When junior outfielder Jordan Schneider stepped up to the plate in the eighth inning Saturday at Jackson High School in a Class 6 baseball state quarterfinal, Parkway South baseball coach Matt Brown considered using him to sacrifice over the runner.
“My assistant and I looked at each other and we’re like, ‘He’s our best player, he gives us the best chance to win, we can’t bunt him,’ ” Brown said.
Schneider rewarded his coach’s faith by drilling the ball into the alley away from Jackson’s defense, sending the Parkway South faithful into a frenzy.
Schneider’s walk-off winner in the bottom of the eighth inning punched Parkway South’s ticket to the Class 6 state semifinals with a 2-1 win over Jackson, securing a 2-0 series win.
“These last two weeks, I owe the administration at Parkway South a great deal of gratitude,” Brown said. “I was an assistant coach at CBC, and they took a chance on a guy who had never been a head coach before. All I could think about was all the players since the day I arrived, they bought into the culture and believed in my message and just never stopped getting better every day. We have a lot of good players who make my job a lot easier.”
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Parkway South (22-10) will play Blue Springs South (26-7) at 4 p.m. Friday in the first Class 6 semifinal game at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.
This is the first time since 1999 the Patriots have advanced to the state semifinals and only the second time in program history. The Patriots finished as the state runner-up in 1999.
“We have really good senior leadership and really good players who don’t want to stop playing,” Brown said. “We talk about it all the time, find a way to get to the next week so we can practice together and be together some more. This is a special group.”
Schneider went 2-for-4 and drove in both runs for the Patriots, including the walk-off winner in the eighth inning that scored left fielder Jamison Lombardo to send the Patriots home happy.
Senior Parker Wolf threw six shutout innings against Jackson, scattering seven hits and striking out five. Senior Jake Frenz picked up the win, pitching a scoreless inning in the eighth inning and striking out two.
Parkway South won the series opener 3-1 on Friday and needed to win just once Saturday. It took care of business in Game 2.
Fort Zumwalt West’s Alex Wheeler (13) pitches during the Class 6 District 4 championship game, Saturday, May 24, 2025, at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville. Fort Zumwalt West defeated Francis Howell, 5-2.
Michael Gulledge, Special to the Post-Dispatch
Fort Zumwalt West 3, De Smet 1 • The Jaguars earned their way back to the state semifinals, defeating De Smet 3-1 on Saturday at Chaminade for a 2-0 sweep in the Class 6 quarterfinal series..
Fort Zumwalt West (33-8) will square off with Staley (38-3) at 7 p.m. Friday in the second Class 6 semifinal game at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.
It’s the first time the Jaguars have advanced to the state semifinals since 2021. It’s the third state semifinal appearance in program history, and the Jaguars finished as state runner-up in both 2017 and 2021.
Jaguars senior outfielder Brant Deverman went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI while senior infielder Carter Perry collected two hits.
Senior Alex Wheeler twirled a gem, giving up one earned run on three hits and striking out two in six innings.
Senior Michael Scally went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Spartans (16-18).
Drew Kleinheider (28) of Father McGivney throws to first base against Christ Our Rock in the Class 1A Greenville Sectional baseball semifinal in Greenville on Wednesday May 28, 2025.
Paul Baillargeon
Father McGivney 12, Hardin Calhoun 2 • The Father McGivney machine marches on.
The Griffins pounded their way to earn the Class 1A Greenville Sectional title. It’s the third time in the last five seasons that the Griffins have won a sectional title.
Father McGivney (36-3) will square off with Jacksonville Routt (23-12) at 4 p.m. Monday in the Class 1A Springfield Super-Sectional at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield.
McGivney scored double-digit runs for the 25th time this season and has run-ruled opponents 23 times, including all four postseason games.
Griffins senior Drew Kleinheider went 2-for-2 at the plate with a triple and two RBI while scoring three runs. Senior Kannon Kamp tossed all six innings, striking out five and giving up two runs on three hits.
Mascoutah senior Austin Musso (22) delivers a pitch during a baseball game on Monday, April 14, 2025 at Waterloo High School in Waterloo, Ill.
Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Mascoutah 7, Waterloo 1 • Austin Musso earned a measure of revenge over Waterloo on Saturday.
The Arizona State commit pitched a complete-game gem and helped Mascoutah to a 7-1 win in the Class 3A Mascoutah Regional title game.
It’s the fifth successive regional title for Mascoutah (24-8), which will play Salem (16-14) at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the first Class 3A Triad Sectional semifinal game.
Musso also drove in a run, while senior Josh Amann sparked the offense with a three-run home run. Senior Nolan Keilbach went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Edwardsville senior Joseph Chiarodo (27) delivers a pitch during a baseball game on March 28, 2025 at Francis Howell High School in Weldon Spring, Mo.
Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Edwardsville 10, Quincy 0 • The Tigers won the Class 4A Belleville West Regional, their sixth successive regional crown.
Edwardsville (26-10) will square off with Southwestern Conference rival O’Fallon (25-10) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at SIU-Edwardsville in a Class 4A Bloomington Sectional semifinal game.
Joseph Chiarodo picked up the win with six innings on the mound and struck out 10, scattering four hits.
Senior catcher Max Waltenberger went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, while senior Greyson Rathgeb led the offense with three RBI, going 2-for-3 at the plate.
O’Fallon senior Connor Blue (23) celebrates after a strikeout during a baseball game on April 7, 2025 at Blazier Field in O’Fallon, Ill.
Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
O’Fallon 14, Belleville East 5 • The Panthers’ bats erupted on their way to the Class 4A O’Fallon Regional title.
O’Fallon (25-10) will play Edwardsville (26-10) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at SIU-Edwardsville in a Class 4A Bloomington Sectional semifinal game.
It’s the third regional title in the last five seasons for the Panthers.
Senior Connor Blue went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and three RBI for O’Fallon. Junior outfielder Brayden Robertson went 2-for-3, scoring three runs and collecting three RBI.
Freshman Will Vanderheyden got the win on the mound, throwing four innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits and striking out six. Junior Sam McCollum came on in relief and struck out six in his three innings of work.
Senior Tommy Kramkowski went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Lancers (21-16).
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