BASEBALL CAPSULES -- All games televised on Arkansas PBS
Today
CLASS 2A
Woodlawn Bears (26-6) vs. Bigelow Panthers (15-8)
GAME TIME 10 a.m.
WHERE Everett Baseball Field, Benton
WOODLAWN
CONFERENCE 2A-8
COACH Tommy Richardson
RUNS FOR/AGAINST 327/124
HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Conway St. Joseph 15-1 (state first round), def. Riverside 7-3 (state quarterfinals), def. Buffalo Island Central 6-3 (state semifinal)
NOTEWORTHY Woodlawn has won seven state championships since getting its first in 2008. ... Richardson has guided his team to the playoffs for the past 16 years. ... Bears standout Cale Edmonds, who's committed to Crowder College, played during last week's state tournament after having missed the previous 27 games because of an elbow injury. ... Woodlawn is averaging 10.2 runs per game while giving up just under four.
BIGELOW
CONFERENCE 2A-5
COACH Craig Neumeier
RUNS FOR/AGAINST 174/102
HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Dierks 8-4 (state first round), def. Rector 11-1 (state quarterfinals), def. McCrory 10-4 (state semifinals)
NOTEWORTHY Hunter Alexander and Beau Billeck combined to go 5 for 7 with 5 RBI in Bigelow's 10-4 upset victory over McCrory in the semifinals. Carter Alexander also struck out eight batters and drove in a pair of runs in the win. ... The Panthers are making their first-ever trip to the title game. ... Bigelow was riding a two-game losing and had lost three of four before winning its three state tournament games by at least four runs each. ... Conway St. Joseph, South Side Bee Branch and Bigelow all won a share of the league title.
CLASS 6A
Conway Wampus Cats (18-9) vs. Bentonville Tigers (23-10)
GAME TIME 4 p.m.
WHERE Everett Baseball Field, Benton
CONWAY
CONFERENCE 6A-Central (12-2)
COACH Leighton Hardin
RUNS FOR/AGAINST 192/101
HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Fort Smith Southside 3-0 (state quarterfinals), def. Rogers Heritage 10-0 (state semifinals)
NOTEWORTHY Hardin was the head coach at Hot Springs Lakeside for five seasons before taking over the Wampus Cats program in 2020. ... Conway is 2-7 in state title games, with its previous appearance coming in 2018. ... Austin Rainey allowed just three hits in a run-ruled, semifinal win against Rogers Heritage. ... The Wampus Cats, who shut out both of their playoff opponents, have played in the state tournament every year since 1991.
BENTONVILLE
CONFERENCE 6A-West
COACH Todd Abbott
RUNS FOR/AGAINST 196/109
HOW THEY GOT HERE def. North Little Rock 7-2 (state first round), def. Little Rock Catholic 7-6 (state quarterfinals), def. Springdale Har-Ber 7-3 (state semifinals)
NOTEWORTHY Bentonville's last state crown came in 2015. It's other title occurred in 2002. ... The Tigers finished tied for fourth in their conference with Rogers Heritage and Bentonville West. ... A six-run seventh inning allowed Bentonville to pull off a victory over 2021 runner-up Springdale Har-Ber in the semifinals. ... Conway beat the Tigers 9-6 in the 2017 quarterfinals.