STATE TOURNAMENT: Field is set with Bonneville, Sugar-Salem, Marsh Valley and Malad all vying for titles
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IDAHO FALLS – The state baseball tournaments are set with Bonneville, Malad, Sugar-Salem and Marsh Valley all earning bids in their respective divisions.
This is the first season that the Idaho High School Activities Association sanctioned the state tournament and the result is a new format in which play-in winners from each regional advanced to the four-team double-elimination state bracket.
Bonneville, which defeated Pocatello and Mountain Home in its play-in series, is the top seed in 5A.
The Bees (24-3) make their seventh-straight state appearance and have won eight straight games heading into the tournament.
Bonneville will play Skyview (19-6-1) in Thursday’s opening round.
Area fans get a chance to see arguably one of the most competitive brackets as Melaleuca Field hosts the 4A field.
Defending state champion Sugar-Salem (19-4) is the fourth seed and takes on No. 1 Fruitland, which is 26-0.
Marsh Valley (25-1) is seeded third and plays No. 2 Cole Valley Christian (23-5), which finished second in the Snake River Valley Conference behind Fruitland.
The Eagles have won 12 straight heading into the tournament, and have scored 10 or more runs in 10 of those games.
Malad (22-6) comes off two shutouts in its play-in series, with wins over Grangeville and Parma.
Tournaments are Thursday through Saturday.
Here are Thursday’s matchups.
6A
Memorial Stadium, Garden City
No. 2 Middleton vs. No. 3 Coeur d’Alene, 4 p.m,
No. 1 Owyhee vs. No. 4 Mountain View, 7 p.m.
5A
Wolfe Field, Caldwell
No. 2 Twin Falls vs. No. 3 Vallivue, 4 p.m.
No. 1 Bonneville vs. N. 4 Skyview, 7 p.m.
4A
Melaleuca Field, Idaho Falls
N. 2 Cole Valley Christian vs. No. 3 Marsh Valley, 4 p.m.
No. 1 Fruitland vs. No. 4 Sugar-Salem, 7 p.m.
3A
Rodeo Park, Nampa
No. 2 Marsing vs. No. 3 Nampa Christian, 4 p.m.
No. 1 Orofino vs. No. 4 Malad, 7 p.m.
2A
Church Field, Lewiston
No. 2 Kendrick vs. No. 3 Clearwater Valley, 4 p.m.
No. 1 Potlatch vs. No. 4 Troy, 7 p.m.
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