Four state titles each will be decided in baseball and softball on Friday and Saturday, with the baseball championships taking place at Palmer Field in Middletown and the softball finals at UConn’s Burrill Family Field.
The Class S baseball championship game between Coventry and Oxford will take place Friday night, with all the other finals taking place Saturday. Coventry will have two teams in the finals once again this year, as the softball team will attempt to defend its Class S title Saturday.
Here’s a quick look at the state championship games:
Baseball
(All finals at Palmer Field, Middletown)
Class S: No. 15 Oxford (19-8) vs. No. 1 Coventry (23-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Last year when Coventry lost to Haddam-Killingworth in the Class S championship game 6-2, Coventry coach Ryan Giberson said his team was young and probably there a year earlier that he expected. Now the Patriots are back, more experienced, led by senior shortstop Evan Menzel, who hit a home run in Coventry’s 4-0 semifinal win over Somers and who will play at the University of Maine next year. Oxford beat second-seeded Holy Cross in the second round and No. 3 H-K in the semifinal 5-4.
Class M: No. 2 Woodland (24-2) vs. No. 1 Barlow (27-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m.: The last time these two teams faced off in the state championship game in 2022, Barlow won 20-1. Last year, Woodland was the top seed and lost in the first round 4-3 to Foran and Barlow fell in the quarterfinals. Barlow has given up two runs in the tournament.
Class L: No. 3 RHAM (21-3) vs. No. 1 Woodstock Academy (25-2), Saturday, 7 p.m.: This is RHAM’s first state championship game appearance since 2004, when the Raptors won a Class L title in extra innings over North Haven, 7-6. It’s Woodstock’s first appearance. RHAM beat Hand 7-1 in the semifinal game.
Class LL: No. 19 Staples (16-10) vs. No. 4 Amity (20-6), Saturday, noon: Amity got a huge win on Tuesday when the Spartans knocked off top-seeded and previously undefeated Southington 5-2 in the semifinal game. Staples, which lost to Fairfield Warde in the Class LL championship game last year 2-1 in 10 innings, returned the favor and defeated Fairfield Warde 4-2 in 10 innings in the semifinal game.
Softball
(All games Saturday at UConn)
Class S: No. 9 Holy Cross (19-7) vs. No. 2 Coventry (23-2), 4 p.m.: After struggling for years to get past the semifinal game, Coventry finally broke through last year to advance to the final and won the title. The Patriots are back with top pitcher Elizabeth Mitchell, only one of two seniors on the team. Coventry’s only losses are to H-K in May and Ellington, a Class M finalist, in the NCCC tournament championship game. Holy Cross lost to Coventry in last year’s quarterfinal game.
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Class M: No. 13 Sheehan (19-7) vs. No. 3 Woodland (23-4), 10 a.m.: Woodland has advanced to the state final the last three years, winning the last two titles, while Sheehan is making its first appearance since 1979. Sheehan lost to Woodland in the tournament quarterfinals last year, 5-4.
Class L: No. 2 Ellington (23-2) vs. No. 1 Masuk (26-0), 7 p.m.: Masuk is undefeated and has won five straight state championships and this is Ellington’s first appearance in the final since 1984. Junior Cam Fisher has been strong on the mound for the Knights, shutting out all three state tournament opponents to advance to the final. Ellington’s two losses this year were to Class S finalist Coventry 1-0 and Mercy, 12-0.
Class LL: No. 7 Fairfield Ludlowe (22-5) vs. No. 1 Cheshire (25-1), 1 p.m.: The Rams haven’t won a title since 2016 but have preached togetherness and team bonding all season and also have a standout pitcher in sophomore Jenica Matos, who hasn’t given up a run in the tournament. Neither has Ludlowe’s pitcher, senior Alex Lewey. Fairfield Ludlowe is the defending champion and this is the third straight year the Falcons have been in the final as well as Lewey’s third appearance.