Preston fall sports teams battle for state crowns

The 2023 fall sports programs at Preston High School were in Edmond and Shawnee, respectively, on Thursday, competing at separate state tournaments.

The Preston Pirate fall baseball team was at the Class A state baseball championships at Edmond Memorial High School, beginning their first state fall baseball tournament appearance since 2005 with an opening-round batle with the top-ranked Oktaha Tigers Thursday at 11 a.m., while the Preston Lady Pirate fastpitch softball team was at the Class 2A state softball championships at the Firelake Ballparks in Shawnee, beginning their first state fastpitch tournament appearance since 2001 with a first-round showdown with the second-ranked Pocola Lady Indians Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on Field 3.

The Pirates snapped their 17-year state fall baseball tournament drought by capturing the Class A regional consolation title last Friday with an 11-1 victory over the Canute Trojans at their 4-team regional tournament in Wister.

The Preston fall baseball team entered the Class A state baseball championships with a 27-4 re- cord and ranked seventh overall in the Class A standings. The Pirates began postseason play by capturing the Class A district championship with wins over Prue (17-2) and Varnum (11-1, 22-1), respectively, then began regional tournament play last Thursday with a 6-2 win over Amber-Pocasset. The Preston squad had their bid for a regional championship derailed with an 11-5 loss to second-ranked and tournament host Wister in the regional title game. Oktaha entered the state tournament with a 30-1 season record with the lone loss this season coming on September 11 with an 8-5 defeat at the hands of fifth-ranked Silo. The Tigers opened postseason play with shutout wins over Okay (8-0) and Cameron (8-0, 10-0) in their 3-team district tournament, then defeated Hydro-Eakly (14-0) and Okarche (74), respectively, in winning the regional championship in Oktaha.

The other teams competing at the Class A state fall baseball tournament are second-ranked Wister (24-4), third-ranked Rattan (27-4), fourthranked Wright City (26-7), fifthranked Silo (22-5), sixth-ranked – and defending fall baseball state champion – Dale (20-9), and ninth-ranked Okarche (25-4).

Other opening-round contests on Thursday at Edmond Memorial High School saw Dale take on Silo at 1:30 p.m., Rattan battle Wright City at 4 p.m., and Okarche against Wister at 6:30 p.m.

Friday’s semifinal action at Edmond Memorial High School will begin at 11 a.m. between the Oktaha-Preston winner and the Dale-Silo winner, followed at 1:30 p.m. between the Rattan-Wright City winner and the Okarche-Wister winner.

The Class A state championship game is scheduled to take place Saturday at 12:05 p.m. at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

The Lady Pirates entered the Class 2A state fastpitch softball tournament with a 32-5 record and earned their first fastpitch state tournament appearance in 22 years with a sweep of Wister last Thursday in the Best-of-3 super regional tournament series in Preston. The Preston squad, ranked seventh in Class 2A, began postseason play with a 3-game sweep in their Class 2A regional tournament in Preston, earning wins over Nowata (15-0) and Chouteau-Mazie (8-0, 2-1), respectively, then swept Wister by margins of 11-0 and 19-0, respectively, to capture the Preston Super Regional championship.

Pocola entered the state tournament with a 29-4 record and began postseason play with regional tournament wins over Savanna (11-0) and Warner (5-0, 4-3), respectively, then swept Mangum by margins of 7-1 and 13-1, respectively, in last Thursday’s Pocola Super Regional.

The other teams competing at the Class 2A state fastpitch softball tournament are top-ranked Dale (36-3), third-ranked Oktaha (31-7), fourthranked Latta (32-7), fifth-ranked Haskell (29-8), sixth-ranked Fairland (27-7), and eighth-ranked Wyandotte (27-8).

Other opening-round contests on Thursday on Field 3 at the Firelake Ballpark in Shawnee saw Dale battle Wyandotte at 11 a.m., Haskell take on Latta at 1:30 p.m., and Oktaha against Fairland at 4 p.m.

Friday’s semifinal action on Field 2 at Firelake Ballpark will begin at 2:30 p.m. between the Oktaha-Fairland winner and the Preston-Pocola winner, followed at 4 p.m. between the Dale-Wyandotte winner and the Haskell-Latta winner. The Class 2A state championship game is scheduled to take place Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Oklahoma State University softball field in Stillwater.

— Class A State Baseball Championships October 5-7, 2023 First Round • Edmond Memorial HS Oktaha vs Preston; Thursday, 11 a.m. Dale vs Silo; Thursday, 1:30 p.m. Rattan vs Wright City; Thursday, 4 p.m. Okarche vs Wister; Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

Semifinals • Edmond Memorial HS Oktaha-Preston winner vs Dale-Silo winner; Friday, 11 a.m. Rattan-WrightCitywinnervsOkarche-Wister winner; Friday, 1:30 p.m.

Championship

Chickasaw Bricktown • Ballpark, OKC Semifinal winners; Saturday, 12:05 p.m.

— Class 2A State Fastpitch Championships October 5-7, 2023 First Round

Field 3; Firelake Ballpark, Shawnee Dale vs Wyandotte; Thursday, 11 a.m. Haskell vs Latta; Thursday, 1:30 p.m. Oktaha vs Fairland; Thursday, 4 p.m. Preston vs Pocola; Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Field 2; Firelake Ballpark, Shawnee Oktaha-Fairland winner vs Preston-Pocola winner; Friday, 2:30 p.m. Dale-Wyandotte winner vs Haskell-Latta winner; Friday, 4 p.m. Championship

OSU Stadium, Stillwater

Semifinal winners; Saturday, 4 p.m.