SPRING SPORTS STATE TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENTS CLASS 6A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Fort Smith
DEFENDING CHAMPION North Little Rock FAVORITE Bryant
OTHER CONTENDERS Cabot, Springdale Har-Ber, Rogers
INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP Fayetteville vs. North Little Rock
NOTEWORTHY Seven of the 12 playoff teams had winning records in conference play (4 from the Central, 3 from the West). … Bryant has won four state championships since 2010. … Springdale Har-Ber has been a semifinalist in the past five state tournaments and a finalist in the last three. … Cabot and Little Rock Catholic may be the hottest teams in the field. The Panthers have won nine of their past 10 games, with their only loss coming at Russellville, 5-3, on May 6. The Rockets have beaten eight of the past nine teams they’ve face, including their last six.
CLASS 5A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Jonesboro
DEFENDING CHAMPION Sheridan FAVORITE Jonesboro
OTHER CONTENDERS Van Buren, Marion, Little Rock Christian
INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP Sheridan vs. Greenwood
NOTEWORTHY Little Rock Christian had won 15 games in a row before losing to Searcy 4-1 on Friday. … Five of Van Buren’s seven losses were to teams from Class 6A. … Benton has reached at least the semifinals for three years in a row. … The first-round game between Marion and Jacksonville is a rematch of a regular-season matchup. Marion won that one 14-0 on March 26. … Greenbrier was on a 12-game winning streak until the Panthers suffered back-to-back, one-run defeats to Batesville (2-1) and Cabot (5-4) to end the year. … Hot Springs Lakeside won its last three games by a total of 35 runs.
CLASS 4A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Morrilton
DEFENDING CHAMPION Nashville
FAVORITE Magnolia
OTHER CONTENDERS Bauxite, Valley View, Farmington
INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP Bauxite vs. Pocahontas
NOTEWORTHY Nashville has won the past three state titles, all coming against Shiloh Christian. Those two teams could meet in the quarterfinals Friday. … Magnolia held all three of its regional tournament opponents – Malvern, Bauxite and Nashville – to two runs apiece. The Panthers scored 27 runs total. … Valley View beat Harrison 4-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2019 state tournament. Those teams could meet again in this year’s quarterfinals. … All of Harrison’s seven losses were to teams that are still playing in the postseason.
CLASS 3A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Ashdown
DEFENDING CHAMPION Benton Harmony Grove FAVORITE Harding Academy
OTHER CONTENDERS Baptist Prep, Elkins, Walnut Ridge
INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP Walnut
Ridge vs. Camden Harmony Grove NOTEWORTHY Harding Academy has won 16 consecutive games since suffering a 13-12 loss to Lonoke on March 27. Eleven of the Wildcats’ victories during that streak have been by at least 10 runs. Harding Academy also recorded seven shutouts in that stretch. … The opening-round game between Lamar and Booneville will be the third meeting of the year between the two, with Lamar winning both of the earlier games. … West Fork has lost five of its past six. … Booneville has allowed an average of 11 runs in its seven losses. … DeWitt started the season 1-9. … Ashdown’s victory over Benton Harmony Grove on Saturday was its third over the defending champs since April 19.
CLASS 2A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Carlisle and Lonoke
DEFENDING CHAMPION Junction City FAVORITE Woodlawn
OTHER CONTENDERS Parkers Chapel, South Side Bee Branch, Murfreesboro
INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP England vs. Bigelow
NOTEWORTHY South Side Bee Branch has won its past 18 games, which matches Woodlawn for the longest current run in Class 2A. … Murfreesboro is 19-1 in its past 20 contests. The Rattlers’ only setback in that span was a 4-2 loss to Parkers Chapel in last week’s regional semifinals. … Mansfield is responsible for four of Mountainburg’s losses. … England beat Bigelow 13-3 on April 15. Those two will face off again today. … Three of Conway St. Joseph’s nine losses were to South Side Bee Branch. … Four of Salem’s past six losses were to Tuckerman and Melbourne, two teams that didn’t reach the state tournament.
CLASS 1A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Izard County and Viola
DEFENDING CHAMPION Viola
FAVORITE Viola
OTHER CONTENDERS Taylor, Izard County INTRIGUING FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP Taylor vs. Izard County
NOTEWORTHY Viola is the hottest team in Class 1A, having won 21 games in a row. The Longhorns have beaten Izard County four times, but three of those battles have been close. … The Taylor-Izard County matchup is a rematch from the 2019 quarterfinals, won 7-3 by Taylor. … Scranton is riding an eight-game winning streak and has won 13 of its last 14. … Ozark Catholic has been beaten in four of its past five games. … Sacred Heart hasn’t lost since suffering a 4-1 defeat to Nemo Vista on April 19, a span of nine games. … Guy-Perkins’ last two losses (Wonderview, Sacred Heart) have been by 28 runs combined.