The 2012 season in Class 4 baseball has shown a lot of parity, with no one team running away as the clear cut favorite to make a run to the Final Four in Springfield. After hours of research, we have picked eight teams that look to have the best shot at coming home with a Class 4 championship.

Liberty (No. 1 seed in District 16)

Current Record: 19-3 

Key Wins: No. 7 Lee’s Summit West 7-2, No 17. Blue Springs South 12-9 and 3-0

Liberty enters the postseason with the tools and talent to make a repeat run to the state championship game, this year hoping to come out this time with a win.  The Big 6 Conference champions will have a tough road through districts, with second seeded Park Hill and third seed Staley potential roadblocks.

As they have done so all season, look for Liberty to put the ball in play, be aggressive on the bases, and use solid pitching and defense in their quest to come home from Springfield as the Class 4 champions. Coach Bragg has put together another Liberty team that is a very fundamental, plays the game the right way and is one of the most complete teams in the state. They won’t razzle and dazzle, but they are a team who knows how win, whether it is finding a way keep a lead or come from behind.

Key Players: Senior C Todd Hinkley, SS Nathan Winfrey, RHP Spencer Schwandt, 1B Tyler Uhlmann, OF Lucas Norton,

The Big 6 Conference Championship is the fourth in a row for the Liberty Blue Jays

 

Vianney (No. 1 seed in District 3) 

Current Record: 20-5

Key Wins:  No. 11 Francis Howell Central, 5-1, No.7 Lee’s Summit West7-6, No. 23 Francis Howell 13-12

Hit, hit, and hit some more is the story of the Vianny Griffins 2012 team. Not to take anything away from their pitching, but Vianney wins and loses by the bat. The Griffins scored as a team an amazing 193 runs, but also gave up 100. 

Vianney fell to eventual Class 4 champions Francis Howell in the semi-finals last season, and firepower of the Vianney offense makes them a favorite to reach the championship game. The key will be getting consistent starting pitching and defense. If Vianney is running on all cylinders, there is no stopping them.

The Vianney offense is led by: Nick Ulrich (.426, 7 doubles, one homerun, twenty-five RBIs), Petey Spradlin (.420, nine doubles, one triple, two homeruns, twenty-seven RBI), Jack Klages (.405, seven doubles, one triple, twenty-four RBIs), and Matt Brown (.342, nine doubles, two homeruns, twenty-six RBIs).

Key Players: OF Petey Spradlin, 3B Matt Brown, C Jack Klages, 2B Jake Walters, RHP Tim Agne, RHP/DH Aaron Bossi, OF Nick Ulrich 

The starting lineup for Vianney has posted a .375 batting average with 6 homeruns and 159 RBIs.

 

Francis Howell Central (No. 1 seed in District 8)

Current Record: 19-4-1

Key Wins: No. 6 Vianney 11-4, No. 10 Parkway South 4-1, No. 23 Francis Howell 3-0

Francis Howell Central, the No 1 seed in District 8, faces one of the toughest draws in Class 4, a district that who ever comes out has a great shot of making it to Springfield. 

While Howell Central won’t knock your socks of with anything exciting, they will impress with good defense, consistent pitching, and timely hitting. Howell Central has given up only 71 runs all season, allowing 6 runs or more only two games. In their four loses, they lost by a combined 18 runs and got shut out only once all year. Howell Central scored six runs or more in all but three of their wins. 

Offensively, Howell Central is led by Zach Isham (.384, 3-2B, 2-3B, 18 RBI), Josh Wade (.379, 7-2B, 13, RBI), Jake Henson (.378, 8-2B, 2-3B, 6-HR, 23 RBI), Dean Ballenger (.371, 5-2B, 1-HR, 17 RBI), and Ryan Howard (.345, 9-2B, 4-HR, 30 RBI). 

The Howell Central starting pitching has a combined seventeen  of nineteen wins, and the bullpen has been solid. The pitchers are led by Clayton Luley (6-1, 3.47 ERA, 25 K), Scott Huesmann (5-0, 2.65 ERA, 48K), and Alex Erb (4-3, 1.66 ERA, 47K)

Key Players: C Jake Henson, SS Ryan Howard, 1B Dean Ballenger, OF Josh Wade, RHP Clayton Luley

 

Lee’s Summit West  (No. 1 seed in District 14)

Current Record: 19-4

Key Wins: Park Hill, 9-8, Raymore-Peculiar 5-4, Blue Springs, 5-1

In another tough district draw, the Titans of Lee’s Summit West will have to get by upset minded Blue Springs South and Blue Springs in order to make it to Springfield.

This team mirrors last year’s Class 4 champs, Francis Howell, and boasts one of the best lines ups and has contributions top to bottom, with production off the bench. West has an overall team batting average of .357 and has scored an absurd 211 runs on the season. A pair of left handed hitting seniors lead the powerful offense: C Matt Fultz (.411 7-HR, 34 RBI), one of the top prospects in the state and 1B/LHP Matt Hall. (.475, 5-2B, 17 RBI). Sophomore Monte Harrison  (.319, 16-SB, 24 RS) made a name for himself this season cracking the veteran team’s starting line up and is a key while roaming the outfield and showing off a plus arm.

Pitching wise, the Titans are in the good hands of LHP Matt Hall, sophomore RHP Alex Lange, and RHP Tanner Rosenthal. Hall has been among the best pitchers in the state, with a 6-0 record and a minuscule 0.19 ERA (1 earned run on the season), while striking out 52 batters. Lange has a lively arm (88-91 mph, topping at 92) and is a player who everyone will want to watch over the next few years. Lange is 3-0 with 2 saves and has struck out 40 batters.  The pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.45 and opponents are hitting only .233 against them. 

Lee’s Summit West is a veteran team that has the leadership, ability, confidence, and coaching to go all the way.

Key Players: C Matt Fultz, LHP/1B Matt Hall, OF Boston Woodworth, RHP Alex Lange, OF Monte Harrison, SS Travis Stroup 

 

Rock Bridge (No. 1 seed in District 9)

Current Record: 17-6

Key Wins: Hickman, 1-0, Francis Howell, 5-0, Lafayette, 6-3 

What a difference a year makes for Rock Bridge. The 2011 Bruins team was a consistent fixture among the top of the rankings, routinely blowing out their opponents while limiting them to minimal runs. Fast forward to this season, the pitching is still there, but the run production isn’t. No hitter stands out, yet Rock Bridge still finds a way to win. Runners get on, advanced over, and driven in. Pitching has been steady, with contribution from starters and relievers.

As expected, senior RHP/SS Ryan Phillips has led the pitching staff and offense. There are very few Rock Bridge pitching and hitting records that Phillips doesn’t hold or are a part of. He has been a fixture at the top of the lineup, providing experience, leadership, and the identity of Rock Bridge. On the mound, Phillips is 4-2 with two saves, forty-four strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.04. He has given up only seven earned runs in forth-seven innings pitched. Phillips is also batting .355 from the leadoff spot, with twenty-two runs scored 

But there is more to this team than just Phillips. Senior OF Beau Burkett has finally found his stride and is the leading hitter on the team, batting .406 with seven doubles, three triples, one homerun and twenty-four RBIs. Junior Jansen Smith is hitting .388 with an OBP of .805.

On the mound, senior Ryan Schmidt and sophomore Ryan Kyle Teter compliment Phillips. Schmidt has a 4-2 record with a 1.71 ERA and Teter 4-1 with a 1.55 ERA. The Bruins are even getting contributions from a freshman, Logan Twehous, on the mound. 

Key Players: RHP/SS Ryan Phillips, OF Beau Burkett, UTL Jansen Smith, RHP Ryan Schmidt, RHP Kyle Teter

Farmington (No. 1 seed in District 10)

Current Record: 17-5

Key wins: Sikeston, 3-1; Jefferson City 6-1; Valle Catholic 14-5

After a slow start to their season, Farmington tallied up seven consecutive wins and outscoring their opponents in dominating fashion, 63-18, during that run

With a balanced attack on offense, consistency has been the trend for Farmington. Offensively, they have only one starter hitting below .300 and senior Alex Pinkston is leading the team with a .532 average and is one of three hitters with twenty-one RBIs. Connor Davault and Logan Bradley, the other two leading hitters, each have twenty-one RBIs each and are batting  .427 and .403 respectively.

On the mound, Bradley has led the Farmington staff with a 5-1 record and 0.67 ERA, allowing only three earned in thirty-one innings pitched. Of the twenty hits he has surrendered, seventeen have been singles. Also leading the pitching staff is Doug Warren who is a perfect 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA.

Farmington is a balanced team that if they can stay on a roll through Districts could put themselves in a position for a run to Springfield.

Farmington is the back-to-back MAAA conference champions, going undefeated in conference play for the second year in a row, and is 36-9 over the past two seasons.

 

Francis Howell (No. 1 seed in District 8)

Current Record: 19-8

Key Wins: CBC, 3-2; Lindbergh, 7-3; Lafayette, 3-2

See above for Rock Bridge, what a difference a year makes for the defending Class 4 champions, returning only two starters (SS Nic Perkins and DH Kyle Nuetzel) and playing a completly new cast of players who had the odds stacked against them. The Francis Howell Vikings were looking at a re-building yet, but it seems like this team just keeps re-loading and is poised for a championship caliber team this year and into the future 

Junior SS Zac Perkins, who is hitting .430 with twenty-seven stolen bases and twenty-nine runs scored, has led the Howell offense and been a consistent player in Howell’s success thus far. Zac’s younger brother, sophomore C Nic has provided the big, power bat with a  .363 batting average and team leading five homeruns.  Seniors Austin Schnider, Kyle, Nelson, and Kyle Nuetzel have provided the senior leadership that has been key to the success of this young and inexperienced team.

On the mound, Calvin Munson has emerged as the ace of the Howell staff. The hard throwing righty leads the team with 38 strikeouts. Austin Southmayd, Nate Green, and Dylan Saalsman have been consistent starters and will be a key if Howell for Howell to return to Springfield.

Key Players: SS/RHP Zac Perkins, C Nic Perkins, DH Kyle Nuetzel, LHP Austin Southmayd, 1B/RHP Calvin Munson.

 

Parkway South (No. 1 seed in District 4)

Current record: 19-6

Key Wins: Marquette, 3-2; Eureka 7-4 and 3-0

Another No. 1 seed in a tough district with conference rivals Marquette, Lafayette, and Eureka, Parkway South enters districts as a team that knows its potential opponents well, and that has to be a somewhat comforting feeling for Coach Stahl and his squad’s preparation. With the exception of two losses (both by one run) to Lafayette, Parkway South lost only other game in conference, one of the most competitive conferences in the state. There is a good chance South will face one of their rivals on the way to the district championship game, and I like their chances of moving on, but then again, anything can happen in districts 

Parkway South has a team of veteran players that have guided this team, and are determined to get over the hump of getting out of their district, something that this group couldn’t accomplish last season. Seniors OF Danny Holst, C Eric Kroupa, and Tyler Olmid led an offense that scored 179 runs on the season. Junior OF Jake Brentz had a breakout season, leading the team in doubles (eleven), homeruns (four), and RBIs (twenty-nine) and will need to keep a hot bat in order for the Patriots to advance.

Quality starting pitching has been a backbone of the Parkway South team, with starters Holst, Michael Patterson, and Ty Stahl posting a combined record of 12-2. The staff will not over power any line up, but they will throw strikes, change their speeds, and rely on a quality defense behind them, as they have done all season long.

Key Players: OF Danny Holst, C Eric Kroupa, 2B Anthony Duke, OF Jake Brentz, RHP Michael Patterson, RHP/OF Ty Stahl 

Teams to keep your eyes on: Helias (No. 1 seed in District 10), Kickapoo (No. 1 seed in District 11), Winnetonka (No. 1 seed in District 15), Lafayette (#2 seed in District 4), Branson (No. 2 seed in District 11), Blue Springs South (No. 2 seed in District 14), Staley (No. 3 seed in District 16) Eureka (No. 3 seed in District 4), Pacific (No. 4 seed in District 4)