The baseball postseason begins this weekend in Missouri. Classes 1-4 kicks off district play, and 5 and 6 are just around the corner, starting on May 21 for a trip to Ozark. Illinois will kick off its postseason May 19, with trips to Champaign for 1A and 2A and Joliet for 3A and 4A up for grabs.

Here are five storylines to watch this postseason:

SLUH vs. Lafayette

SLUH sophomore Cole Chambers (23) celebrates after the last out during a baseball game on March 29, 2025 at St. Louis University High School in St. Louis.

Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch

Format change for Classes 6, 5

While the district playoffs are just beginning, Classes 6 and 5 have a new wrinkle in the last step before qualifying to the state semifinals.

Teams will play a best-of-three series in the quarterfinal round.

This is the first year the change has been implemented, and it was met with a ringing endorsement from the majority of the coaches.

People are also reading…

“It was voted on by coaches in the state, and when we got together, it was overwhelmingly accepted,” Vianney coach Dave Stewart said. “It gives a little bit better idea of baseball. A lot of times, it’s one game and tough to figure out.”

Francis Howell coach Tony Perkins echoed Stewart’s word and added that there’s hope that the format will trickle down to maybe the district championship game or the semifinal round.

After the single-elimination district tournaments, district winners in Classes 6 and 5 will meet the following Friday for first of a three-game quarterfinal series. The second game in the series will be played that Saturday, with a third game being played immediately after the second if necessary.

The winner of the quarterfinal series will advance to the semifinal round the following week in Ozark, where it will go back to the traditional single-elimination format. The losers of each semifinal will meet in the third-place game, while the winners will square off for the championship.

Fort Zumwalt West vs. Francis Howell

Fort Zumwalt West coach Eric Gough watches his team during the Troy Baseball Classic title game on March 19, 2024 at Troy Buchanan High School in Troy, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch

Paul Halfacre

Gough’s last run at Fort Zumwalt West

In Eric Gough’s final season at the helm of the Fort Zumwalt West baseball program, it looks like the Gateway Athletic Conference is once again ready to cannibalize itself for a chance at the ultimate prize.

On opposite sides of the Class 6 District 4 tournament are two of the most prolific baseball programs in the St. Louis area in the past half-decade.

The Jaguars (25-8) split the South Division title with Perkins’ Francis Howell (32-3) this season and those teams are staring at each other on opposite sides of the Class 6 District 4 bracket. 

The programs have combined to win 302 games the past five seasons and have met in the district finals three of the last five seasons.

Timberland (17-9), Fort Zumwalt North (13-11), Francis Howell Central (16-18) and Liberty (11-19) could throw wrenches into the plan that would see Perkins and Gough duel for a final time in another district title game.

After locking up its first conference championship in program history, North Point (23-9) could be a major factor in the Class 6 District 4 title race.

Class 3 District 4 baseball, championship: Valley Park 4, St. Pius X 3

Sean Ward (2) of Valley Park jumps into the celebration circle after defeating St. Pius 4-3 in the Class 3 District baseball championship at Heine Meine field in South County, Missouri on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. 

Paul Baillargeon

Valley Park hopes to take flight

In the past five seasons, the Hawks have been one of the best small-school programs in the St. Louis area.

Led by one of the best hitters in the area, three-sport standout and Lindenwood baseball signee Will Geary, Valley Park (20-5) is looking to capture its fourth successive district title when it opens district play against either Hancock (3-15) or DuBourg (4-11) on Saturday in the semifinal round of the Class 3 District 4 tournament.

Geary leads the team with a .619 batting average and 26 RBI. Myles St. Clair and Clark Menley have a batting average over .500, while freshman Luke Geary has a .426 batting average in his first season at Valley Park.

But the past two seasons, Valley Park has failed to get past West County (23-2-1) in the sectional round and it appears the programs are destined to meet again in the sectional round May 27. 

Valley Park is 0-4 against the Bulldogs since 2019.

Triad vs. Highland

Triad senior Hayden Bernreuter (11) sprints to first base during a baseball on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill.

Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch

Metro ‘Beasts’ ready for regional play

In Illinois’ four-class system, the Metro-East has strong bets to represent three classes when the postseason boils down to the state semifinals.

Five of the seven teams in the Southwestern Conference have a legitimate chance at deep Class 4A playoff runs.

Edwardsville (18-8), O’Fallon (20-8), Belleville East (18-12), Belleville West (16-8) and Alton (17-11) all have the pieces that could do some damage in postseason play against each other before taking out their wrath on the rest of the state.

In Class 3A, four of the six Mississippi Valley Conference teams all have a legit claim to the regional and sectional titles.

Triad (23-4) and Mascoutah (17-7) have some of the area’s most explosive offenses, averaging over seven runs a game. Waterloo (15-8) and Highland (14-12) have the pitching and defense that could send them deep into the postseason.

Ever since bursting onto the scene in 2021 with a Class 1A runner-up finish, Father McGivney (28-3) has been knocking at the door to get back to that lofty height. Justin Terhaar and Isaac Wendler each have 34 RBI for the Griffins, while Kannon Kamp and Chase Kelley have ERA under 2.

Duchesne vs. Valle Catholic

Duchesne junior Jaymeson Forest (8) turns a double play during a baseball game on Monday, April 21, 2025 at CarShield Field in O’Fallon, Mo.

Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch

Title defense and droughts

Duchesne (20-7) is the lone area team carrying the defending state champion banner from the St. Louis area this year.

The Pioneers got bumped up to Class 4 and will have their work cut out for themselves in their district tournament.

Duchesne will face either St. Charles (12-16) or Lutheran St. Charles (4-18) in the district semifinal round Monday. The Cougars finished third in Class 4 last season, while the Pirates are looking for their first district title since 2015.

Defending district champion Orchard Farm (9-12) and St. Charles West (14-11) also reside in the same district.

Lafayette (18-12) and Webster Groves (10-23) played for state championships last season and are the No. 3 seed in their district tournaments, which start Wednesday.

Parkway South (17-9) will look to snap a 13-year district title drought when it kicks off the Class 6 District 2 tournament against Borgia (13-12) on Wednesday.

Union (20-8) will look to end a 15-year district title-less drought when it squares off in the Class 5 District 5 tournament in Jefferson City starting Wednesday.

Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter