Regional pairings set for city teams

The dream scenario of having teams from both Free State High and Lawrence High qualify for the Class 6A state tournaments will not come true in baseball, softball or girls soccer.

That much was realized Saturday, when the Kansas State High School Activities Association released the regional brackets for this year’s postseason.

In baseball, No. 2 seed Free State (16-4) will play No. 7 Junction City (5-13) at 2 p.m. Wednesday at FSHS. Third-seeded Lawrence High (16-4) will take on Topeka High (6-14) at 4:30 p.m. also at Free State. The winners of those games will meet at 7:30 p.m. at FSHS for the right to go to state.

In softball, Free State (8-12) picked up the No. 5 seed and will play fourth-seeded Topeka High (11-9) at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Olathe Northwest. Lawrence High (1-19), meanwhile, drew the No. 8 seed and faces the daunting task of taking on regional host Olathe Northwest (20-0) in the first round. That game is scheduled for 4:45 Tuesday at ONW.

If either team advances, it would play in the regional title game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Girls soccer is the only spring sport in which the two city schools are guaranteed to face each other. The Lions (7-7) will play host to Free State (5-9-2) at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The game tentatively is scheduled to be played at Youth Sports, Inc., and is a rematch of last week’s regular-season game, which LHS won, 1-0.

Also competing at regionals next week will be the boys golf teams at each school. LHS and FSHS will compete at an eight-team Class 6A regional at 8 a.m. Monday at Alvamar Country Club in Lawrence.