First-year pitching surprise helps lead Maize baseball to Kansas state tournament

Cooper Tannahill had a surprise for Maize baseball coach Rocky Helm when the team began practicing this February.

A utility player for the Eagles in the past, Tannahill had begun pitching for his summer travel team and believed he had found his niche.

“Coach, I think I want to pitch this year,” Tannahill told the veteran skipper.

Tannahill looked good throwing bullpen sessions in February, then continued to impress in intrasquad scrimmages in March. Helm threw him in the season-opening game and Tannahill won in his first start.

In fact, Tannahill has continued to do nothing but win in his debut season. He’s 9-0 in 10 starts with a minuscule 0.71 earned run average and 44 strikeouts, which has helped Maize punch its ticket to the Class 6A state tournament. The Eagles (21-7) will play Blue Valley West (22-5) at 5:45 p.m. Thursday at Hoglund Stadium in Lawrence.

“I think what’s surprised me the most is how he has continued to do what he’s done the entire year,” Helm said. “Cooper has been real consistent for us. He doesn’t get rattled. He looks like he’s in control every time he’s on the mound and our guys really like playing behind him.”

Tannahill has paired with fellow senior Easton Roth (5-3, 1.72 ERA) to form one of the most formidable pitching tandems in the state. He has earned wins over Maize South, Derby and Manhattan, a 4-1 victory in last week’s regional championship game where Tannahill threw a complete game and did not allow an earned run.

After floating from catcher to outfielder in years past, Tannahill said he feels most comfortable on the mound.

“I really like having the ball in my hands and being in control,” Tannahill said. “I know especially playing at Maize, I can just pitch for outs because my team is going to make plays behind me. So I can just go up there and throw strikes and let my team work behind me.”

Tannahill and Roth make up an eight-player senior class that has helped propel Maize back to the state tournament in its return to 6A. Gunner Hewitt (.346 average, team-high 26 RBIs), Cole Chalashtari, Brady Jackson, Davin Hinote, Hunter Dornbusch and Carlos Arriaga are other senior contributors on the team.

A talented sophomore class has also strengthened Maize this season, as Gavin Short (.382 average, 21 RBIs, 24 runs), Parker Meirowsky (.351 average, 29 runs), Brodie Jarvis (.318, 21 RBIs, 18 runs) and Scotty Hadley have been everyday players for the Eagles. Throw in freshman Drake Blasi (.338, 13 RBIs, 29 runs) and juniors Sam Soderstrom and Luke Etheridge and Maize feels confident it can make a run this week in Lawrence.

“We’ve had really good senior leadership and those guys have brought along our younger guys with what needs to get done and how it needs to get done,” Helm said. “We’re going to continue to need to play defense really clean. If we can pitch it and play clean defense and then of course get some timely hitting, then you never know what could happen.”

Kansas high school state baseball tournament schedule

Class 6A (Hoglund Stadium in Lawrence)

No. 1 Olathe West (27-1) vs. No. 8 Olathe South (13-13), 11 a.m.

No. 4 Topeka (17-4) vs. No. 5 Lawrence Free State (21-6), 1:15 p.m.

No. 2 Wichita Heights (22-5) vs. No. 7 Shawnee Mission East (19-9), 3:30

No. 3 Blue Valley West (22-5) vs. No. 6 Maize (21-7), 5:45

Class 5A (Eck Stadium in Wichita)

No. 1 Bishop Carroll (22-5) at No. 8 Salina Central (9-18), 11 a.m.

No. 4 Spring Hill (17-8) vs. No. 5 Shawnee Heights (13-11), 1:15 p.m.

No. 2 Pittsburg (19-6) vs. No. 7 Salina South (15-13), 3:30

No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (20-7) vs. No. 6 Goddard Eisenhower (14-12), 5:45

Class 4A (Dean Evans Stadium in Salina)

No. 1 Rock Creek (25-1) vs. No. 8 Tonganoxie (12-13), 11 a.m.

No. 4 Louisburg (19-6) vs. No. 5 Paola (16-10), 1:15 p.m.

No. 2 Abilene (22-2) vs. No. 7 Rose Hill (15-10), 3:30

No. 3 Pratt (24-4) vs. No. 6 Circle (17-11), 5:45

Class 3A (Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan)

No. 1 Trinity Academy (20-4) vs. No. 8 Marysville (10-13), 11 a.m.

No. 4 Burlington (19-6) vs. No. 5 Frontenac (17-8), 1:15 p.m.

No. 2 Hesston (20-4) vs. No. 7 Topeka Hayden (15-12), 3:30

No. 3 Sabetha (19-5) vs. No. 6 Hoisington (15-10), 5:45

Class 2-1A (Great Bend Sports Complex)

No. 2 Marion (21-4) vs. No. 7 Thomas More Prep (20-9), 11 a.m.

No. 3 Valley Falls (19-4) vs. No. 6 Medicine Lodge (14-5), 1:15 p.m.

No. 1 Mission Valley (22-3) vs. No. 8 Pratt Skyline (13-10), 3:30

No. 4 Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan (18-4) vs. No. 5 Colony-Crest (20-7), 5:45