Fayetteville coach Scott Gallagher had an idea the 6A-West Conference race could be unpredictable this season.
"I told our guys at the start of the year 10 and 4 could win our conference this year," Gallagher said. "After we lost to (Bentonville) West to start conference play, I told them 'we've still got a shot at this.'"
Prep Baseball Standings
6A-West
^Conf.^Overall
Team^W-L^W-L
Bentonville West^8-4^16-9
Fayetteville^8-4^16-9
Rogers High^7-5^14-10
Springdale Har-Ber^7-5^20-6
Bentonville High^6-6^14-10
Van Buren^6-6^16-9
Springdale High^4-8^10-15
Rogers Heritage^2-10^7-15
6A-Central
^Conf.^Overall
Team^W-L^W-L
Bryant^10-0^24-2
LR Catholic^7-3^12-8
Cabot^7-4^17-5
Conway^6-5^11-9
North Little Rock^5-6^10-13
LR Central^4-7^10-14
FS Southside^2-9^7-17
FS Northside^2-10^3-18
BASEBALL STATISTICAL LEADERS)
BATTING (through Tuesday, April 23)
MINIMUM 24 AT-BATS
PLAYER, SCHOOL^AVG^AB^R^H^RBI^2B^3B^HR^BB^SB^SLUG
Brown, Shiloh Christian^0.479^71^32^34^21^15^2^3^11^4^0.873
Cole, Gravette^0.468^79^23^37^26^9^3^1^11^8^0.696
Ray, Booneville^0.451^71^24^32^25^9^0^2^12^5^0.662
Watkins, Huntsville^0.444^36^13^16^8^7^0^1^7^0^0.722
Burns, Ozark^0.439^82^31^36^20^4^7^0^13^8^0.659
Cobb, Booneville^0.435^69^22^30^21^8^0^4^8^6^0.725
Potts, Paris^0.433^30^10^13^5^4^0^0^5^12^0.567
Garrett, Huntsville^0.431^51^8^22^13^4^0^0^7^3^0.510
Williams, Waldron^0.429^49^10^21^10^0^0^0^3^7^0.429
Duddleston, Shiloh Christian^0.418^67^20^28^23^5^1^2^9^1^0.612
Wood, Springdale Har-Ber^0.418^79^21^33^24^10^0^2^5^16^0.620
Brasher, Booneville^0.417^60^21^25^20^8^1^0^12^11^0.583
Morphis, Lincoln^0.412^51^22^21^15^3^1^1^5^13^0.569
Key, Lamar^0.408^49^13^20^10^3^0^0^2^19^0.469
Hunt, Waldron^0.405^42^13^17^5^5^0^0^12^6^0.524
Buchanan, Huntsville^0.404^57^11^23^14^9^0^0^5^5^0.544
Sagely, Greenwood^0.400^80^22^32^19^9^5^0^11^9^0.638
Williams, Shiloh Christian^0.400^75^10^30^13^5^0^0^4^1^0.467
McCone, Huntsville^0.396^53^16^21^13^6^0^0^8^16^0.509
Anderson, Shiloh Christian^0.390^41^3^16^7^2^0^0^14^2^0.439
Lloyd, Lincoln^0.390^59^16^23^16^5^2^1^2^4^0.593
Serrano, Siloam Springs^0.389^72^17^28^16^7^0^1^10^6^0.528
Herrera, Booneville^0.387^62^14^24^22^6^0^0^4^3^0.484
Parsons, Gravette^0.387^75^16^29^24^13^1^1^15^6^0.627
Patton, Ozark^0.386^70^22^27^20^6^2^0^20^11^0.529
Davis, Paris^0.383^47^12^18^15^6^1^0^6^10^0.553
PITCHING (through Tuesday, April 23)
MINIMUM 20 INNINGS
PLAYER, SCHOOL^ERA^W^L^SV^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO
Owens, Waldron^0.61^3^4^0^34.1^11^30^3^29^80
C.Ray, Booneville^0.70^0^0^0^20^10^5^2^9^25
C.Johnson, Van Buren^0.86^3^1^0^32.2^24^7^4^8^35
Sussman, Rogers^0.94^1^0^0^37.1^31^15^5^6^31
Adams, Springdale Har-Ber^0.97^7^0^0^50.1^25^14^7^23^78
Partin, FS Southside^1.13^4^1^0^43.1^37^21^7^12^41
M.Watson, Rogers^1.42^3^0^0^49.1^34^12^10^14^66
Williams, Shiloh Christian^1.43^7^0^0^49^21^15^10^24^81
Freeman, Lamar^1.71^2^1^0^28.2^28^18^7^15^25
Willsey, Mansfield^1.75^0^0^0^44^43^36^11^37^57
Castor, Lavaca^1.79^3^2^0^27.1^19^19^7^6^36
J.Watson, Rogers^1.85^0^0^1^22.2^21^11^6^9^30
Payne, Clarksville^1.87^4^1^0^52.1^46^30^14^17^46
Chaffin, FS Southside^1.91^1^7^0^25.2^30^16^7^5^26
Wilkerson, Van Buren^1.91^1^1^0^29.1^22^13^8^7^32
Acuff, Springdale Har-Ber^2.01^2^2^4^24.1^16^13^7^8^30
Phelps, Greenwood^2.07^5^2^0^50.2^40^24^15^21^62
Jurecka, Greenwood^2.13^5^2^0^56^42^27^17^12^57
Gallagher couldn't have been more right.
Fayetteville (16-9) heads into the final week of league play tied for first place with Bentonville West with a conference record of 8-4 with two games to play. But the fun doesn't stop there. Rogers High is also tied with Springdale Har-Ber at 7-5, while Bentonville High and Van Buren are a game back, tied at 6-6.
The top six teams qualify for the state tournament, but not even that's been settled yet. Van Buren takes on Springdale, which is currently 4-8. this week in their final two league games.
The Red Bulldogs have lost a ton of close games but swept Fayetteville two weeks ago to remain in contention. They could earn a state tournament berth and keep Van Buren at home by sweeping the Pointers. But the Pointers could finish as high as third with a sweep and some help. The scenarios about what order the other teams could finish in are numerous.
The other matchups next week have Rogers High taking on last-place Rogers Heritage and Bentonville High facing Bentonville West. In addition, Fayetteville plays Har-Ber.
Rogers, West, and Fayetteville could end up in a three-way tie for first at 9-5. Rogers would need to sweep Heritage, while West and Fayetteville split its games next week for that to happen. The Purple'Dogs are likely in the best position because their fate is in their hands. If they sweep they are the No. 1 seed, but they could still be the top seed from the West event with a split.
If Fayetteville and West end up tied, the teams split their two games, but Fayetteville gets the nod on run differential. Har-Ber swept Rogers last week, so it would have the tiebreaker.
There's also a scenario where four teams could tie at 8-6, so tiebreakers would be needed to determine state tournament seeding.
Gallagher acknowledged the first-round bye, which comes with being a No. 1 or No. 2 seed is the prize everyone is battling to earn.
"It's a huge advantage," Gallagher said. "I was talking with coaches in other sports and they were saying in things like volleyball it was almost a disadvantage not to play in the first round. But baseball's definitely different trying to save pitching."
BOONEVILLE
Bearcats take momentum into regionals
Booneville may have gotten off to a slow start, but it is aiming for a fast finish as regional tournament play begins next week.
The Bearcats (16-7) extended their winning streak to nine games on Tuesday, ending 3A-4 Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Perryville.
Senior Brandon Ulmer, an Arkansas State signee, has struggled at the plate this season, but finished the regular season with a flourish, too. He went 4-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBIs in the first game of the doubleheader. Ulmer was walked in all four of his plate appearances in the nightcap and combined to score five runs in the two games.
Booneville coach Darby Ulmer said Brandon, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first football game of the season, played in the outfield for the first time this season on Tuesday.
"All I had done is DH him, but he got cleared to play the field this week," Darby Ulmer said. "He had a diving catch in the outfield."
The one place Ulmer is likely missed is on the mound. But others have stepped forward, Darby Ulmer said.
The Bearcats return seven starters from a team that lost in the first round of the regional tournament a year ago and Darby Ulmer said it's probably as talented a team as he's had since Booneville lost in the state finals to Horatio in 2016. Brandon Ulmer started on the mound for the Bearcats in the game as a freshman.
Blakely Cobb and Carson Ray have been cornerstones for the Bearcats this season both on the mound and at the plate, Ulmer said. Catcher Cam Brasher has also come on offensively late in the season.
The 3A-4 doesn't hold a district tournament, instead opting to take the top four finishers from the conference race to advance to the regional. The Bearcats will host the regional beginning next week on Thursday and they will likely be the No. 3 seed from the 3A-4, Ulmer said.
SHILOH CHRISTIAN
Young Saints look for consistency at the plate
The Saints don't have a senior on this year's team, but coach Moe Henry won't let youth be an excuse for anything.
"That's kinda been the focus to go out and compete this year and not fall back on 'we'll be pretty good next year,'" Henry said.
Shiloh Christian has done that to this point, winning the 4A-1 Conference title. The Saints (17-5) also punched their ticket to next week's regional tournament with a win on Tuesday night in the district tournament.
Henry said the one aspect of the Saints' game that's lacked consistency is hitting. But good pitching depth has kept them in tight games.
"Hitting is probably the one thing that's been up and down the most," Henry said. "We've made the finals the last two years, but that's probably been the one thing that's hindered us the most is our productivity offensively.
"But the guys we put on the mound give us a chance to compete and stay in games."
Junior left-hander Walker Williams, an Arkansas State commit, leads a talented group on the mound for the Saints. Marcus Brown, a Kentucky commit, plays shortstop regularly but also has been used on the mound as a closer. But they aren't alone, Henry said.
"We've got probably six different guys we feel comfortable putting in in any situation," Henry said.
Williams is one of three players, who could be considered returning starters. He plays first base when he's not pitching. Others are junior Sawyer Duddleston at third base and sophomore Drew Dudley.
Sports on 04/26/2019