If you thought the tournaments and festivals were just a spring break thing, you’d be sorely mistaken. This week alone there are nearly 10 tournaments around the state, stretching across every classification. Today we’re turning our attention to the Choctaw Tournament, which stretches across three days and includes seven of the best teams in Oklahoma, as well as a solid Life Prep Academy squad making the trip from Kansas. To get started, let’s break down each of the four opening-day matchups.
Edmond Memorial vs Moore – Thursday 11 a.m.
It’ll be a battle between two teams from the metro that are off to hot starts starting the tournament off Thursday. Edmond Memorial has turned heads early, bouncing back from a 0-2 start in Texas to start the season by rattling off ten straight victories, including a no-hitter against Bishop Kelley. The Bulldogs have been spectacular both at the plate and on the mound since returning to Oklahoma. They’ve plated double-digit runs in half of their wins and matched that number on the mound with five shutouts. The Lions of Moore High School have been one of the surprises early in the season, and games like this will be pivotal to the Lions proving they belong at the top of 6A. That’s not to say the Lions’ schedule has been easy thus far, they’ve collected victories over tough teams like Edmond North, Sand Springs, and #1 in Class B Calumet.
Bixby vs Life Prep Academy (KS) – Thursday 1:30 p.m.
I admit, I questioned how the defending 6A state champions would be able to replace so much production at the plate this year. However, the Spartans were more than up to the task, and look like a real contender to repeat as champions in 2024. The Spartans lay claim to one of the best pitching staffs in the state, so even in the few games that the inexperience of their lineup shows up a bit, the Spartans can rely on the opposing offense being in the same boat. Life Prep is no stranger to crossing the border into Oklahoma for games. In 2023, they played 14 games against schools from Oklahoma, compiling a 12-2 record including a run rule 14-2 victory over Owasso.
Yukon vs Noble – Thursday 4:00 p.m.
Yukon, fresh off a run to the state semifinals last season, finds themselves at the top of their district with a perfect 6-0 record in district play this year. The Millers’ MVP to this point is undoubtedly Palm Beach Atlantic signee Carter Parent, who is hitting an unbelievable .777 in Yukon’s 10 wins this year. Noble comes into the weekend with a 9-6 record that includes an unblemished 6-0 start in district play of their own. They bounced back nicely this week with a sweep over Shawnee after a rough trip to Florida over spring break and will hope to carry that momentum into a successful weekend in Choctaw.
Choctaw vs Harrah – Thursday 6:30 p.m.
The hosting Yellowjackets finally saw their unbeaten run to start the season come to an end over spring break with a 3-2 heartbreaker against Bixby. They’ve recovered nicely though, rattling off three straight wins since, beating a solid Duncan team 4-0 before sweeping their district series over Southmoore. Harrah comes into the weekend as the underdog, but you’d be remiss to count this as an automatic win for the Yellowjackets. Harrah sits at 8-5 on the year but proved they could go toe to toe with top competition by beating Blanchard earlier in a district upset.
After all of the first-round matchups conclude Thursday, we’ll find out what the rest of the weekend has in store. We’ll keep you updated here with live score updates as the final scores come in, so be sure to check in over the weekend.
Live Scores
Day 1
Ed. Memorial vs Moore FINAL 8-2 Ed. Memorial
Bixby vs Life Prep – FINAL 13-0 Bixby
Yukon vs Noble – FINAL 10-0 Yukon
Choctaw vs Harrah – FINAL 5-0 Choctaw
Day 2
Noble vs Harrah – FINAL 12-5 Harrah
Yukon vs Choctaw FINAL 14-13 Choctaw
Moore vs Life Prep FINAL 10-2 Life Prep
Ed. Memorial va Bixby FINAL 10-7 Bixby
Day 3
7th Place – Noble vs Moore FINAL 4-2 Moore
5th Place – Harrah vs Life Prep FINAL 9-2 Life Prep
3rd Place – Yukon vs Edmond Memorial FINAL 5-2 Yukon
Championship – Choctaw vs Bixby Final 16-5 Choctaw
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