LONDON — Whitley County entered the season as the team to beat in the 13th Region and the Colonels have done nothing to change that narrative heading into next week’s 13th Region Baseball Tournament at North Laurel.
Ranked No. 2 in the state, Whitley County enters postseason play with a 35-3 record and winners of 22 of its last 23 games while looking every bit like the favorite to capture the regional crown.
But the path to a championship will not be easy.
Knox Central enters the tournament riding a 19-game win streak and has emerged as one of the state’s top surprise teams despite fielding a youthful roster. The Panthers already own a win over state-ranked Boyle County and have shown they possess the talent to beat anyone in the tournament.
North Laurel and defending 13th Region champion Corbin are also viewed as dangerous contenders capable of making a postseason run. The tournament will mark the final regional appearance for longtime Jaguar coach Darren McWhorter while Corbin enters postseason play hoping to recapture last season’s magic.
First Round Matchups
• Two Class A programs will square off in the opening game of the tournament as Harlan faces Lynn Camp.
The two teams met March 24 with Harlan rolling to an 11-1 victory.
Junior Eli Freyer leads the Green Dragons offensively with a .481 batting average, four home runs, 33 RBI and 39 hits. Sophomore Jaxson Perry is batting .351 with 20 RBI and 34 hits.
Pitching has also been a strength for Harlan. Senior Baylor Varner owns a 5-6 record with a dominant 1.42 ERA and 122 strikeouts in only 49 innings pitched. Senior Jake Brewer is 4-0 with a 2.59 ERA while Chris Rouse is 3-0 with a 4.98 ERA. Cooper Thomas owns a 3-1 record with a 5.63 ERA.
Lynn Camp started the season 5-3 but enters the postseason having dropped 12 of its last 16 games.
Senior DJ Wren has led the Wildcats offensively with a .549 batting average along with one home run, 27 RBI and 28 hits. Marcus Creekmore is batting .474 with 27 hits and 16 RBI while sophomore Kayden Powers is hitting .436. Seniors Caleb Woods and Jeremiah Dixon are both batting .429.
Ethan Curry leads Lynn Camp on the mound with a 4-4 record, a 5.59 ERA and 45 strikeouts. Eighth grader Gabriel Weymers is 3-1 with an 8.62 ERA.
• Whitley County enters the regional tournament as a heavy favorite against Jackson County.
No team in the region matches the overall depth and star power of Jeremy Shope’s Colonels, who are batting .373 as a team while posting an astonishing 1.06 team ERA against one of Kentucky’s toughest schedules.
Freshman Kip Allen is batting .459 with two home runs, 21 RBI and 45 hits. Junior Luke Hillard owns a .447 batting average with three home runs, 46 hits and 41 RBI while senior Ethan Allen is batting .423 with 47 hits, 52 runs scored, 35 RBI and 32 stolen bases.
Freshman Cooper Parman and senior Dee Parker are both batting .407. Parman leads the team with 48 hits and 43 RBI while Parker has added 25 stolen bases, 37 hits and 22 RBI. As a team, the Colonels have stolen 156 bases this season.
Pitching-wise, Whitley County may be even more dangerous.
Hillard is 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. Kip Allen is 7-0 with a microscopic 0.38 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 37.1 innings while Ethan Allen is 9-1 with a 0.88 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 56 innings. Parman is 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched.
Jackson County is led offensively by junior Elijah Thomas, who is batting .337 with 30 hits and 11 RBI. Jackson Lakes is batting .338 with one home run and 22 RBI while Michael Sparks owns a .333 batting average with 28 hits and eight RBI.
• Red-hot Knox Central will look to extend its win streak to 20 games when the Panthers take on Bell County.
Knox Central swept the regular season series, winning an eight-inning battle 11-6 before taking the second matchup 12-4.
The Panthers have established themselves as one of the top young teams in Kentucky.
Sophomore Trevor Smith is batting .479 with five home runs, 47 RBI and 45 hits while also stealing 21-of-21 bases. Sophomore Hayden Melton is batting .462 with seven home runs, 50 RBI, 42 hits and 20 stolen bases. Freshman Matthew Powenski owns a .400 batting average with three home runs, 30 RBI and 34 hits while sophomore Noah Gray is batting .488 with 20 hits and 17 RBI.
Easton Ramsey leads Knox Central on the mound with a 7-0 record, three saves, a 2.21 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Russell Mills is 5-1 with a 4.69 ERA and 34 strikeouts while Smith is 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA and 43 strikeouts.
Bell County is led offensively by sophomore Ty Mays, who is batting .413 with 26 RBI and 33 hits. Senior Cooper Brock is batting .406 with three home runs, 26 RBI and 28 hits while Holden Clark owns a .370 average with 27 hits and 21 RBI.
Senior Blake Burnett is batting .324 with 22 hits and 17 RBI while also leading Bell County on the mound with a 5-3 record and a 6.22 ERA. Junior Alex Creech is 3-0 with a 4.48 ERA and 33 strikeouts while sophomore Brayden Carroll is 3-4 with 55 strikeouts and a 4.45 ERA.
• The marquee matchup of the opening round features North Laurel against defending regional champion Corbin.
North Laurel won both regular season meetings by scores of 5-4 and 2-1.
The Jaguars are batting .297 as a team and have totaled 17 home runs this season.
Senior Cam Smith leads North Laurel with a .323 batting average, 11 home runs, 32 RBI and 30 hits. Junior Cooper Elza owns a team-best .366 batting average with 39 hits while junior Ashton Napier is batting .344 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 33 hits. Cam Hinkle is batting .327 with 33 hits, 11 RBI and 12 stolen bases.
Hinkle has also excelled on the mound, posting a 1-2 record with three saves, a 2.84 ERA and 20 strikeouts. Colton Stewart owns a team-best 2.75 ERA with a 4-3 record and 49 strikeouts while Zac Johnston is 5-2 with a 3.41 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Eli Holt is 2-1 with one save and a 3.99 ERA.
Corbin has been streaky throughout the season but remains dangerous entering tournament play.
Senior Cam Estep is batting .385 with 35 stolen bases, four home runs, 23 RBI and 37 hits while junior Trey Person is batting .371 with 40 RBI and 39 hits. Sophomore Landon Walters owns a .345 batting average while Levi Brock is batting .343 with 23 hits and 14 RBI.
Malachi Zachary leads Corbin pitching with a 5-3 record, a 3.96 ERA and 38 strikeouts. Brady Webb is 3-3 with a save, a 1.69 ERA and 38 strikeouts while freshman Bret Estep is 3-1 with two saves, a 2.62 ERA and 28 strikeouts. Todd Hunter is 3-5 with a 3.73 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
13th Region Baseball Tournament
at North Laurel
Monday, May 25 — First Round
10 a.m. — Harlan vs. Lynn Camp
12:30 p.m. — Whitley County vs. Jackson County
3 p.m. — Knox Central vs. Bell County
5:30 p.m. — North Laurel vs. Corbin
Tuesday, May 26 — Semifinals
6 p.m. — Harlan/Lynn Camp winner vs. Whitley County/Jackson County winner
8 p.m. — Knox Central/Bell County winner vs. North Laurel/Corbin winner
Wednesday, May 27 — Championship
6:30 p.m. — Championship Game
L4 Security 13th Region Media Network Pre-Tournament Baseball Rankings
- Whitley County 35-3 overall, 12-0 vs. 13th Region opponents
- Knox Central 26-6, 18-0
- North Laurel 18-14, 8-4
- Corbin 19-16, 7-7
- Bell County 14-10, 10-6
- Harlan 17-13, 12-7
- Jackson County 12-18, 6-7
- Lynn Camp 9-15, 3-5
L4 Security 13th Region Media Network Pre-Tournament Player Rankings
- Ethan Allen, Whitley County
- Luke Hillard, Whitley County
- Kip Allen, Whitley County
- Trevor Smith, Knox Central
- Hayden Melton, Knox Central
- Cooper Parman, Whitley County
- Cam Hinkle, North Laurel
- Trey Person, Corbin
- Cooper Brock, Bell County
- (Tie) Eli Freyer, Harlan and Easton Ramsey, Knox Central
