BARBOURVILLE — Knox Central High School is set to host the 2024 13th Region Baseball Tournament, and it should be a good one with some interesting matchups taking place during quarterfinal action.
The tournament is scheduled to begin Monday with semifinal action scheduled for Tuesday, and the championship slated for Wednesday, that is if Mother Nature is kind and doesn’t disrupt any of the tournament.
The district champions of the 13th Region are Clay County (49th), Corbin (50th), Knox Central (51st), and Harlan (52nd).
The runner-ups are Jackson County (49th), Whitley County (50th), Barbourville (51st), and Bell County (52nd).
At first glimpse of the draw, you could say Cody Philpot’s Corbin Redhounds (27-10) couldn’t have asked for a better one.
Of course the Redhounds will have to take care of business, and a win is never guaranteed once postseason play begins.
Corbin is slated to take on Jackson County (12-21) during quarterfinal action Monday at 10 a.m.
The Generals are a team that can’t be taken lightly. They stunned North Laurel last week, eliminating the Jaguars before hanging tough against Clay County in the 49th District finals.
The last time the two teams met in the region tournament, the Generals handed the Redhounds a 10-6 loss in 2021.
Corbin is 8-1 against Jackson County since 2013 with hopes of counting its success Monday.
The Redhounds possess one of the best pitching staffs in the state, holding a 2.48 ERA, and is just as dangerous at the plate with a .299 batting average.
Mikey Neal leads the way with nine home runs and 48 RBI while Cruz Cima, Bradric Helton, and Jeremiah Gilbert lead Corbin with five wins apiece on the mound.
The Generals posses Ashton Clemons, who leads the team with five wins while Lucas Elam possesses a team-best .415 batting average.
A battle between two Class A teams will take place in the second quarterfinal game on Monday at 1 p.m. between Harlan (22-11) and Barbourville (12-14).
The two teams have played twice this season with the Green Dragons winning both matchups — 4-1, and 6-2. Barbourville leads the series since 2004, 20-16.
Harlan is led by Eli Freyer’s .310 batting average while Baylor Varner possesses a 2.24 ERA and a team-best five wins.
The Tigers are a good hitting team that has a .311 batting average. Three players are hitting over .400 with Connor West leading the way at .458, and Luke Hillard at .456. Hillard leads the team with six wins in the mound along with possessing a slim 1.85 ERA. He also has 74 Ks in 41.2 innings of work.
The third game on Monday will have Clay County (19-13) facing off against Bell County (16-8).
The Tigers have dominated the series since 2003 with a 17-4 mark. Clay County has won 14 in a row against the Bobcats with its last loss coming to Bell County on March 24, 2009.
Clay County is led by a solid nucleus of players which includes University of Louisville signee Brandin Crawford. He is batting .479 with three home runs and 30 RBI. Crawford had seven wins in the mound, a 1.88 ERA, and 97 Ks in 52 innings of work.
Cooper Brock leads Bell County with .333 batting average while Blake Burnett has five wins, a 1.39 ERA, and 44 strikeouts in 35.1 innings of work.
The final quarterfinal game of Monday at 7 p.m. is scheduled between defending state champion Whitley County (26-10) and Knox Central (18-10).
If the Colonels are going to repeat as region champions, they’re going to have to battle through a difficult bracket.
The last time these two teams met on the diamond was June 7, 2021 during semifinal action of the 13th Region Tournament. The Colonels managed to pull out an 8-5 win.
They have played 33 times dating back to 1993 with Whitley County holding a 20-13 mark against the Panthers.
The Colonels are batting .332 on the season with EJ Allen leading the way with a .416 batting average. Whitley County has 13 players hitting over .300. Brady Bargo leads the team with nine wins, and possesses a 2.43 ERA. Allen has six wins and a 2.04 ERA.
Hayden Melton leads Knox Central with a .474 batting average while collecting a team-best 37 hits, and 27 RBI. Casey Bright has been lights out on the mound. He’s 8-0 with a microscopic 0.86 ERA. Bright has an impressive 96 strikeouts in only 49 innings of work.
13th Region Baseball
Tournament Team Rankings
- Corbin
- Whitley County
- Clay County
- Knox Central
- Harlan
- Bell County
- Jackson County
- Barbourville
13th Region Baseball Tournament Schedule
At Knox Central High School
Monday, May 27
Quarterfinals
Corbin vs. Jackson County, 10 a.m.
Harlan vs. Barbourville, 1 p.m.
Clay County vs. Bell County, 4 p.m.
Knox Central vs. Whitley County, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 28
Semifinals
Corbin/Jackson County winner vs. Harlan/Barbourville winner, 5 p.m.
Clay County/Bell County winner vs. Knox Central/Whitley County winner, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 29
Finals
TBD, 6 p.m.
