Power-ranking Wichita’s hottest teams heading into regional tournament season
The regional brackets are out for baseball, softball and girls soccer; some of the Wichita area’s top teams are feeling better about their chances than a month ago.
Here are the hottest teams heading into the postseason:
Baseball
1. Bishop Carroll
Last 8 games: 8-0
Biggest win: Maize, 11-1
Biggest loss: None
The Golden Eagles are the Wichita area’s only spring team to go undefeated in the regular season. They breezed through the CIty League and showed dominance in two games against Maize. They are out for redemption after falling in the championship game last season.
2. Trinity Academy
Last 8 games: 8-0
Biggest win: Cheney, 11-1
Biggest loss: None
Trinity has only played four games against 4A teams and lost one, but the Knights have been as hot as any team in Kansas. With seven sweeps on the season, including one against then-undefeated Cheney, the No. 1 seed in 4A West has its eyes set on a title.
3. Campus
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Derby, 5-4
Biggest loss: Salina Central, 9-5
Campus was undefeated with three weeks left in the regular season. The Colts lost twice in that span but charge into their regional tournament as the No. 1 seed in Class 6A West, looking to improve on last year’s third-place finish.
4. Maize South
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Wichita West, 3-2
Biggest loss: Eisenhower, 3-2
Maize South’s only two losses in its final eight games came to the No. 4 seed in Class 5A West and the No. 2 in 6A East. The Mavericks have a tough road to state through Andover and likely Bishop Carroll, but they have shown they can hang.
5. Andale/Garden Plain
Last 8 games: 7-1
Biggest win: Circle, 8-7
Biggest loss: Wellington, 1-0
The Indians have slipped at times this season but not often lately. Andale/Garden Plain’s only loss in the back half of the season came by one run. The Indians swept then-one loss Circle and have what seems to be a fair route to state.
6. Goddard
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Andover, 8-2
Biggest loss: Salina Central, 12-6
7. Buhler
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Circle, 3-1
Biggest loss: Rose Hill, 8-7
8. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Wichita Heights, 8-7
Biggest loss: Wichita North, 6-5
9. Sedgwick
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Inman, 13-6
Biggest loss: Marion, 7-3
10. Wichita Northwest
Last 8 games: 5-3
Biggest win: Goddard, 9-6
Biggest loss: Bishop Carroll, 6-0
Softball
1. Maize South
Last 8 games: 8-0
Biggest win: Bishop Carroll, 9-4
Biggest loss: None
To end the regular season, Maize South beat two teams in the Kansas City area, Maize and Bishop Carroll. Senior leadership out of Lauren Johnson and Ahslie Thissen has been wildly important and will be if the Mavericks want to get back to state as the No. 4 seed.
2. Goddard
Last 8 games: 8-0
Biggest win: Maize, 8-4
Biggest loss: None
Goddard started the season with three splits against AVCTL II opponents. The Lions finished with four sweeps and a win over Maize on the road. Goddard has reached state four straight years and five looks possible as the No. 3 seed.
3. Bishop Carroll
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Shawnee Heights, 5-3
Biggest loss: Maize South, 9-4
Bishop Carroll showed it can. After an questioning finish to 2018 against Shawnee Heights in the title game, the Golden Eagles broke the two-time defending champs’ 66-game win streak with an emotional 5-3 win.
4. Rose Hill
Last 8 games: 8-0
Biggest win: Clearwater, 8-7
Biggest loss: None
Rose Hill was 4-4 through its first eight games and faced a potentially brutal road to state. By the end of the regular season, the Rockets are 14-6 and the No. 5 seed in Class 4A West. They will likely have to beat Pratt on the road.
5. Haven
Last 8 games: 7-1
Biggest win: Hoisington/Central Plains, 12-11
Biggest loss: Hoisington/Central Plains, 8-4
Under sophomore pitcher Maguire Estill, the Wildcats have gone from 4-3 to 11-3 and will enter their Class 3A regional tournament as the No. 2 seed behind Kingman/Norwich, who ended the regular season with four losses in four days.
6. Augusta
Last 8 games: 7-1
Biggest win: Andale/Garden Plain, 5-0
Biggest loss: Andale/Garden Plain, 2-0
7. Andale/Garden Plain
Last 8 games: 7-1
Biggest win: Augusta, 2-0
Biggest loss: Augusta, 5-0
8. Derby
Last 8 games: 7-1
Biggest win: Campus, 6-4
Biggest loss: Salina South, 4-3
9. Cheney
Last 8 games: 7-1
Biggest win: Kingman/Norwich, 4-2
Biggest loss: Kingman/Norwich, 12-3
10. Eisenhower
Last 8 games: 6-2
Biggest win: Wichita Northwest, 19-12
Biggest loss: Arkansas City, 5-1
Soccer
1. McPherson
Last 8 games: 8-0-0
Biggest win: Maize South, 8-0
Biggest loss: None
McPherson has allowed two goals in its past 10 games. The Bullpups haven’t played the schedule of a Bishop Carroll or Maize, but they have handled those in front of them with overwhelming ease. They earned a tough draw against Kapaun in a likely regional championship.
2. Eisenhower
Last 8 games: 7-0-1
Biggest win: Valley Center, 2-0
Biggest loss: Andover Central, 0-0 (draw)
Eisenhower hasn’t lost by more than one goal all season, and its last loss came more than a month ago. The Tigers are outscoring their opponents 35-3 over its past eight games and have been on the road for five of them.
3. Buhler
Last 8 games: 6-2-0
Biggest win: Collegiate, 3-2 (OT)
Biggest loss: McPherson, 3-1
4. Valley Center
Last 8 games: 7-1-0
Biggest win: Maize South, 2-0
Biggest loss: Eisenhower, 2-0
The Hornets’ most recent and only loss of the season came on the road to the No. 2 team on this list. Valley Center has been outstanding defensively against some of the Wichita area’s best, allowing three to Derby, Maize, Buhler, Andover Central, Eisenhower and Maize South.
5. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Last 8 games: 7-1-0
Biggest win: Bishop Carroll, 3-1
Biggest loss: Washburn Rural, 3-2 (OT)
The Crusaders have put their foot int he ground. Since losing 3-2 in overtime on the road to Washburn Rural, Kapaun has scored 23 goals in four games and clinched a share of the City League title after dropping its first league game to WIchita North.
6. Bishop Carroll
Last 8 games: 7-1-0
Biggest win: Maize South, 3-1
Biggest loss: Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 3-1
7. Maize
Last 8 games: 7-1-0
Biggest win: Derby, 2-1
Biggest loss: Bishop Carroll, 3-2
8. Wichita East
Last 8 games: 6-2-0
Biggest win: Wichita North, 2-1
Biggest loss: Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 4-2
9. Derby
Last 8 games: 6-2-0
Biggest win: Campus, 3-1
Biggest loss: Andover, 1-0
10. Trinity Academy
Last 8 games: 5-2-1
Biggest win: Collegiate, 5-3
Biggest loss: Manhattan, 6-1