Three small-school baseball regionals to watch
May 4—The postseason begins on May 13 for Class 1A and 2A baseball teams. Sports Editor Matt Daniels offers a quick breakdown:
Class 2A
Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin Regional
The duo of Illinois signee Luke Landrus and Danville Area Community College signee Braxton Waller are generating eye-popping numbers hitting in the middle of the order for St. Joseph-Ogden. The Spartans are a No. 1 seed and could get fourth-seeded and host BHRA on May 18 in the regional championship game. BHRA upset SJ-O on its home field last season in a regional semifinal game, and the Spartans would like nothing more than to deny the Blue Devils a chance to win their first regional title since 2018.
Class 2A
Unity Regional
Unity will try to do something it has never done before in program history: win back-to-back regional titles. The host Rockets are the No. 2 seed in Tolono, but it's a quality five-team regional. Third-seeded Westville meets fifth-seeded Paxton-Buckley-Loda on May 16 in a regional semifinal game, while Unity gets either sixth-seeded St. Thomas More or eighth-seeded Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond in the first regional semifinal game on May 15. Whoever wins the regional title on May 18 will have earned it.
Class 1A
Arcola Regional
Arcola has had a superb season so far, with coach Mike Phillips' team earning a No. 2 seed and aiming for its second straight regional title. The Purple Riders will get either seventh-seeded Tuscola or 10th-seeded Georgetown-Ridge Farm in a regional semifinal game at 4 p.m. on May 16 at Moore Park. Win and Lincoln Prairie Conference foe Villa Grove, the No. 3 seed, could await in the regional title game on May 18 if the Blue Devils can get past either sixth-seeded Salt Fork or 11th-seeded Heritage in a regional semifinal game.
