PREP BASEBALL: Post Falls on a roll entering 6A state regional series

6A

Post Falls has had some decent baseball teams in recent years. 

But Coeur d’Alene and Lake City have been a little bit better. 

And before that, Lewiston. 

But this year, Post Falls beat Lake City to earn a spot in the best-of-3 series for the 6A District title, then swept top-seeded Coeur d’Alene to advance to state for the first time since 2018. 

No. 10 seed Post Falls (12-9) will host a three-team state regional series, starting Friday at 11 a.m. when the Trojans play No. 7 Ridgevue (12-11) of Nampa. The winner plays No. 2 Mountain View (19-7) of Meridian at 2 p.m. for a berth in Saturday’s championship round. 

“We’ve had the talent in past years, we’ve kinda had everything, and it just hasn’t worked out for us,” fifth-year Post Falls coach Kurt Reese said. “And this year, this group of seniors, this group of kids, just bonded, they all really get along with each other, they play for each other, and that’s the difference — how they’re competing for each other. And just absolutely refusing to go down. They play to the last bit.”  

Coeur d’Alene (9-8) earned an at-large berth to a state regional series at Eagle High. The 11th-seeded Vikings (9-8) open vs. No. 6 Rocky Mountain (14-11) of Meridian on Friday at 3 p.m. PDT. The winner plays No. 3 Eagle (18-6) at 5:30 for a berth in Saturday’s championship round. 

Winners of the four state regional series advance to the four-team championship weekend May 15-16 at Memorial Stadium in Garden City. 

Post Falls dropped eight of its first 10 games, but has not lost a full game since. The Trojans’ only defeat came two weeks ago, when they lost to Coeur d’Alene in a game suspended on April 7 due to darkness. 

“The first eight or nine games were rough, and we battled, and we came together, and kind of figured it out,” Reese said. “And the last 10 games have been great.” 

Other than losing that suspended game, Post Falls has won 10 straight games since April 9. 

“If you look back, we had a decent first week of baseball, and then we had three weeks of rain and snow,” Reese said of his team, which boasts nine seniors. “We weren’t on the field for almost a month (counting a week for spring break). A lot of our struggles early were not being on the field, and then we finally started getting some field time, and started getting going, and getting into it.” 

Seniors Gavin Wienker (4-1 in 32 innings pitched) and Michael O'Connor (3-1, 26.2 IP) lead the Post Falls mound staff. 

Of those who have played most of the season, Ayden Carrasco is batting .357, Ben Carrasco .353 for the Trojans.

Post Falls has been to state just once since 2006 — that was in 2018, when the Trojans finished third. Post Falls’ last winning season was 19-7-1 in 2021, in the final season of Mick Zeller’s second stint as head coach. 

Coeur d'Alene (9-8) opens as the 11th seed against sixth-seeded Rocky Mountain (14-11) of Meridian in the West No. 2 regional, with the winner advancing to face District 2 runner-up and host Eagle (18-6).

"Honestly, I think we look really good right now," said Coeur d'Alene coach Brandon Williams, in his second season. "Both Rocky and Eagle are good, but this has been a week for us. Our boys are ready to show what Coeur d'Alene baseball is all about."

Coeur d'Alene advanced to the 6A championship series, going 0-2, losing to eventual champion Middleton 6-5 and runner-up Owyhee 2-1.

Last year, Coeur d'Alene won the North qualifier at Lake City High as a fourth seed, the highest ranked non-district champion.

"We'd love to stay at home and be around the fans and parents that want to see us," Williams said. "But we're happy to play at least two more games."

Middleton (18-10) is seeded fourth and faces the winner of Highland-Centennial in the East qualifier at Highland High in Pocatello.

Owyhee is the top seed and hosts the West No. 1 qualifier, facing the winner of Friday's game between No. 8 Rigby (15-11) and No. 12 Thunder Ridge (14-14-1) of Idaho Falls.

4A

For eighth-seeded Timberlake, the road isn't unfamiliar.

This pack of Tigers have been there, done that this season.

"We've been in hotels two times already this year," said Timberlake coach Bryce Johnson, in his seventh season. "They are prepared. It's been a little easier knowing I've got seven kids in the starting lineup with state tournament experience, and most of them, it's their third time. 

Timberlake started the season 1-3, facing 5A programs Vallivue of Caldwell, Minico of Rupert and Skyline of Nampa in the Buck's Bags Tournament in Nampa. The Tigers lost their Intermountain League opener to Bonners Ferry to fall to 8-8, but have since won seven straight games, including beating then 3A No. 1 Orofino.

Timberlake (15-8) opens a best-of-3 series at top-seeded Fruitland on Friday.

"This season has definitely had its fair share of adversity, and I'm thrilled with our response to it," Johnson said. "We're playing our best baseball right now and our kids are not afraid of the challenge. They are excited to go toe-to-toe with a great program like Fruitland and believe they should be here."

Fruitland is 14-0 at home this season.

"Fruitland is a solid squad from top to bottom," Johnson said. "Traditional Fruitland team, they are fundamentally sound and don't beat themselves."

Sugar-Salem, last year's champion, failed to advance.

Winners of the four regional series advance to the state 4A championship series at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls May 14-16.

3A

Orofino, the 3A District 1-2 champion, hosts the North Qualifier. The Maniacs (19-3) went 0-2 last year as the tournament's top seed.

No. 7 Declo (14-8) will face No. 11 New Plymouth (12-14) in the opening game of the regional series.

Malad (20-4) is the tournament's top seed and hosts No. 8 Nampa Christian (12-10) and No. 12 seed Lighthouse Christian (12-7) in the South regional.

Priest River (14-5), the District 1-2 runner-up, is seeded fifth and opens against ninth-seeded Wendell (14-11), with the winner advancing to face No. 4 Salmon (20-4) in the East regional.

The regional winners advance to the state 3A championship series May 14-16 at Wolfe Field in Caldwell.