Semoball

Kennett baseball squad continues quest for Class 4 state title Wednesday

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Kennett celebrates beating Priory 2-1 in a Class 4 state quarterfinal Friday in St. Louis.

The Kennett baseball squad will continue its quest for its first state title in school history when it begins play at the Class 4 final four at US Baseball Park in Ozark Wednesday.

No. 2 ranked Kennett (24-8) will take on Lafayette (St. Joseph) (19-7) in the first Class 4 state semifinal Wednesday at 4 p.m. The second semifinal between No. 3 ranked Blair Oaks (27-5) and No. 8 ranked Hollister (25-5) will follow Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

The Class 4 third-place game is Thursday at 4 p.m. and the Class 4 state championship is Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Here is a glance at each team competing in the Class 4 final four:

KENNETT

PITCHING

Kennett has surrendered 3.1 runs per game.

Four hurlers have logged more than 30 innings for Kennett.

Senior lefty Payton Heinley is a perfect 6-0 with a 1.62 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 66 and walked 18.

Senior right-hander Kobe Gates is 6-1 with a 0.82 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 63 and walked 22.

Junior righty Reese Robinett is 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA in 32 innings pitched. He has struck out 49 and walked 10.

Sophomore righty Riley Henfling, who has committed to Arkansas, is 4-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 32 innings pitched. He has struck out 50 and walked 24.

HITTING

Kennett averages 7.3 runs per game.

Six players have combined to hit 15 home runs for Kennett.

Junior Reese Robinett, who has committed to Arkansas, bats .396 with a team-high eight home runs and team-high 37 RBIs.

Junior Tanner Duncan and senior Bodey Ellis have both hit a pair of homers this spring. Duncan bats .367 with 30 RBIs and Ellis bats .289 with 12 RBIs.

Junior J.T. Williams, senior Kobe Gates, and sophomore Brooks Nigut have also connected for one home run each. Williams hits .238 with 11 RBIs, Gates bats .296 with 18 RBIs, and Nigut bats .375 with 23 RBIs.

Junior leadoff hitter Braden Tice has collected a team-high 19 of his squad’s 69 stolen bases. Tice hits .371 with 20 RBIs.

PATH TO FINAL FOUR

Kennet beat Fredericktown 11-0 in its district semifinal, beat Dexter 8-2 in its district final, beat No. 7 ranked Valle Catholic 9-1 in its state sectional, and beat Priory 2-1 in its state quarterfinal.

LAFAYETTE (ST. JOSEPH)

PITCHING

Lafayette (St. Joseph) allows 4.6 runs per game.

Senior left-hander Brayden Luikart has been close to perfect on the mound while logging a team-high 42.1 innings this spring. Luikart is 4-0 with a 0.83 ERA. He has struck out 86 and walked 14.

Two other seniors have logged at least 30 innings for Lafayette (St. Joseph).

Right-hander Jayden Little is 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched. He was struck out 42 and walked 26.

Right-hander Zachary Langley is 3-1 with a 5.10 ERA in 30.2 innings pitched. He has struck out 25 while walking 24.

HITTING

Lafayette (St. Joseph) scores 8.7 runs per game.

Senior Jayden Little has hit six of his squad’s nine home runs. He bats .507 and has drove home a team-high 46 runs.

Senior Brayden Luikart has compiled a team-high .580 batting average. He has a homer and 34 RBIs.

Junior Zavion Page hits .303 with a homer and 20 RBIs. Lafayette (St. Joseph) has five players with at least 15 stolen bases with Page leading the way with 21 stolen bases.

Junior Cade King bats .260 with nine RBIS, senior Dayne Koch bats .295 with nine RBIs, senior Chance Herie hits .286 with eight RBIs, junior Kobe Jones hits .300 with 14 RBIs, senior Zachary Langley hits .315 with 17 RBIs

PATH TO FINAL FOUR

Lafayette (St. Joseph) beat Cameron 9-3 in its district semifinal, beat Savannah 7-0 in its district final, beat Chillicothe 8-1 in its state sectional, and beat Summit Christian Academy 6-4 in its state quarterfinal.

BLAIR OAKS

PITCHING

Blair Oaks allows 2.9 runs per game.

Five pitchers have logged at least 25 innings for a staff blessed with depth.

Left-handed sophomore Wil Libbert is 7-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 45.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 82 and walked 16.

Junior Cale Willson is 3-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 36 innings of work. He has struck out 70 and walked 36.

Senior lefty Gavin Wekenborg is 5-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched. He has struck out 47 and walked 17.

Senior righty Cade Stockman is 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 32 and walked 25.

Senior right-hander Joshua Isaacs is 3-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 33 and walked nine.

HITTING

Blair Oaks scores 7.9 runs per game.

Senior Ian Nolph has hit four of his team’s 10 homers. He bats .33 with 24 RBIs.

Junior Reid Dudenhoeffer has a team-high 31 RBIs. He has hit a pair of home runs and has a team-best .424 batting average.

Senior Levi Haney, who hits .286, has also connected for a pair of home runs while tallying 26 RBIs.

Senior Joshua Isaacs bats .361 with a homer and 16 RBIs.

Senior Lane Libbert bats .326 with a homer and 23 RBIs.

Sophomore Wil Libbert bats. .402 with 30 RBIs, sophomore Dylan Hair bats .322 with nine RBIs, senior Hayden Salmons bats .358 with 15 RBIs, and senior Gavin Wekenborg bats .266 with 13 RBIs.

PATH TO FINAL FOUR

Blair Oaks beat California 5-0 in its district semifinal, beat No. 10 ranked Fatima 6-4 in eight innings in its district final, beat Boonville 6-0 in its state sectional, and beat St. Charles West 9-0 in its state quarterfinal.

HOLLISTER

PITCHING

Hollister allows 3.1 runs per game

Senior Landon Richards and junior David Kemp have both thrown more than 50 innings for Hollister. Richards (6-2) has struck out 86 and walked 39 while compiling a 1.88 ERA in 52.1 innings pitched. Kemp (8-1) has struck out 57 and walked 13 while compiling a 0.82 ERA in 51 innings of work.

Senior Colby Teaster (3-1) has struck out 22 and walked 10 while compiling a 3.98 ERA in 21.1 innings pitched.

Sophomore Ronald Daniels (3-0) has struck out 15 and walked four while posting a 1.83 ERA in 19.1 innings pitched.

HITTING

Hollister scores 8.3 runs per game.

Senior Landon Richards has hit four of his squad’s 10 homers. He bats .477 with 43 RBIs.

Senior Konner Hatfield and junior David Kemp have both hit a pair of home runs. Kemp bats .300 with 24 RBIs and Hatfield has a team-best .483 batting average with 32 RBIs.

Senior Cole Jones and senior Colby Teaster each have one home run. Teaster bats .379 with 32 RBIs and Jones bats .303 with 16 RBIs.

Sophomore Blake Russell, who hits .379, has a team-high 18 stolen bases.

PATH TO FINAL FOUR

Hollister beat Monett 10-0 in its district semifinal, beat Aurora 2-1 in its district final, beat Seneca 4-2 in its state sectional, and beat No. 1 ranked Springfield Catholic 6-5 in its state quarterfinal.

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