With just days left in the Class B high school baseball regular season in South Dakota, the postseason picture is coming into sharp focus. Leading the charge are two standout teams—the Freeman/Canistota/Marion Honkers and Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake—both of whom are in prime position to host playoff games.
The Honkers have been dominant, boasting a 9-2 record against Class B opponents and sitting comfortably as the No. 1 seed in the West Super Regional. Their only two losses came outside the region, to Redfield Area and Lennox, and they've been on a tear lately, winning eight of their last nine games. They close out the regular season on Wednesday, May 13, against Gregory County. Right behind them is Belle Fourche (8-3) at No. 2, while Winner/Colome (9-3) holds the No. 3 spot despite being swept by PGDCWL in their two meetings this season.
The postseason format adds an extra layer of excitement. Each super regional is fed by two districts of five to six teams, with the top four from each district advancing based on a seed-point formula similar to other South Dakota High School Activities Association sports. Once those eight teams are set, they're seeded 1 through 8, regardless of district. The No. 1, 4, 5, and 8 seeds form one bracket, hosted by the No. 1 seed, while the No. 2, 3, 6, and 7 seeds make up the other bracket, hosted by the No. 2 seed. The winner from each bracket moves on to the Class B state tournament in Brookings on May 25, with four super regions sending two teams each.
The rest of the West Super Region field includes Rapid City Christian (8-7) at No. 4, St. Thomas More (6-5) at No. 5, Gregory County (5-6) at No. 6, Chamberlain/Kimball/Lyman (3-10) at No. 7, and Hot Springs (5-10) clinging to the final spot. Games in this region are tentatively set for Wednesday, May 20.
Over in the South Super Region, Vermillion has grabbed the No. 1 spot with a stellar 14-2 record, edging out Freeman/Canistota/Marion by about 0.25 seed points. But don't count out FCM—the top team in District 6 is riding a seven-game winning streak and boasts a 13-1 record, including a thrilling 5-4 victory over Vermillion on May 3. Their only blemish came on April 22, when Bon Homme handed them a 9-4 loss. Bon Homme now stands at 10-3, sitting at No. 5 in the super regional standings, just behind No. 4 Dakota Valley. Parkston/Ethan rounds out the top three with an 8-4 record. The South Super Regional games are tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 18.
As the regular season wraps up on Saturday, May 16, teams across the state are gearing up for what promises to be an action-packed postseason. Whether you're a fan or a player, now's the time to gear up—literally—with the right equipment and apparel to support your team through every pitch, hit, and home run.