Lawrence high players celebrate their 3-2 victory over Shawnee Mission West in the Class 6A state tournament. The Lions defeated Goddard earlier Saturday before taking down the Vikings for the crown at the 3&2 Baseball Complex in Lenexa.

Lenexa ? On the bottom of the pile, with a dozen or more Lawrence High baseball teammates on top of him, Albert Minnis could hardly breathe.

Not that the Lions’ junior pitcher-outfielder minded.

“I never thought suffocating could be so happy,” Minnis said with a grin.

Happiness is a Class 6A baseball title, and Minnis played a substantial role as the Lions squeezed Shawnee Mission West, 3-2, in an all-Sunflower League final Saturday night at Johnson County 3&2 Complex.

Minnis secured the last nine outs in relief of winner Andy Urban, protecting the one-run lead the Lions had taken in the bottom of the fourth.

It wasn’t easy, though. In the do-or-die seventh, the Vikings’ first two batters reached base. Moments later, however, Lions’ catcher Jake Green picked one of the runners off second — probably the game’s key moment — and then Minnis enticed a ground out.

So when the Lions’ left-hander had two strikes on SM West leadoff hitter Brandon Huske, the fans wearing red and black were stomping their feet and hollering, only to be let down when Huske wangled a walk.

“I probably got 10 or 15 more gray hairs out of that deal,” Lawrence coach Brad Stoll said.

Finally, with the tying run on second again, Minnis fanned David Hoops to send LHS into its dog-piling frenzy.

“I wanted to go 1-2-3 that inning,” Minnis said, “but the baseball gods wouldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let these nine seniors down, though. No way.”

Although tourney officials do not select a most outstanding player, Minnis certainly would have been in the running. He stroked a pair of three-run homers in Friday’s 17-0 quarterfinal win over defending state champ Blue Valley and, on the mound, pitched six scoreless innings in two games, allowing just a pair of singles.

Regardless of whether he was the MOP, Minnis definitely qualifies as the Lions’ Transfer of the Year. Minnis, whose parents are divorced, came to LHS from Kansas City, Mo., Park Hill High to live with his dad who works at Alvamar Inc.

“After I moved in with my dad,” Minnis said, “he told me (Lawrence High) had a good program, but that was an understatement.”

The core of the program was, of course, the nine seniors. Almost all of them made contributions, but perhaps none more important than outfielder Tyler Bailey.

His two-run double off the centerfielder’s glove near the 400-foot sign in the fourth inning tied the score.

“He put a real great swing on that ball,” Stoll said. “He stayed on it and drove it.”

Minutes later, Bailey crossed home plate with what proved to be the winning run on Tanner Kilmer’s single to right.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Bailey said, “and do something good for Andy (Urban).”

It could be said the Lions’ journey to the school’s third baseball championship — LHS also won in 1996 and 2000 — began and ended with Bailey playing critical roles.

In fact, if it weren’t for Bailey, the Lions would have turned in their uniforms two weeks ago. In the regional opener, Topeka High had the Lions down to their last strike when Bailey delivered a three-run homer that produced an exhilarating 3-2 victory.

“We wouldn’t be here,” Stoll said, “if he doesn’t hit that walk-off bomb.”

Still, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts and Stoll could hardly contain his emotions about the seniors who suffered through state semifinal defeats the last two years.

“It was about these nine guys who gave us complete sacrifice,” Stoll said. “If they hadn’t gone out as state champions, I would have been sick.”

Lawrence finished with a 21-4 record and on a 16-game winning streak. At one stage, the Lions’ record was 5-4. Their losses were to Free State, perennial Class 4A power Kansas City Ward and to a pair of Oklahoma schools.