Free State senior Calvin Urish high-fives senior Maddox Burkitt after scoring against Blue Springs South during the River City Baseball Festival at Hoglund Ballpark on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

After a week of waiting out the rain, the Free State baseball team is finally ready to open play in the Class 6A state tournament in Fort Scott.

While the Firebirds are certainly used to being in this position, this is not your typical Free State team.

A former outfielder playing third base. A utility infielder now playing in the outfield. A first baseman still breaking in his first baseman’s mitt. And six of the nine seniors calling it a career after this weekend’s state tournament.

“A lot of us aren’t playing for ourselves,” senior third baseman Grant Gregory said. “We’re playing for the team. That’s why we’re able to make those adjustments and have success. I’ll play wherever. I think we all will. We just want to win.”

Senior outfielder Calvin Urish agreed and said the team’s bond and desire to fight to prove itself has led to them getting back to the state tournament.

“We’ve all become tighter and tighter each year,” Urish said. “There’s something about that bond that makes the team a lot better.”

FSHS coach Mike Hill has coached plenty of talented teams and college-bound players. But he has as much admiration for this group as any of the teams that came before them.

“You appreciate the willingness of someone to do what isn’t necessarily what they want to do but is what the team needs them to do,” Hill said. “I think it says a lot about all these kids. When we’ve asked them to do something, they’ve done it because they know that’s what’s best for the team and gives us the best chance to win.”

Hill also credits assistant coaches Alex Reyes and Nolan Deitrich for their mentorship and flexibility in leading this team and moving so many players to so many new positions during the past couple of seasons.

“Our coaches are terrific in the work they’ve done with these kids,” Hill said. “And I think a lot of the credit for the success these kids have made when they’ve made the transition has been because of our coaching staff.”

Senior ace Maddox Burkitt, who will start Round 1 on the mound, is one of the Free State seniors who plans to play college baseball next season. He’s headed to Johnson County Community College. Urish is continuing his career at Barton County. And first baseman Harrison Juhl is Baker bound.

The rest of the senior class includes Gregory, outfielder Jake Patchen, pitcher Carter Cupps, catcher Will Dawson, pitcher Sam Mihalchik and pitcher Evan Hamilton.

The sixth-seeded Firebirds (15-8) will take on No. 3 seed Olathe West (18-4) at 1:15 p.m. Saturday at LaRoche Baseball Complex, with the winner moving on to the state semifinals on Sunday.