Local Teams Head into the Postseason

The High School baseball team is hoping to flip the "On," switch this week as the Class 4 state playoffs begin.

The up-and-down Hawks (11-10) have had a disappointing campaign so far, coach said, but he said his team is capable of turning things around in the District 6 Tournament at Hazelwood West this week.

Central will face the McCluer North/Hazelwood East winner in a semifinal game at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. The winner advances to the championship contest Wednesday afternoon at West.

"It's been a frustrating year," Vanatta said. "One game, we're there. The next game we're not. We haven't shown any consistency."

The Hawks entered the season with high hopes. They won seven of their first eight games but have been inconsistent since that early burst. They lost five of their last six regular season games and limp into postseason play with little or no momentum.

Yet, Central has the talent to make a deep run. Junior pitcher is considered one of the top pitchers in the Suburban North Conference. He is 4-3 with a 4.13 ERA and has 52 strikeouts in 42 innings. Harris is also hitting a team-best .456.

Junior outfielder Matt Dezort carries a .414 average and tops the club with 17 RBI. Senior catcher Jamal Hughes is hitting .310, and sophomore Noble Hampton has 12 RBI.

Harris, an NCAA Division I prospect, makes the Hawks dangerous in any one-game situation. The offense, which has struggled most of the season, has the ability to wake up at the right time.

"We definitely have the individual talent. There's no doubt about it," said Dezort, who has already committed to Missouri State University. "We just haven't seemed to put the pieces of the puzzle together so far. We're still trying to figure it out."

If the lightbulb clicks on, the Hawks could make some noise. The winner of the District 6 Tournament will face the District 5 winner in a sectional contest May 24. St. Louis University High School, which is unbeaten and ranked 12th in the nation, is the likely winner of that district tournament.

"Sure, we can play with anybody. I truly believe that," Vanatta said. "It's just a question of which team is going to show up."

(7-13) will face Hazelwood East in a first-round game Monday. The winner gets Central in the semifinals. The Stars carry a two-game winning streak into district play.

McCluer (8-16) faces Riverview Gardens in a first-round contest Monday with the winner likely to face Hazelwood West in the other semifinal on Tuesday.

The district championship game is slated for 4:15 Wednesday at Hazelwood West.

Girls Soccer Kicks It Up a Notch

McCluer North (9-11) will face Hazelwood West (13-10) in the semifinals of the Class 3 District 6 Tournament at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the .

Central (8-14-1) is slated to face Pattonville (13-9) in the other semifinal at 7 p.m.

The winners meet in the championship game at 6 p.m. Thursday.

McCluer North beat Central 3-0 in the lone regular season meeting between the teams on April 20. North senior recorded the shutout. Junior Caitlyn Obrock is the Hawks' top gun.

McCluer ends the season with an 8-10 mark.