Missouri high school state baseball preview: Staley, Smithville and West Platte take aim
Staley, Smithville and West Platte will play in the Missouri high school baseball state semifinals, which get underway Wednesday. All games will be played at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo.
CLASS 5
WHO: Staley (26-4) vs. Eureka (24-4)
WHEN: 4:30 p.m. Friday
THINGS TO KNOW: Staley has relied on an old-fashioned baseball formula to maneuver its way through the postseason.
Pitching and defense.
The Falcons scored only 12 runs during their four postseason victories, but they posted three shutouts over that same stretch. Hunter Swift took a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh of the team’s 3-0 win Sunday against Lee’s Summit West in the quarterfinals. Ace Jacob Miller is 11-0 with a 1.47 earned run average.
Staley previously qualified for the state semifinals in 2013 for the first time in program history, but it dropped back-to-back games and finished fourth.
UP NEXT: The winner will meet the winner of Kickapoo and Christian Brothers College for the Class 5 state championship at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
CLASS 4
WHO: Smithville (21-7) vs. Notre Dame (26-5)
WHEN: 4:30 p.m. Thursday
THINGS TO KNOW: Smithville has allowed only five runs in its four postseason games. As a result, the Warriors are two wins from winning their first state championship since 1979.
Shutting down the Notre Dame offense, however, could prove more challenging. It has scored 46 runs in four games.
Smithville pitcher Quintan Reed has served as the ace of the staff this season, and he’s responded with a 7-1 record and a 1.11 earned run average.
Kaleb Reid leads Smithville with a .430 average, and Evan Coder has driven in a team-best 29 runs.
UP NEXT: The winner will meet the winner of St. Charles and Sullivan for the Class 4 state championship at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
CLASS 2
WHO: West Platte (19-5) vs. Valle Catholic (28-5)
WHEN: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday
THINGS TO KNOW: For the second time in three seasons, West Platte will play in the state semifinals. It lost the Class 2 championship game in 2013, which remains the best finish in school history.
For now.
West Platte will match up against top-ranked Valle Catholic, but it certainly has the weapons to compete. Ace pitcher McKaulley Stephenson is 9-1 with a microscopic 0.48 earned run average this season. He’s allowed only four runs in 59 innings pitched, totaling 102 strikeouts.
Stephenson is also a force at the plate, where he’s hit four home runs with 36 runs batted in. Peyton Morris leads the team with a .493 average.
UP NEXT: The winner will meet the winner of New Bloomfield and Norwood for the Class 2 state championship at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Missouri high school state baseball preview: Staley, Smithville and West Platte take aim."