Tigers can pull off the upset, I see Helias taking this district.
Schedule
Saturday: Rock Bridge vs Waynesville, 10 a.m.; Helias vs Camdenton, 12:30 p.m.; Hickman vs Marshfield, 3 p.m.; Jefferson City vs Lebanon, 5:30 p.m.
Monday: RB/ W’ville vs Helias/ Cam., 4 p.m.; Hick./ Marsh. vs JC/ Leb., 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Championship, 5 p.m.
Class 2 Division 8 - at Iberia
1. Iberia (12-8); 2. Eugene (10-9); 3. Conway (15-7); 4. Plato (14-3); 5. Dixon (10-5); 6. Richland; 7. Laquey (3-14); 8. Newburg (3-11)
Ed.’s take: This could be a tough district to escape for any team—Plato, at 14-3, is only a 4 seed.
Plus, is the one that’s most loaded with area teams. You’d like to think one of the Frisco League teams will get out from this district, but Eugene and Conway both make cases for superiority.
Conway does have the big bats. Earlier in the season the Bears beat Springfield Central by a score of 22-2.
Still, I’ll go with Iberia and their nice pitching staff of Garth Minnick, Cody Moore and Levi Gardner.
Schedule
Saturday: Iberia vs Newburg, 10 a.m.; Plato vs Dixon, 12:30 p.m.; Conway vs Laquey, 3 p.m.; Eugene vs Richland
Monday: Iberia/ New. vs Plato/ Dix., 4 p.m.; Con./ Laq. vs Eugene/ Rich., 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Championship, 5 p.m.
Class 2 Division 9 - at Mansfield
1. Hartville (13-4); 2. Mansfield (10-4); 3. Licking (13-7); 4. Fordland; 5. Gainesville; 6. Cabool (3-12); 7. Seymour
Ed.’s take: Licking won the Frisco League tournament in the fall, and have been solid all spring. Look for them to go toe-to-toe with Hartville.
Schedule
Monday: Fordland vs Gainesville, 1:30 p.m.; Mansfield vs Seymour, 3 p.m.; Licking vs. Cabool, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Hartville vs Ford./ G’ville, 4 p.m.; Mans./ Sey. vs Lick./ Cab., 6 p.m.
Thursday: Championship; 5 p.m.
Class 1 Division 8 - at Stoutland
1. St. Elizabeth; 2. Stoutland; 3. Hermitage (12-7); 4. Crocker; 5. Tuscumbia; 6. Climax Springs (1-16); 7. Macks Creek
Ed.’s take: Can the defending state runners-up get back?
This is a “down year” for the Stoutland Tigers but they’re still the No. 2 seed. To make it four championship games in a row, they’ll have to get by Class 1 No. 6 St. Elizabeth.
Schedule
Saturday: Hermitage vs Climax Springs, 10 a.m.; Stoutland vs Macks Creek, 12 p.m.; Crocker vs Tuscumbia, 2 p.m.
Monday: Stout./ MC vs Herm./ CS, 5 p.m.; St. Elizabeth vs Crocker/ Tusc., 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Championship, 4:30 p.m.
Soccer
Class 3 Division 8 - at Slaughter Field, Waynesville Middle School
1. Jeff City (11-10); 2. Rolla (14-6-3); 3. Camdenton (18-5); 4. Lebanon (12-7-1); 5. Waynesville (4-15)
Ed’s take: Seeing as how the Lady Tigers are the only team in this tiny district with a losing record it might be a quick out for them.
But they almost beat Lebanon earlier this season, and that was without senior captain Erica Combs.
I can see them getting by Lebanon to face Jefferson City in the second round.
From there I think Camdenton takes it all.
Schedule
Saturday: Lebanon vs. Waynesville, noon
Monday: 5:30 - JC vs. Leb./ W’ville, 5:30 p.m.; Rolla vs Cam., 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday: Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 1 Division 5 - at Montgomery County
1. Southern Boone; 2. Dixon (8-4); 3. Fatima; 4. Stover; 5. Belle; 6. Canton; 7. Montgomery County
Ed.’s take: Southern Boone is the obvious favorite, as they are the No. 9 team in Class 1.
Dixon has a chance, but it might not matter—the winner gets the “honor” of facing the District 5 winner at Waynesville Middle School. See below.
Schedule
Saturday: Belle vs Stover, noon; Dixon vs. Montgomery County, 2 p.m.; Fatima vs. Canton, 4 p.m.
Monday: S. Boone vs. Belle/ Stover, 5 p.m.; Dixon/ MC vs Fatima/ Canton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 1 Division 6 - at Pleasant Hope
1. Springfield Catholic (16-6); 2. Greenwood (10-5); 3. Joplin McAuley Catholic; 4. Laquey (5-11); 5. Liberty Mountain View; 6. Richland; 7. Pleasant Hope
Ed.’s take: This district looks deep, and both Catholic and Greenwood are state-ranked—the Irish are now No. 1 in Class 1, while Greenwood is No. 4.
There’s no reason to think one of those two teams won’t romp right through the districts and sectionals.
Laquey has a solid group of freshman, and I can see them beating Liberty but they probably won’t be able to oust Catholic from the top quite yet. Ditto Richland.
Schedule
Monday: Laquey vs Mtn. View Liberty, 4 p.m.; Greenwood vs Pleasant Hope, 6 p.m.; McAuley Catholic vs Richland, 8 p.m.
Tuesday: Springfield Catholic vs Laquey/ Liberty, 5 p.m.; G’wood/ PH vs McAuley/ Rich., 7 p.m.
Thursday: Championship, 6 p.m.
