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Girard baseball earns No. 1 state ranking in 3A
Girard junior Korvin Bowin connects with a hit during the Trojans’ thrilling 4-3 win April 13 against Pittsburg at Red Wutke Park. - photo by Brock Sisney

The Girard Trojans have ascended to the No. 1 ranking in Class 3A from the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches in their latest poll released Wednesday.

The Trojans are 17-2 on the season after sweeping CNC League rival St. Mary’s Colgan on Monday, 2-1 in eight innings and 6-1 at Red Wutke Park. The Panthers are the defending 2-1A state champions and have been a perennial state championship winner for decades.

Girard hosted Iola on Thursday. The Trojans already passed last season’s wins total and they have a home doubleheader next Monday against Frontenac that will decide the CNC League title.

Behind the Trojans in the 3A rankings are No. 2 Jefferson West (15-2), No. 3 Wichita Trinity (16-4), No. 4 Wichita Collegiate (12-4), No. 5 Sabetha (13-4), No. 6 Russell (17-1), No. 7 Hesston (10-8), No. 8 Frontenac (10-3), No. 9 Kingman (12-6) and No. 10 Burlington (16-2).

Burlington, Wichita Trinity, Wichita Collegiate, Kingman and Hesston will be vying for two of the state tournament spots from their regional.

Frontenac returned home Thursday for a single varsity game against Humboldt (11-8).

Colgan remained in the No. 2 spot in 2-1A and the Panthers are 10-5 on the season entering their home game Friday against Missouri Class 4 school Nevada (13-5 entering Thursday’s game with Cassville).

The Panthers gave coach Mike Watt his 700th career victory as head coach during last Friday’s 11-2 win against Lamar, Mo. Colgan won two of its first three games this season against Missouri schools, beating Liberal 16-1 and losing 12-11 against Neosho.

The other 2-1A ranked teams are No. 1 Thomas More Prep (16-0), No. 3 Valley Falls (14-5), No. 4 Central Heights (14-3), No. 5 Doniphan West (13-4, No. 6 Mission Valley (13-2), No. 7 Rossville (12-4), No. 8 Southern Lyon County (13-4), No. 9 Frankfort (15-3) and No. 10 Cedar Vale/Dexter (14-0).

Valley Falls, Doniphan West, Mission Valley, Rossville and Frankfort all hail from the same regional, with only two state tournament spots available.

Pittsburg, 4-10 on the season entering Thursday’s home game against Parsons, holds the distinction of being one of only two teams who have beaten 4A No. 2 Paola this season. The Dragons were the first to do it with a 9-8 final score March 26 in Frontenac; host Frontenac lost 12-10 in eight innings against Paola in the game immediately preceding Pittsburg and Paola.

Paola (13-2) won eight straight games after losing to Pittsburg, a streak ended by Spring Hill 9-3.

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/