Warriors draw South in state baseball tourney

WASILLA — Two of the top 3 teams from the 2014 state championships will open the 2015 tourney against each other.

Southcentral Conference champion Wasilla drew Cook Inlet Conference runner-up South Anchorage in the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Championships.

“They’re a tough team, but all the teams in the state tournament are pretty tough,” Wasilla head coach Jason Terryberry said of the Warriors’ matchup with the Wolverines, slated for Thursday at 4 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

South and Wasilla are the top squads from the 2014 tourney in the 2015 championships. South finished as the runner-up to Sitka, falling 11-10 to the Wolves. Wasilla placed third with a 6-2 win over rival Colony.

Sitka, the defending state champion, failed to make the 2015 tourney.

South has been a state title game regular in recent history, reaching the championship game in three of the last four years. The Wolverines were second last year, and won it all in 2011 and 2013. South has been a tough squad, but Terryberry knows his team is going to have to face the top squads if the Warriors want a chance to reach their goals.

“To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Terryberry said.

The Warriors are fresh off winning their second straight Southcentral Conference title. Last year, Wasilla placed third in the bracket, and recorded its second-best state finish in school history. The Warriors were the runner-up in 2001.

Terryberry said he believes the experience of notching two wins in the state tourney last year will help his veterans this season. But more so, the Warriors are playing good baseball at the right time.

“We’re peaking at the right time,” Terryberry said. “Hopefully we can keep it going.”

Wasilla shares the bottom of half of the bracket with Mid-Alaska Conference champion Lathrop and Southeast runner-up Juneau-Douglas. With a win Thursday, Wasilla would face either the Malemutes or the Crimson Bears Friday at 4 p.m. at Mulcahy. With a loss, the Warriors were fall into the consolation side of the bracket, and face the Lathrop-Juneau loser Friday at 10 a.m.

Lathrop and Juneau open tournament play Thursday at 10 a.m.

The top half of the bracket features CIC champion Chugiak meeting Southcentral runner-up Kodiak Thursday at 7 p.m. Southeast champion Ketchikan faces MAC runner-up West Valley Thursday at 1 p.m.

The state championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. All tournament games are at Mulchay.