The last time Free State High’s baseball team played at Kansas University’s Hoglund Ballpark, the Firebirds were jumping on top of each other in a dog pile near the first-base line, celebrating their Class 6A state championship.

The Firebirds return to KU for their first of three games in the 15th-annual River City Baseball Festival at 3:45 p.m. today against St. James Academy.

“Naturally, there are some good memories there for quite a number of our kids from last May, but they are about creating new ones as opposed to reliving old ones,” Free State coach Mike Hill said. “That’s what they are looking forward to.”

The Firebirds (7-1, ranked No. 2 in 6A) have followed the same formula that won them their state title last season: strong pitching and solid defense. They’ve allowed more than three runs in only one game this year.

But playing three games in three days will give the Firebirds a chance to use more pitchers at the varsity level. They’ve only used four pitchers this season: seniors Hunter Gudde, Trevor Munch and Parker Tietjen, and junior Aaron Funk. The left-handed Munsch, who has signed to pitch at Oklahoma, will start against St. James (4-4) today.

Free State will play Tulsa (Okla.) Memorial at 3:45 p.m. Friday at FSHS, then finish the weekend against O’Gorman (S.D.) at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at KU.

“We say we’ve got pitching depth, but we’ve only thrown four guys this year,” Hill said. “We don’t feel comfortable with that. We need to get other guys ready to go.”

Lawrence High (4-4) opens against Tulsa Memorial (9-14) at 6 tonight at Hoglund Ballpark on a three-game winning streak.

Each year, the Lions treat the festival as a mini state tournament. At state, teams must win three games in two days.

“With the exception of the postseason excitement, it’s one of my favorite times of the year,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said. “You get to see a lot of good friends. As a coaching staff, we get to scout, like, 16 opponents, so we get a lot of good information. And it’s just fun to be around baseball three days in a row.”

The Lions will face O’Gorman (4-4) at 8:15 p.m. Friday at LHS, and play Maize (6-2, ranked No. 8 in 5A) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hoglund.

Beyond playing three games in three days, one of the most enjoyable experiences for the Lions is playing at KU. At the end of each season, the Lions will face Free State in a game at Hoglund Ballpark, but that doesn’t make these games during the festival any less special.

“What (KU) coach (Ritch) Price has done up there, he’s made it into a phenomenal facility,” Stoll said. “The atmosphere is always kind of cool. You’re playing in a Div. I stadium, and the kids really get excited for it. Heck, at 44, I still get goose bumps taking the field. It’s a lot of fun and something to look forward to every year.”

River City Festival Schedule

Today

At Hoglund Ballpark, Kansas University

3:45 p.m. — St. James vs. Free State

6 p.m. — Tulsa Memorial, Okla. vs. Lawrence

8:15 p.m. — Blue Springs vs. Olathe South

At Free State High

11:15 a.m. — Lee’s Summit West, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest

1:30 p.m. — Raymore Peculiar, Mo. vs. Olathe Northwest

3:45 p.m. — Warrensburg, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission West

6 p.m. — Blue Valley North vs. Shawnee Mission South

8:15 p.m. — Washburn Rural vs. Blue Valley Southwest

At Lawrence High

11:15 a.m. — St. James vs. Olathe North

1:30 p.m. — Rockhurst, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission East

3:45 p.m. — Blue Springs, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest

6 p.m. — Blue Valley Northwest vs. Olathe East

8:15 p.m. — Topeka Hayden vs. Warrensburg, Mo.

Friday

At Hoglund Ballpark, Kansas University

9 a.m. — Raymore Peculiar, Mo. vs. Olathe North

11:15 p.m. — Topeka Hayden vs. Olathe Northwest

1:30 p.m. — Lee’s Summit West, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission East

3:45 p.m. — Jefferson City, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest

6 p.m. — Branson, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission West

8:15 p.m. — Ozark, Mo. vs. Blue Valley

At Free State High

9 a.m. — Lee’s Summit West, Mo. vs. St. James

11:15 a.m. — Warrensburg, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission North

1:30 p.m. — Tulsa Memorial, Okla. vs. Blue Springs, Mo.

3:45 p.m. — Tulsa Memorial, Okla. vs. Free State

6 p.m. — Rogers, Ark. vs. Bishop Miege

8:15 p.m. — Jefferson City, Mo. vs. Leavenworth

At Lawrence High

9 a.m. — Rockhurst, Mo. vs. Blue Valley Northwest

11:15 p.m. — Rockhurst, Mo. vs. Olathe South

1:30 p.m. — Branson, Mo. vs. Blue Valley North

3:45 p.m. — Nixa, Mo. vs. Olathe Northwest

6 p.m. — O’Gorman, S.D. vs. Shawnee Mission South

8:15 p.m. — O’Gorman, S.D. vs. Lawrence

Saturday

At Hoglund Ballpark, Kansas University

9 a.m. — O’Gorman, S.D. vs. Branson, Mo.

11:15 a.m. — O’Gorman, S.D. vs. Free State

1:30 p.m. — Ozark, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission North

3:45 p.m. — Lansing vs. Leavenworth

6 p.m. — Maize vs. Lawrence

8:15 p.m. — Shawnee Mission South vs. Blue Valley

At Free State High

9 a.m. — Nixa, Mo. vs. Bishop Miege

11:15 a.m. — Tulsa Memorial, Okla. vs. Jefferson City, Mo.

1:30 p.m. — Raymore Peculiar, Mo. vs. Maize

3:45 p.m. — Washburn Rural vs. Blue Valley West

At Lawrence High

9 a.m. — Ozark, Mo. vs. Blue Springs, Mo.

11:15 a.m. — Rogers, Ark. vs. Olathe East

1:30 p.m. — Nixa, Mo. vs. Blue Valley Southwest

3:45 p.m. — Jefferson City, Mo. vs. Lee’s Summit West, Mo.

6 p.m. — Raymore Peculiar, Mo. vs. Shawnee Mission North