PREP BASEBALL: Destinations known ... Area schools learn matchups for state baseball qualifying rounds

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

Walking off the field at Coeur d'Alene High on Saturday, first-year Viking baseball coach Brandon Williams was researching routes to Meridian and Pocatello for this week's state high school play-in games.

Following a 7-4 loss to Lake City in the third game of the 6A District 1 best-of-3 series, the Vikings knew they were traveling somewhere.

As it turned out, it's a very familiar route — and only a 2-mile trip.

Coeur d'Alene (16-4), as the fourth seed, will face the winner of Friday's game between ninth-seeded Highland (18-9) of Pocatello and host Lake City (13-8) in the second game of a three-team North qualifier.

Winners of the four three-team statewide qualifiers advance to the four-team double-elimination state tournament at Memorial Stadium in Boise on May 15-17.

"I was gearing up for having to go to either Pocatello or Meridian," Williams said. "When I woke up on Sunday, I had text messages and phone calls about just having to go across (U.S.) 95. It was pretty crazy."

Just how familiar are the Vikings and Timberwolves?

Coeur d'Alene has played Lake City in its last seven games, going 3-1 vs. Lake City during the regular season. Lake City won the final two games of the best-of-3 6A District 1 championship series. Coeur d'Alene, which won the Inland Empire League, was the top seed.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense, but it is what it is," Williams said. "Today is a new day and everyone is 0-0 now. We get a chance to go leave it all on the field, which is great, especially for our seniors."

In 4A, Timberlake (14-3) enters as the eighth seed and will face No. 2 Cole Valley Christian (21-5) of Nampa in a best-of-3 series at Post Falls High starting Friday at 5 p.m.

This year, the District 1 champion between Timberlake and Bonners Ferry was guaranteed to host a play-in series. The other three hosting spots in 4A went to who were the highest-ranked teams in the MaxPreps.com rankings.

A concession was made to host by the District 1 schools to play at either Coeur d'Alene or Post Falls to accommodate the visiting schools due to hotel space and travel.

Winners of the four 4A qualifiers advance to state at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls on May 15-17.

In 2026, the top four teams in the MaxPreps rankings in 4A will host.

The 5A state tournament will be held at Wolfe Field in Caldwell and the 3A state tournament is scheduled for Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa.

Times PDT

6A

Double elimination

North qualifier

At Lake City High, Coeur d’Alene

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 9 seed Highland (18-9) at No. 7 Lake City (13-8), 1 p.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 4 Coeur d’Alene (16-4), 4 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 1 p.m.

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. (if necessary)

West No. 1 qualifier

At Owyhee High, Meridian

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 8 Eagle (13-11) vs. No. 12 Capital (11-15), 3 p.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 1 Owyhee (23-1), 6 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 1 p.m.

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. (if necessary)

West No. 2 qualifier

At Middleton High

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 6 Centennial (18-6) vs. No. 10 Ridgevue (12-10), 3 p.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 2 Middleton (18-4), 6 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 1 p.m

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. (if necessary)

East qualifier

At Madison High, Rexburg

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 5 Mountain View (17-9) vs. No. 11 Madison (19-9), noon

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 3 Rocky Mountain (19-7), 3 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, noon

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 4, (if necessary)

5A 

Double elimination

North qualifier

At Church Field, Lewiston

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 6 Burley (13-8) at No. 12 Lewiston (12-13), 2 p.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 3 Vallivue (22-4), 4 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, noon

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 2 p.m.

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. (if necessary)

West qualifier

At Skyview High, Nampa

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 5 Moscow (16-10) vs. No. 14 Nampa (13-13), noon

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 3 Skyview (16-5), 3 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, noon

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 4, (if necessary)

South qualifier

At Twin Falls High

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 7 Skyline (16-9) vs. No. 15 Jerome (11-15), 2 p.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 2 Twin Falls (22-6), 4 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, noon

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 2 p.m., (if necessary)

East qualifier

At Bonneville High, Idaho Falls

Friday's Games

Game 1 — No. 8 Mountain Home (14-9) vs. No. 12 Pocatello (10-16), noon

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 1 Bonneville (22-3), 3 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, noon

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 4, (if necessary)

4A

Best-of-3 series

North qualifier

At Post Falls High

Friday’s Game

Game 1 — No. 8 Timberlake (14-3) vs. No. 2 Cole Valley Christian (21-5), 5 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 2 — No. 8 Timberlake (14-3) vs. No. 2 Cole Valley Christian (21-5), 11 a.m.

Game 3 — No. 8 Timberlake (14-3) vs. No. 2 Cole Valley Christian (21-5), 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 2 (if necessary)

West qualifier

At Fruitland High

Friday's Game

Game 1 — No. 7 Buhl (16-6) at No. 1 Fruitland (24-0), 5 p.m.

Saturday's Games

Game 2 — No. 7 Buhl (16-6) at No. 1 Fruitland (24-0), 10 a.m.

Game 3 — No. 7 Buhl (16-6) at No. 1 Fruitland (24-0), 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 2, (if necessary)

Southeast qualifier

At Marsh Valley High, Arimo

Friday's Game

Game 1 — No. 4 Marsh Valley (23-1) vs. No. 6 Payette (14-11), 4 p.m.

Saturday's Games

Game 2 — No. 4 Marsh Valley (23-1) vs. No. 6 Payette (14-11), 11 a.m.

Game 3 — No. 4 Marsh Valley (23-1) vs. No. 6 Payette (14-11), 1:30 p.m. (if necessary)

East qualifier

At Sugar-Salem Junior High

Friday's Game

Game 1 — No. 3 Homedale (18-8) vs. No. 5 Sugar-Salem (17-4), 3 p.m.

Saturday's Games

Game 2 — No. 3 Homedale (18-8) vs. No. 5 Sugar-Salem (17-4), 10 a.m.

Game 3 — No. 3 Homedale (18-8) vs. No. 5 Sugar-Salem (17-4), noon (if necessary)

3A

Double elimination

North qualifier

At Orofino High

Friday's Games

Game 1 — No. 8 New Plymouth (12-13) vs. No. 12 North Fremont (9-10), noon

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 1 Orofino (21-3), 2:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, noon

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m.

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 5 p.m., (if necessary)

West qualifier

At Marsing High

Friday's Games

Game 1 — No. 6 Melba (11-14) vs. No. 11 Wendell (9-16), 1 p.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 2 Marsing (16-6), 4 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, noon

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 3 p.m., (if necessary)

Southeast qualifier

At Malad City Park

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 5 Malad (19-6) vs. No. 9 Parma (11-16), 11 a.m.

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 4 Grangeville (16-10), 1 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 1 p.m., (if necessary)

East qualifier

At Blackfoot High

Friday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 7 Firth (18-6) vs. No. 10 Challis-Mackay (16-9), noon

Game 2 — Winner Game 1 vs. No. 3 Nampa Christian (17-5), 3 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, noon

Game 5 — Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 4, 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 4, (if necessary)