photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Free State baseball team lines up while waiting to be awarded their state championship medals after defeating Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

There were some nerves Friday ahead of the Free State baseball team’s 6A state tournament semifinal game.

The Firebirds had been in that situation the previous two seasons, and both times came away on the short end of the stick, posting back-to-back third place finishes.

“To be honest, I think a lot of our guys were more tense in the semifinal game, because we’ve been there two times and it just hasn’t gone our way,” junior second baseman Ben Graves said.

Free State overcame those early nerves, and rolled to to a 6-0 win over Manhattan, before capturing the program’s third state championship with a 7-1 win against Shawnee Mission West later that night.

“After we won that semifinal game, I think we all knew, ‘Hey, we’re gonna go all the way, we’re gonna win it all,'” Graves said.

From the time the 2024 season ended, to the final out on Friday night, there was one goal that stood out more than any other set by the senior class of 11 members: capturing a state title.

“We were set on this from day one,” senior Charlie Peters said. “We just took every game individually, and obviously this was the goal, and I knew once we got here, there was no chance we were going to lose.”

The senior class has always been close from the time they were freshmen, spending time with each other on and off the field, and those connections are evident when you see them communicating with each other during a game.

When you throw in the underclassmen, including major contributors Graves, Ryker Mahnke, Owen Lester, Nathan Young, Zane Shaw and Finn Moore, the bonds grow even more, allowing for each player to be in sync with the others.

“We just have always stayed together. We’ve been together all four years, and we’re just a close group of seniors,” senior designated hitter Boston Baker said. “(And we have) the underclassmen to help us, we couldn’t have done it without them.”

One bond, between Peters, who plays shortstop, and Moore, a sophomore who plays third base, benefits in particular from the time they spend with each other off the field, and it shows itself when they are next to each other on the left side of the infield.

“It gives you a feel for what someone else might do on the field,” Moore said. “Like Charlie, for example, (we) have (hung out) so many times throughout this year, and I play right next to him on the infield, so me and him just have the feel (of) who’s getting what ball.”

The senior class’ competitive nature was on display all season, and their never-die effort resulted in the team’s first Sunflower League championship since 2019, which head coach Mike Hill says is an even more difficult feat than winning a state championship.

“It’s a group of really competitive guys — they’re doing whatever it takes to win,” catcher Andrew Zimmerschied said. “We get down in any situation, and we’re going to come back just like that. That’s the kind of spirit that this team has, and I just love that.”

The senior class has also gained a lot of trust from Hill through the years, and as a result, got to make the decision on who would start on the mound in the championship. The team agreed that it would be junior Zane Shaw, who said it was an amazing feeling to garner that kind of belief from his senior teammates.

“It’s everything because I love the seniors and they’re the leaders of this team,” Shaw said. “They wanted me (on the mound) in the big one and yeah, it means a lot.”

While the legacy of this class, as Hill said earlier in the week, was already cemented before the state tournament even began, one last accomplishment, and maybe the biggest one at that, proved to be an extra sweet cherry on top for one of the most successful senior classes in Free State baseball history.

“I think just a lot of things that they’ve done have certainly put them in a different stratosphere in terms of our program,” Hill said. “That’s saying something because we’ve had some incredible baseball teams.”

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Wesley Cupps comes off the field after the Firebirds end an inning against Shawnee Mission West during the state championship game on Friday, May 30th, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, Kansas.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Andrew Zimmerschied is blasted with water as he hoists the state championship trophy on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State junior Ben Graves (left) and senior Wesley Cupps celebrate their state championship win on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Free State baseball team claps as the Firebirds begin to be awarded state championship medals on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State Junior Nathan Young (7), seniors Ryan Weishaar (5), Andrew Smith (12) and Cayman Cook (11) and junior Ben Graves celebrate after defeating Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State seniors Andrew Zimmerschied (2) and Wesley Cupps high five during the Firebirds’ state championship game against Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Charlie Peters throws his hands up as the dugout cheers during the Firebirds’ state championship game against Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Ryan Weishaar yells to the dugout after reaching base during the Firebirds’ state championship game against Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Charlie Peters makes contact with a Shawnee Mission West pitch on Friday, May 30, 2025, during the Firebirds’ state championship game at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence,

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Cole Wright lines his barrel up with a Shawnee Mission West pitch on Friday, May 30, 2025, during the Firebirds’ state championship game at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Andrew Smith yells as he waits for teammates to come off the field during the Firebirds’ state championship game against Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State shortstop Charlie Peters tosses over to second after fielding a Shawnee Mission West ground ball on Friday, May 30, 2025, during the Firebirds’ state championship game at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State sophomore Ryker Mahnke celebrates after the Firebirds’ score in the first inning of the Firebirds’ state championship game against Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Cole Wright dives back safely to first base during the Firebirds state championship game against Shawnee Mission West on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, Kansas.