It doesn’t get much bigger or better for two rival teams.
Top-seeded Superior and No. 4-seed Ray will play in one of two 1A State Semifinals games this Friday at the Goodyear Baseball Complex with the winner advancing to Saturday’s state championship game and the loser going home.
Both teams have been ranked in the top-five most of this season and the only unfortunate thing about the matchup is that it’s not taking place in the championship game, like Monday’s softball title game.
Superior won the region championship, three games ahead of second place Ray.
The two teams are evenly matched statistically, despite the Panthers sweeping the Bearcats in two regular-season meetings.
Ray scored 299 runs this season compared to the Panthers’ 280, but Superior allowed 37 fewer runs than Ray and outscored the Cats 35 – 9 in the two wins earlier this season.
Superior will likely choose among Kale Major, Edgar Galindo and Nicolaus Cruz to be on the bump Friday night. Ray will counter with ace Noah Warren or undefeated Brett Fackiner.
Friday’s game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The winner will play Saturday at 4:30 p.m. versus Bagdad or Valley Union.