The varsity baseball team’s historic success was cut short in a heartbreaking 6-8 loss to Blue Springs South High School in the Class 6 State Tournament June 7. The 38-4 Falcons took the program to a place it’s never been before, earning the team’s highest-ever number of wins and tying the 2015 Class 5 team for highest state placement.
Head coach Dionandre Josenberger and the talented roster still had a great season to look back on, even with the turnout they didn’t anticipate in the game with the highest stakes.
The first two innings of the Class-6 state championship consisted of shutouts by both teams, as to be expected with two dominant pitchers on the mound including Staley High School’s senior Jake Thomas and Blue Springs South High School junior Wyatt Taylor.
The first runs of the game didn’t come until the top of the third inning, where an offensive explosion by the Falcons shifted the scoreboard. Two more runs from Staley were added in the top of the fifth to extend their lead. A staggering eight-run explosion by Blue Springs South in the bottom half of the fifth inning thrust the team into a 6-8 deficit they were not able to pull themselves out of, despite their efforts in the later innings.
The team’s last chance to stay alive in the game came at the top of the seventh inning, where a hit from senior Easton Phillippe extended the inning with two outs. Ultimately, a close-called third strike on senior Evan Abbott, who represented the tying run, ended the game in true heartbreak fashion. Staley had faced off against Blue Springs South in the past, with their record being 1-1 on the year, and both teams playing against talented programs in the 6A level.
“It was great, by far one of the coolest things I’ve had the opportunity to do,” Thomas said. “I knew it was going to be a tough game. They are a very good hitting team and have already seen me earlier in the season. I was so proud of our team regardless of the outcome, we put in so much work, and it showed throughout the season.”
Even with a historic season for the program, only one team in each class in the state can end their season without losing the last game of the year. Although a loss ended the season, the team had significant shining spots, including setting the program record for wins, having three conference honorable mention nods, one second team recognition, and three first-team players, including the conference player of the year in Phillippe.
The team also boasts an impressive four players signing to division one programs, and six others signing to other collegiate programs. Senior pitcher and position player Brody Irlbeck also received the honor of Missouri Prep Baseball Player of the Year, as his record breaking season showed. The team’s shutout pitching was on display, as the pitching staff scorched the competition with the second-lowest opponent runs per game in program history.
“It meant a lot being able to go out there with my guys and compete against the best in Missouri every day,” Phillippe said. “I believe that every player became a better baseball player after this season because everybody got to experience what it’s like competing against high level opponents.”
The start of the season felt like just another year to the returning upperclassmen, even with the amount of work they put in in the offseason. Starting off with a 14-9 victory over Smithville, the team would go on to win 15 games in a row, building a landslide lead in district rankings. They would still keep a healthy lead in the district, only losing three games from the beginning of the season to the state championship. The team swept through the district tournament later that season, starting off right with a 10-0 victory over North Kansas City High School.
It was a close call in the game against Park Hill High School, but the team came home with the victory in a thrilling 12-11 ballgame. Their series of successes would then take them to a matchup against a familiar opponent in Liberty High School who had knocked the Falcons out of the race last season. This time, the team wasn’t phased and walked out of the opponent’s territory with a 10-0 win.
“It feels really great as a team especially considering we lost in the second round of districts last year and got to beat that same team in the district championship this year,” senior position player Evan Abbott said. “Getting all the way to the state championship meant the world to us. We had worked so hard in the offseason and seeing that pay off felt great, even though we came up short.”
In the 16 years of the program, this team left its mark, not only with the visible statistics and numbers we see on paper, but the development and growth in the players that seemed to improve, despite a coaching change that brought Josenberger to the program.
Several years down the road, these players and their families won’t look back to the final out of the state championship, but the development and memories that high school baseball at Staley brought them. Most baseball enthusiasts have heard the quote “In order to be successful in baseball, you have to have a short memory.” Baseball doesn’t have to be about all the complex techniques the game requires like hitting a curveball, or getting out of a jam in the last innings of a close game, but appreciating the little memories and feelings the sport gives.
“My favorite memory was throwing a complete game in the second game of the quarterfinals to send the team to state,” Thomas said.
Photo Gallery: State Finals
// By Story Connors
The varsity baseball team earned second place in the Missouri Class 6 State Championship, falling 6-8 to Blue Springs South High School June 7. The Falcons earned seven hits and had zero errors, and Blue Springs South had 10 hits with two errors.
Photo Gallery: State Semifinals
The varsity baseball team beat Fort Zumwalt West High School 4-1 with Brody Irlbeck on the mound June 6 in the Missouri Class 6 semifinals.
// By Story Connors
Photo Gallery: District Championship
Baseball played May 24 against Liberty High School, winning 10-0. They were District Champs for the first time since 2019.
// By Olivia Kimball
