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The Class A and B Oklahoma high school baseball state semifinals continued Friday in Shawnee and Moore. Here are recaps from each game:
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Amber-Pocasset's baseball staff views the fall baseball season as vital to the program.
The Panthers value the three-month season as an effort to build further chemistry for the spring. Every so often, déjà vu moments routinely resurface from lessons learned in the fall.
Today, coaches' messages were about maintaining hunger, even in the face of a comfortable lead. Proud of his players, Amber-Pocasset head coach Cheyenne Graham believes they embodied this message in the state semifinals.
"We just keep reminding them throughout the game not to be complacent and that it's one-on-one no matter what the scoreboard says," Graham said following Amber-Pocasset's 9-2 win over Arapaho-Butler.
This mindset proved pivotal in the Panthers' run to the state tournament. In a regional matchup with Sterling, Amber-Pocasset trailed by four runs in the fourth inning before sparking a comeback.
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Though the circumstances differ, the memo remained the same for the club on Friday. The Panthers trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning before scoring seven runs on four hits to take a 7-1 lead.
"We are just a team-oriented ball club," Graham said. "It goes back to the fundamentals, preparation for what will happen next, and the little things we teach in the fall. They tend to show up when the guys least expect it, but because of it, they're always ready."
The blow to Arapaho-Butler's early efforts came after Panthers right fielder Wyatt Hearrell crushed a double to center field, bringing in three runs. Soon after, a wild pitch and an RBI single from Trace Barry brought in three additional runs.
Errors from Arapaho-Butler in the bottom of the sixth added two more runs. Amber-Pocasset ultimately cruised to the victory and will appear in its second consecutive Class A state championship game.
"We're so happy for the kids who are a part of our program here," Graham said. "I'm just happy to be out there competing with them and fortunate to be in a situation where we can do this two years in a row. Now, there isn't anything to do but for us to get after it and see what happens."
Amber-Pocasset will face off against Tushka for a shot at its first-ever state title at 3 p.m. Saturday.
—Jordan Davis, Staff writer
Kyler Thiessen watched as his first pitch at the state semifinals hit Tupelo’s leadoff batter.
But the early mistake would not be a sign of things to come for the right-hander.
Thiessen has been suffering from a back injury since basketball season and appeared mostly as a closer for Calumet this year. Despite only pitching 10 innings this season, the junior did not let No. 3 Tupelo (21-7) score, giving Calumet its second shut-out win of the tournament with a 6-0 victory in the Class B state semifinals Friday at Moore High School.
“We just went with him,” Calumet coach Cody Thiessen said. “He is a highly competitive kid, and he did his job. So when we throw strikes and play defense we are taking care of business.”
After tallying a run in the first inning, Calumet, which has won 17 straight games, put together several two-run innings.
The offensive effort was collective. The Chieftains brought in back-to-back runs off RBIs from senior infielder Dalton Belcher and freshman outfielder Brenndon Voss in the third. Belcher would bring in another run in the fifth.
Calumet scored two more off RBIs in the sixth from sophomore outfielder Jackson Burns and sophomore outfielder Kaleb Thiessen.
“We don’t look for that huge inning,” Thiessen said. “We just want to score every inning. We feel like our pitching and defense is good enough that if we score, especially early, it puts some of the pressure on the other team.”
The Chieftains will face Fort Cobb-Broxton, which defeated Stuart 4-1 in the semifinals, at noon Saturday at Shawnee High School. Calumet was run-ruled by the Mustangs in the 2023 fall state championship game and will be looking for redemption.
“It is funny how in such a short time Calumet has gotten used to being in the state championship,” Thiessen said. “To build your program where state championships are expected is awesome, but also to cherish it is important. You have to cherish it when you get there, because there are a lot of teams that don’t.”
—Gracie Rawlings, For The Oklahoman
Dax Simon believes that patience is a virtue.
Tushka's head coach exuded the proverbial phrase in the dugout as the Tigers trailed Okarche by a run in the top of the seventh. As junior Tristan Gibson approached the plate, Simon reassured him that nothing that preceded his at-bat mattered.
With runners on second and third base, Gibson delivered. He crushed a line drive to center field, bringing both runners to score.
"We tell our guys all the time that you can't back down from big moments," Simon said following Tushka's 2-1 state semifinal victory over Okarche.
"We put them in key situations all year long in practice and games. Half of it is just not backing down, and the other half is catching a break. Luckily, Tristan's hit found some green grass."
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Gibson's double gave Tushka its first base hit of the game through six innings.
The Tigers struggled immensely with the velocity and variety of pitches from Okarche pitcher Luke Hill on the mound. Despite the loss, Hill allowed just two hits while striking out five batters.
Okarche managed to take a 1-0 lead in the third inning after scoring on a passed ball. Once Tushka took the lead in the top of the seventh inning, it was a matter of momentum on the mound that led to victory.
Tigers pitcher Walt Kerr was dominant, allowing just three hits and striking out seven batters en route to victory.
"Our guys have thrown in big games all year, so they embrace these moments at this point," Simon said. "At the end of the day, the kids just have got to come through. When preparedness meets opportunity, you'll have an opportunity to win games."
Tushka will move on to the Class A state championship game for the first time since 2018, where it will face the winner of Amber-Pocasset and Arapaho-Butler at 3 p.m. Saturday.
—Jordan Davis, Staff writer
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Fort Cobb-Broxton head coach Dale DeVaughan was frustrated after his team gave up a run in the first inning against Stuart.
However, the reigning state champions, who defeated four-time defending spring champion Roff in 2023, know how to overcome adversity. As senior Blaine Davis stepped up to the plate, he hit an RBI double, propelling the Mustangs to three-run first inning.
“We gave up one in the top half of the first inning, and it was not how we wanted to start,” DeVaughan said postgame. “We came back and put up a three spot in the bottom, so that was big. It got our kids to settle down a little bit.”
After Stuart used its first two arms out of the bullpen on Thursday, Fort Cobb-Broxton, who scored 18 runs in quarterfinals, looked to attack.
The Mustangs struggled to score, but were able to cap off their 4-1 semifinal win at Moore High School, with a solo run scored in the fourth inning.
“We knew they burnt two arms,” DeVaughn said. “But when you get to this point you know people have multiple arms, so we knew we were going to see one that was pretty good. He kept us off balance today, but we just got some key hits at key times.”
Fort Cobb-Broxton shut out Stuart after the lone run in the first, but the Hornets attempted to make a comeback in the seventh.
Junior Blaine Bellamy gave up a walk and a single to left field, but struck out the final batter to end the game.
“I wasn't very happy because he put the runners on himself,” DeVaughn said. “Though, it was big for him to make the pitches and get the big strikeout to end the game.”
—Gracie Rawlings, For The Oklahoman
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school baseball Class A-B state tournament semifinal roundup
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