Fields notebook: Looking ahead to next year's expanded baseball tourney

Anticipating 16-team state baseball tourney

fields notebook,Mike Fields - Herald-Leader Staff Writer,fields notebook,

A few last scribbles in the high school notebook before closing it up for summer vacation ...

■ Rain has fouled up Friday's semifinals in the state baseball tournament the last two years, prompting people to wonder if it'll be possible to get in more than twice as many games when the format expands from eight to 16 teams next year at Applebee's Park. Alan Stein, president and CEO of the Lexington Legends, has no doubt that everything will be fine. "In fact, I think it'll be easier because we're adding three days, which gives us more time to get in rainouts," he said. A baseball advisory committee and the KHSAA have decided on next year's schedule: four first-round games on Monday, and four more on Tuesday. Monday's winners will play their quarterfinals Wednesday night. Tuesday's winners will play their quarterfinals Thursday night. The semifinals will be Friday night and the finals Saturday night. Julian Tackett of the KHSAA said the pitching rules will be tweaked so no team has an advantage. If there's bad weather, rained out games could be made up in the daytime on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Stein is enthusiastic about baseball getting its own "Sweet 16" at Applebee's. "I think it's fantastic. It's something I've been advocating for eight years. It's great for the city of Lexington, but most of all it's great for high school baseball in Kentucky, extending the experience of playing in the state tournament to twice as many kids." Pairings for the 16-team tournament will be determined by a blind draw, just like in basketball.

■ Lexington teams won six of 15 state baseball titles from 1978 to 1992, with Tates Creek and Lafayette capturing three apiece. Lexington teams are on an even hotter streak now, having won six of the last 11 titles, with Lexington Catholic taking three, Paul Dunbar two and Lexington Christian one.

■ Lexington Catholic's run to its third state baseball title included a loss to LCA in the 43rd District finals. Kevin Clary's Knights are the first district runner-up to win the championship since Pleasure Ridge Park in 1994.

■ While some players wilted under the bright lights at Applebee's Park, Frank Carter blossomed into Mr. MVP for Lexington Catholic. In six games (in the region and state tournaments) at Applebee's, Carter had eight hits, drove in nine runs and scored five times. He also starred on the mound, getting a save and a win. In the Knights' 9-8 escape of Bryan Station in the region finals, Carter had a three-run double, and got the save by striking out the last two batters with the tying run at third base. In Lexington Catholic's 2-0 win over Marshall County in the first round of the state tournament, Carter's two-run homer was the big blow. And in the Knights' come-from-behind 5-3 win over Owensboro in the state finals, Carter's two-run single put them ahead to stay. He also pitched a complete-game five-hitter.

■ After finishing the regular season 6-14, Owensboro made an amazing run through the playoffs that carried it to the state finals and gave it a shot at a sixth state title. "Whether or not we won the title, this team will be remembered for starting back up the tradition of Owensboro High School baseball," first-year coach Kip Walters said. "It's been a long time (20 years) since we've been here. Owensboro has kind of turned into a basketball and football school. To have the baseball team make a run like this is going to do a lot for our program."

■ In seven state tournament games, pitchers struck out 80 batters, walked 44 and hit eight. That's pretty good control in pressure situations.

■ On June 14, 2008, Zack Cox starred as PRP beat Apollo in the semifinals and Lawrence County in the finals of the state baseball tournament at Applebee's Park. On June 14, 2009, Cox started at third base for Arkansas and hit a home run as the Razorbacks upset second-seeded Cal State-Fullerton in the opening game of the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. Kentucky's Mr. Baseball last year, Cox is hitting .268 as a freshman at Arkansas.