By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's baseball team continued its amazing state qualifying streak on Tuesday while also gaining a dose of revenge.
The Vikings topped Hays 5-0 in Tuesday's regional championship game at Optimist Field, qualifying for their 18th straight Class 5A state tournament while avenging a first-round loss to the Indians in the first round of the 2021 state tourney.
Seaman celebrates after earning its 18th straight regional baseball championship Tuesday at Optimist Field. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman junior Bryson Vawter threw six shutout innings in the Vikings' 5-0 win over Hays in Tuesday's Class 5A regional final. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman improved to 20-2 and ran its winning streak to 10 games while qualifying for next week's state tournament at Wichita's Eck Stadium.
Junior Bryson Vawter pitched six shutout innings for the Vikings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven hitters and allowing just one walk. Senior Maclane Finley came on in the seventh and retired all three batters he faced with two strikeouts.
Seaman took the lead for good in the first when M. Finley singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Aidan Polter and scored on Vawter's two-out double.
The Vikings added to their lead in the third inning when sophomore Holden Finley walked, moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt and came home on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt from Polter.
Seaman put the game away with a two-out rally in the sixth inning.
Vawter walked and senior Casen Stallbaumer was hit by a pitch before junior Cameron Selbach delivered a two-run triple. A wild pitch on a squeeze bunt attempt allowed the Vikings to score their final run.
Seaman reached the regional final with a 15-0 four-inning semifinal win over Centennial League rival Emporia.
Seaman scored a run in the first against Emporia and then exploded for 11 runs on nine hits in the second, sending 13 batters to the plate.
The Vikings added their final three runs in the bottom of the fourth after loading the bases, with Brayden Varner lining a single past the right fielder to clear the bases.
Senior Mason McConnaughey faced nine batters, striking out seven of the nine.
Junior Scout Jellison finished the fourth inning in 1-2-3 order.
M. Finley went 3 for 3 with three RBI and runs scored while senior Dagen Brewer was 3 for 3 with three RBI and Selbach 2 for 3.
Hays advanced to the final with a 1-0 win over Maize.
The 5A state tournament will be played May 26-27 at Eck Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University.
Traditional city and state power Shawnee Heights will also compete in the 5A state tournament after winning a regional title on Monday.
The T-Birds, 13-9 on the season, took a 2-0 semifinal regional win over Spring Hill before beating Bonner Springs 3-0 in the championship game to punch their ticket to state.
SEAMAN SOFTBALL EARNS STATE BERTH WITH 10-0 ROMP
Seaman, the 2016 Class 5A state champion, earned its first state berth since a third-place finish in 2018 with a 10-0 romp past Pittsburg Tuesday at Seaman.
The Vikings, the No. 4 seed in the 5A East, reached the regional championship game with a 5-0 semifinal victory over De Soto and then followed that up with a dominating performance against Pittsburg.
Seaman, now 17-5 on the season, will compete in the 5A state tournament May 26-27 at Wilkins Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University.
