The 2024 MSHSAA District playoffs are set to start tomorrow, May 10th, for Classes 1-through-4, with the Class 5 and Class 6 bracket kicking off next week. From now until then, teams across the state will compete for an opportunity to capture a District crown and punch their ticket to Sectionals, and ultimately a spot in Ozark. 

Over the next few days, our staff will be previewing each District for Class 5 and Class 6. Here are the Districts we have previewed so far: 

+ Class 6, District 8
+ Class 6, District 7
+ Class 6, District 6
+ Class 6, District 5
+ Class 6, District 4
+ Class 6, District 3
+ Class 6, District 2
+ Class 6, District 1
+ Class 5, District 8
+ Class 5, District 7
+ Class 5, District 6
+ Class 5, District 5

Below you’ll learn more about Class 5, District 4 and its outlook with the playoffs set to start next week. 

+ Fort Zumwalt South (25-4) made a trip to Ozark last season and are following that up with an even more impressive season. They’ve unquestionably been one of the best teams in Class 5 all spring and are riding a 12 game winning streak heading into the playoffs. They’ve beaten Fort Zumwalt West, swept Liberty (Wentzville), swept Fort Zumwalt East, and handed Francis Howell a 13-2 loss this past Saturday. Fort Zumwalt South has multiple high-end arms on the hill, starting with Connor Henke (2024; St. Charles CC) and Carter Cox (2024; Northern Illinois), each of whom have been stellar in their senior seasons. Henke sports a 1.70 ERA across a team-high 49 ⅓ innings pitched, walking just 12, while Cox has 64 strikeouts and a 0.83 ERA in his 42 ⅓ frames. Jacksen Tankersley (2024; St. Charles CC) and Evan Fulhorst (2024; Valparaiso) have each thrown 24+ quality innings, deepening this pitching staff even moreso. Tankersley and Connor Mendell (2024; Northern Illinois) have led the Bulldogs’ offense, as they’re both hitting over .400 in 115+ plate appearances with the two most RBI totals (28 and 27) on the club. Cox, Henke, and Fulhorst are having strong years at the dish as well, with Jacob Reynolds (2024), Carter Adkins (2024), and Sam Alles (2024) all swinging it well for this club, too. 

+ St. Dominic (20-8) fell to Fort Zumwalt South in the District championship game last season and the Crusaders bring a team to the table this year that’s capable of winning the title this year. They’ve picked up some impressive wins this spring, beating St. Francis Borgia and Father Tolton twice, Lafayette, Warrenton, and Fort Zumwalt East. Charlie Kilcullin (2024; Central Missouri) has enjoyed success in his senior season on both sides of the ball. He’s slashing .391/.487/.625 with four home runs and has also pitched to a 1.70 ERA in 33 innings on the hill, fanning 55. Alex Alsop (2025) owns a 3.03 ERA across a team-high 39 ⅓ innings and Brennan Swindler (2025) put up a 2.26 mark in his 31 innings of work. Andrew Henke (2024) and Cooper Smith (2024) have been nails in mostly relief roles, allowing a combined four earned runs in 43 innings of work between the two of them. Henke has been a staple at the plate as well, leading the team with 28 RBI while posting a .364/.430/.623 triple-slash. Cooper Montgomery (2026) has provided some necessary left-handed juice in his sophomore season and Brady Baker (2024) swung it well all spring. The depth that St. Dominic has on the mound coupled with their ability to produce at key spots in the lineup makes this team a real threat in these playoffs. 

+ Fort Zumwalt East (20-10) made a run to Ozark two years ago and will begin these playoffs as the three seed in this District. The Lions have a handful of impressive wins on their resume, beating St. Dominic, Festus, Southern Boone, DeSmet, and Lindbergh. Eric Williams (2024; Mississippi Valley State) leads the way at the plate, slashing .400/.500/.558 with 10 extra-base hits and 19 RBI over 116 plate appearances. Jackson Carter (2024; Central Missouri), Braden Weber (2024), Lonnie Land IV (2025), and Noah Foster (2024) are all having strong seasons at the plate as well. Brendan Pyle (2026) has provided the thump for the Lions, driving in a team-high 25 runs with 17 extra-base hits, including three home runs. Pyle also leads the Lions in total innings pitched (46 ⅓) with a 3.47 ERA and 46 strikeouts in that span. Carter Hollingsworth (2025) posted a 2.69 ERA in 39 innings of work and Carson Page (2025) logged 36 ⅔ innings with a 2.10 ERA. 

+ Warrenton (21-5-1) and Hannibal (19-14) are the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively, in this District. Austin Haas (2025) hit .462 with a .533 on-base percentage in 106 plate appearances to lead the Warriors’ offense. Ben Peth (2024; East Central College) punched out 69 batters in 51 innings of work to anchor this pitching staff, posting a 1.92 ERA, and talented freshman Carter Martin (2027) fanned 48 with a 1.85 ERA across 34 frames. Hannibal enters these playoffs with 19 total wins on the year, including a recent seven game win streak that saw them score 13+ runs in five of those games. 

+ North Point (12-16) is the sixth seed in this District and is going to be a tough draw because of what they’re able to do on the mound. Jack Cowling (2025) has real power stuff and is the type of arm that can shut anybody down on any given day, bringing a 2.14 ERA and 60 strikeouts to the table across a 39 ⅓ inning sample. Justin Nenninger (2025) holds a 0.99 ERA over 35 ⅓ innings of work, with names like Brandon Bechtel (2024) and Ben Barfield (1016) each throwing the ball this year. 

+ Holt (10-21) and St. Charles (6-21) are the final two seeds in this District. 

CLASS 5, DISTRICT 4 SEEDINGS 

1. Fort Zumwalt South 
2. St. Dominic 
3. Fort Zumwalt East 
4. Warrenton
5. Hannibal
6. North Point
7. Holt 
8. St. Charles 

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