SBLive Super 7 Arkansas baseball rankings: State's best teams gear up for title games
By Kevin Bohannon | Photo by Tommy Land
State Tournament week provided every type of emotion known to man. Teams experienced shock, dismay, joy, excitement, anticipation and heartbreak. Only six teams get to end their season with a win if they make it this far. Class 1A and Class 6A will crown a new champion this week in Benton. The other four classifications have their defending champion in the final and on top of the rankings in their respective class.
If you get a chance, get out to Benton Thursday through Saturday. You will see some great high school baseball at one of the best facilities in the Natural State.
SBLive Class 6A Super 7
1. Conway 18-9
2. Bentonville 22-10
3. Springdale Har-Ber 25-8
4. Rogers Heritage 19-13
5. Rogers 24-6
6. LR Catholic 21-7
7. FS Southside 20-11
Analysis: The top two teams in last week’s poll didn’t make it past their first game. Rogers Heritage beat defending champion Rogers for the second time in as many weeks before losing to Conway in the semi-finals. Conway got great pitching from Austin Rainey and Hugh Hill. The lefties did not allow a run in twelve innings of work. Bentonville made quick work of NLR in round one scoring five runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 7-2 victory. The second upset of the quarterfinal round came when the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Catholic. The Rockets made a late rally, but the Tigers held on for a 7-6 victory. Bentonville’s magic wasn’t done as they came from behind to upset rival Har-Ber behind a six-run rally that included a three-run homerun by Tony Woodie to seal the 7-3 win. Bentonville and Conway faced off in the 2015 Class 7A State Championship, a game the Tigers won 6-5.
SBLive Class 5A Super 7
1. Van Buren 26-5
2. Marion 28-5
3. Sheridan 21-11
4. Batesville 21-8
5. Jonesboro 24-8-1
6. Benton 22-10
7. Sylvan Hills 21-11
Analysis: Eli Gilreath, Devin Gattis and Connor Brady have a lot in common. They will get a chance to play college baseball, they have one state title under their belt, and they will get to play for a second title this week in Benton after running the gauntlet that is the Class 5A State Tournament. The Pointers disposed of scrappy Maumelle in round one 4-1 then ended Jonesboro’s season for the second straight season in comeback fashion 4-3. Gattis had an eight-inning complete game and the game-winning double to take down the Canes. In the semifinals, Brady shutdown upset minded Batesville and the offense did its job as the Pointers cruised to a 12-3 victory. Marion continued their torrid streak and did not allow a run in their three games in Hot Springs. The Patriots took care of White Hall 10-0 then got past Benton 5-0 before Chase Armstrong came back after an awful outing in round one to shutout Sheridan 7-0. This should be one of the best title games in Benton, but my money is on the champs. Someone once told me…they are the best team until someone else can prove otherwise.
SBLive Class 4A Super 7
1. Valley View 29-6
2. Harrison 21-12
3. Huntsville 24-8
4. Shiloh Christian 17-13
5. Lonoke 29-6
6. Arkadelphia 18-5
7. Pulaski Academy 22-10-1
Analysis: Valley View offense caught fire late against Farmington scoring 13 runs in the sixth inning capped off by Slade Caldwell’s grand slam. They ended Arkadelphia’s 11-game winning streak 12-5 before dispatching a hot Shiloh Christian team 9-1. The Blazers are the most talented team in 4A and held the top spot all season. They should repeat…but…Harrison may have something to say about that. The Goblins outslugged Star City 14-6 in round one then scored an upset of Pulaski Academy 4-3. In the semifinals, they defeated Huntsville 17-11 in a marathon game that took over four hours. Catcher Beck Jones delivered the knockout punch in the seventh inning via a two-run home run. The Goblins can swing it and Valley View has multiple weapons on the mound. Should make for an entertaining title game.
SBLive Class 3A Super 7
1. Harding Academy 30-3
2. Ashdown 26-6
3. Paris 20-5
4. Elkins 21-9
5. Haskell Harmony Grove 17-12
6. Prescott 15-9
7. Rose Bud 20-11
Analysis: Harding Academy has outscored their past six opponents 54-2 in postseason play. Gavin Alveti tossed a no-hitter against Booneville in round one. Kyler Hoover hurled a three-hit shutout against CAC in the quarterfinals and Kade Smith shut down a very good Paris team in the Wildcats’ 9-2 semifinal victory. Give me the Cats, Chuck. While Ashdown hasn’t had the dominant run Harding Academy has been on, they do have the depth and talent to beat the Wildcats. Lefty Alex Keilbach, who played quarterback on the Panthers football team, will most likely be tasked with shutting down the potent Wildcats lineup. He has a fastball in the 79-82 range and has been nails down the stretch for the Panthers. Jaxson Jester, Walt and Wyatt Thompson are the other Panthers that have carried them to a 26-6 record this season. Paris had a great postseason run on the back of Duke Walker. He came on to pitch down 6-1 to Rose Bud in round one and shut down the Ramblers as Paris won 8-6. Haskell Harmony Grove had a great run and proved their regular season finale win over Ashdown wasn’t a fluke.
SBLive Class 2A Super 7
1. Woodlawn 26-6
2. Bigelow 15-8
3. Buffalo Island Central 20-3
4. McCrory 24-6-1
5. Melbourne 21-6
6. Horatio 20-11-1
7. Rector 18-8
Analysis: Woodlawn got their ace in the hole back in Cale Edmonds and rolled over St. Joseph 15-1 in round one. Edmonds led the way offensively in a 6-3 win over upset-minded Riverside squad and through five shutout innings in the Bears 6-3 win over BIC in the semi-finals. Bigelow used a “team first” philosophy to make a run to the finals. Senior Hunter Alexander was moved to catcher for the first time since his freshman season in the 10-4 semi-final win over McCrory. Beau Billeck tossed a gem in the quarterfinal win over Rector. Carter Alexander seems to have multiple hits every game. The Panthers have the horses to give Woodlawn a run for their money on Thursday in Benton. Woodlawn Coach Tommy Richardson will be going for his ninth state championship. Woodlawn is making a sixth straight appearance in the title game and has four out of the last five championships.
SBLive Class 1A Super 7
1. Taylor 18-5-2
2. Nemo Vista 19-9
3. Ouachita 25-8
4. Mount Ida 18-6
5. West Side 22-5
6. Izard County 20-8
7. Norfork 22-7
Analysis: Class 1A was turned upside down in Arkadelphia this week as none of the top three ranked teams made it to the semi-finals. The 4-1A Region proved to be the strongest Region as three teams made it to the final four. Taylor defeated Mount Ida for the second time in as many weeks. The Tigers breathed a little easier on Saturday in their 11-1 win. Nemo Vista was the story of the week as they upset Izard County in the quarterfinals 8-6 and Ouachita 6-1 in the semi-finals. Senior Christian Rodelo hit a walk-off home run against Izard County. Senior ace Wesley Honeycutt shut down host Ouachita in the semifinals going the distance. The Red Hawks avenged an April 15th doubleheader loss to Ouachita where they were outscored 30-4.
