State baseball, softball pairings announced

Free State High (18-3) will play host Maize (18-4) at 1:30 p.m. Friday in a first-round game of the Class 6A state baseball tournament at the Maize Sports Complex.

The Firebirds won their first Sunflower League title this season, sharing the crown with Lawrence High and Shawnee Mission Northwest. Free State advanced to state by beating Leavenworth and the Lions in the regional tournament.

Meanwhile, Ottawa will send both its baseball and softball teams to the Class 4A state tournaments next weekend at the Mulvane Sports Complex.

Friday, the Cyclones’ softball team (16-5) will meet Rose Hill in a first-round game at 5 p.m. Then the OHS baseball team (15-6) will collide with Haven (16-5) at 6:30 p.m.

State baseball and softball semifinals and finals will be May 31.

Two Free State coaches earn city school awards

Free State’s Mike Hill and Steve Heffernan are the winners of the second annual Lawrence Public Schools high school coaches-of-the-year awards.

Hill coaches baseball, and Heffernan coaches boys and girls cross country and track.

The junior high awards went to Mike Lewis, who coaches boys basketball at Southwest, and Julie Miller, who coaches volleyball at West.