The Missouri playoffs begin on Saturday with district play, in what should be an exciting few weeks of games to crown state champions. 
 

There have been some outstanding team performances in 2013, but that doesn't always guarantee a championship. 

As we have seen in years past, sometimes it is the team that gets hot at the right time and rides a wave of momentum to a championship.
 

Here we take a look at the possible contenders for a Class Three, Two and One state champions.

Class 3 Favorites
1. Holden- Led by Dylan Riley on the mound and at the plate, this looks like it could be the year that Holden reaches the final four and is a serious contender to take home the championship. Look for James Brownsberger, Matt Borgen , and Coby Seiz to also be big contributors.
2. Forsyth- Forsyth came from nowhere to put together one of the best Class Three seasons. Winning 18 games, they are led on the mound and at the plate by sophomore Jay Kaufman. Offensively, Derek Hurst, Layn Hurst, Alex Pate, and Taylor Darting must hit if Forsyth wants to continue their success. In addition to Kaufman and Logan Horner will need to deliver on the mound.
3.    Springfield Catholic- No surprise here, starting the season in the Top 25 and spending most of the season in the rankings, year in and year out Catholic looks to be a contender. They play fundamental baseball and have experienced players who play well together, finding a way to win. Tyler Ast and Matthew Tipton anchor the pitching staff, and Colin Shaughnessy, Brayton Ballenger, and Eric Atwell will need to maintain the consistency at the plate that they have shown all season long to make a final four run
4.     Clever- For the second year in a row, Clever has shown firepower on offense, and strong pitching. They were tripped up a few times this season, but have shown ability to bounce back. This talented team fell just short last year, and is hungry to redeem themselves. Chance Wolfe is the unquestioned leader at the plate and on the mound. He broke the state record for hits in a season with 58 and has driven in 46 runs with a .624 batting average. Combined with the power of Ranger Curtis and the ability of Caleb Edwards, Travis Pennewell, and Tyler Martin Clever may have the most powerful Class Three lineup. Wolfe, Martin, and Bryce Wilson combined to win 18 games this spring and strikeout 173 batters (with Wolfe striking out 86 in 52 1/3 innings).

Other possible contenders:
1. Malden- Tanner Murphy’s offense and pitching will make or break Malden if they can beat one of the favorites.
2.    Fatima- A veteran team with 12 upperclassmen looking to go out on top.
3. O’Fallon Christian- Corey Canterbury, Clayton Garrett, and Drew May lead the offense, while Jay Billings and May will be looked upon to lead the pitching staff.
4. Summit Christian- They made the final four last season, dominating opponents, and posted some impressive run totals again this season. AJ Boyer and Rueben Erisman lead the offense, Boyer and David Tillema lead the pitching staff.

Class 2
1.    Valle Catholic- One of the most consistent teams over the last 10 years, and defending champions from last year, Valle Catholic has the personnel to repeat as champions in 2013. Led by Tyler Litterest on the mound and Andrew Basler at the plate, Valle will be tough to beat.
2.    Chaffee- Cody Payne’s offense and pitching will be relied upon heavily for Chaffee to advance to the final four, and Cody Johnson will also be called upon on the mound to provide some depth.
3.   Dora- A fairly complete team who went an impressive 19-3 on the season, winning in impressive fashion and looking to translate that success and hit streak into the postseason. Dora will have to get past Hartville to advance to the sectional round, and could pave their way to a final four berth if they can jump that hurdle.
4.    Hartville- An impressive 12-3 season, with one of their losses coming against Dora. Dora will have to get past Hartville to advance to the sectional round, and could pave their way to a final four birth if they can jump that hurdle. 

Class 1
1.    Oran- Kody Moore and Seth Ressel on the mound and at the plate have been the catalyst the has carried Oran most of the season. Alex Huerning’s bat will be greatly relied upon as well as Oran looks to advance to the final four again. They could have the most talented team in Class One, and with the announcement of Coach Wood’s retirement from coaching high school baseball, it will give Oran extra motivation to send Coach Wood out on top.
2. Sturgeon- One of the final four teams from last year, Sturgeon returns 11 players and looks like a final four team again this season. They are led by sophomores Ryan Seidel and William Roberts at the plate and Hunter Smith and Spencer Kelly, and Seidel on the mound.
3.   Santa Fe- The defending Class 1 champions graduated only three players and return two dynamic player in senior Andrew Curry and junior Keaton Graff. Both have ace stuff on the mound and provide middle of the order power at the plate. If they are both throwing the way they are capable, we may see a repeat Class One champion.
4.    Pilot Grove- They have played only 11 games due to weather, but have made the most of their opportunities in blowing out most of their opponents. The offense has shown a penchant for big run production, and pitching staff for the most part has kept opposing bats at bay.