Lawrence High and Free State High are headed in opposite directions heading into the final two weeks of the regular baseball season.

The Lions (9-5) have won four in a row. Meanwhile, the Firebirds (6-7) have dropped three in a row and five of six.

LHS will try to pad its streak when the Lions and Firebirds meet for a nonleague game today at noon at the FSHS field.

“We’re playing good enough to win,” LHS coach David Petry said. “We’re not playing our best baseball now. We’re winning because of our pitching. We’re still struggling offensively. We’re improving, but we’ve got a long way to go.”

The Lions are batting .295 and have an earned run average of 3.78. Free State counters with a .317 batting average and 7.16 ERA.

“We haven’t played our best baseball in the last few weeks and that’s especially concerning when Lawrence High is playing so well,” FSHS coach Mike Hill said. “We seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. With a young team like ours, you’re going to have ebbs and flows.”

LHS junior Ryan Rowland, coming off a 2-0 shutout victory over nationally-ranked Omaha (Neb.) Creighton Prep, is scheduled to start on the mound. Rowland is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 212/3 innings.

Senior Eric Peterson, a Kansas University signee, is scheduled to start on the mound for Free State. Peterson, who missed the first LHS meeting this season because of the flu, is 4-0 with a 4.29 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 322/3 innings.

“They’re a lot different team when he’s on the mound,” Petry said of Peterson. “I think they play better defensively when he’s on the mound and hit better when he’s on the mound.”

Senior catcher Troy Wingert (.366), senior designated hitter Joe Bell (.333) and junior third baseman Tommy Mangino (.317) lead LHS in hitting. Mangino, son of Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino, leads the Lions with 12 RBIs.

Petry has tweaked his lineup in recent weeks to boost his team’s offensive production. Senior center fielder Rob Scott, now batting leadoff, and senior shortstop Chris Johnson, batting second, swapped spots in the lineup.

“We’ve tried several different batting orders trying to get us jump-started a bit,” Petry said. “We’re trying to get Chris back on track. Defensively he is doing really well. We need to get his bat going.”

Free State is led offensively by senior Jeremiah Gress (.407), senior Cassidy Thompson (.405), junior Chris Coleman (.391), junior David Arndt (.350) and sophomore Kyle Unruh (.333).

With a chance of rain today, the game might be postponed. Both coaches hope the game would be rescheduled if it’s washed out.

“Toward the end of the season it gets harder to reschedule on days you have no conflicts,” Petry said. “I’m not worried about three or four games in a week. I think we have a pitching staff capable of doing that. It’s their home game and we have to work it out with them.”

LHS also is in the hunt to play host to Class 6A regional in mid-May. At 9-5, the Lions are third in the regional standings. The top two teams will be the host sites to two four-team regionals. Emporia (9-3) and Manhattan (9-4) enter the weekend 1-2. Wichita Heights (6-4), Topeka (6-6), Free State (6-7), Topeka Washburn Rural (5-6) and Junction City (5-7) are the other regional teams. Seedings will be announced on May 11.

With a sub-.500 record, Hill hasn’t thought too much about seedings.

“You worry about seeding when you’re trying to be one of the hosts,” Hill said. “We feel like in a one-game setting we can beat anybody. We feel we have a go-to guy (Peterson) and decent guys around him.”

The LHS-FSHS series is tied at 4-all with the Lions winning three of the past four intracity contests. LHS beat the Firebirds, 11-7, on April 2 at Ice Field.