Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Top 10 Stories of 2025: #3 - 2025 KHSAA State Tournament

December 29, 2025
Prep Baseball KY Staff

Today we're back with another story in our 2025 Year in Review! Throughout the month of December, we will be reflecting on an excellent year for the Bluegrass State and reviewing the Top 10 Stories of 2025. Coming in at #3 on the list, we have the 2025 KHSAA State Tournament!

Interested in attending an event?👇

CLICK HERE to create a free Prep Baseball profile!

Coming in at No. 3 on our Top 10 Stories of 2025 takes us to the most electric stretch of baseball the Commonwealth has to offer: the KHSAA State Tournament. Each June, sixteen regional champions funnel an entire season’s worth of work into two weekends at Kentucky Proud Park. With no classification system and just one trophy awarded, the state tournament remains the ultimate test in Kentucky high school baseball. In 2025, it delivered a perfect blend of elite talent, postseason drama, and truly unforgettable moments. The Prep Baseball KY staff made the trip to Lexington eager to cover what is always the biggest stage of the year. From the opening matchup, it was clear this tournament was going to be a classic!

The tournament began Thursday morning with top-seeded Trinity squaring off against Meade County, making its first state appearance since 2012. The Shamrocks wasted no time flexing their offensive muscle, erupting for six runs in the bottom of the first inning and setting the tone for the entire bracket. A quartet of ACC commits led the way for Trinity, as ’26 Zach Floyd (Louisville), ’27 Hudson Meredith (Virginia), and ’27 Max Phillips (Wake Forest) all delivered early hits and RBIs. On the mound, ’27 RHP Gray Davis continued his undefeated campaign, striking out seven through five innings. Meade County answered briefly with a two-RBI single from ’26 Austin Strasbury (Marion Military Institute), but Trinity’s depth proved too much in a commanding 12–2 victory, ending a strong Green Wave season.

The early afternoon game featured a red-hot Boyd County squad against Boyle County, making its first state appearance since 2018. ’27 Grant Slater (Alabama) went five innings for the Lions, allowing three runs while striking out five and helping himself at the plate with a 2 RBI triple. Boyle County countered with ’27 RHP Caeden Patterson (Troy) on the mound, who traded punches early with the talented Boyd County hitters. ’27 Kyler Claunch drove in three of the Rebels’ four runs. Boyd County manufactured runs late to overpower the 12th Region champs and pulled away for an 11–4 win.

One of the first instant classics of the tournament came in the 5:00 PM slot in a top-10 matchup, as #8 Taylor County stunned hometown 11th Region champs and #5 overall Sayre School. The Cards jumped out early before Sayre responded with five runs in the third inning, taking a 6–5 lead into the seventh. With two outs in the bottom of the frame, ’25 Layken Lyons delivered a walk-off base hit, sealing a dramatic 7–6 victory. Contributions came from up and down the lineup, as ‘28 Reace Vaughn, ‘26 Grayson Kearney (Rend Lake JC), ‘25 Austin Garrett, and ‘26 Silas Young each played key roles in a true team win.

Day one wrapped up with Wolfe County pulling off a late comeback against #16 ranked Harrison County. Locked in a pitchers’ duel between ’26 Max Whisman (Midway) and ’25 Brian Vaughn (Edison State CC), Wolfe broke through late with an RBI double from ’25 Brayden Wilson, before ’26 Chance Fallen cleared the bases with a 3 RBI double. ’26 Jaden Hollon closed the door with a clean seventh inning to secure a 4–3 victory.

Friday morning opened with a Western Kentucky showdown between #4 McCracken County and #13 Lyon County. ’26 Joshua Penrod (John A. Logan JC) and ’25 Eli Baker (Radford) went toe-to-toe early before McCracken plated three in the second inning, highlighted by Penrod’s 2 RBI double. Penrod finished with 5.1 IP, allowing just two hits, while ’25 Noah Godwin (Spalding) worked 1.2 scoreless innings for the save in a 3–1 win.

Next came one of the most thrilling games of the tournament and our first extra inning matchup, as #7 South Warren outlasted Highlands in nine innings. The Bluebirds jumped out to a three-run first inning, but South Warren clawed back behind an RBI double off the bat of ‘27 Joseph Fentress. Locked at 5 runs apiece, the game stretched into extras before ’25 Gray Pearson delivered a walk-off sac fly in the ninth. ’26 Brooks Hendrix went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Birds, while ’25 Adam Forton (Thomas More) logged 3.1 innings of one-run relief. ‘25 Griffin Rardin (Shelton State CC), ‘26 Jaxen Decker (Rend Lake JC) and ‘25 Casey Green combined for seven hits and four runs for the Spartans.

Defending champion Pleasure Ridge Park handled Corbin on Saturday morning. The Panthers jumped out in front on a ’25 Brayden Bruner (Bellarmine) RBI triple, before Corbin battled back in T4 with a leadoff single from ‘25 Kade Elam (Louisville) and a double from ‘25 Noah Cima (St. John’s River State JC) set the table for a ‘26 Clay Botner RBI base hit. Late separation provided by ‘25 Kobie Howard (Rend Lake JC), ‘25 Kaleb Settle (Spalding), and ‘26 Ravon Lee Jr. propelled PRP to six unanswered to secure a 10–3 win.

The opening round concluded with Spencer County overpowering Johnson Central in a matchup between two gritty teams. Another pair of aces facing off as ‘25 Jarett Stewart (Lincoln Trail CC) took on a true competitor in ‘25 Dawson Montgomery for the Golden Eagles. After Johnson Central briefly took the lead in B2 thanks to ‘27 brothers Kyler and Kaleb Callaham and an RBI from ‘28 Mason McKenzie, Spencer rattled off 11 unanswered runs, fueled by ’27 Griffin Kingsolver’s four RBIs and a three-hit, three-run performance from ’25 Carter Walters (Marshall).

The quarterfinals opened with Trinity vs. Taylor County, featuring an electric duel between southpaws ‘27 Hudson Meredith (Virginia) and ‘26 Cole McLean (Kentucky). Trinity struck early with three first-inning runs and added one in each of the next three innings. ‘27 Gray Davis (Clemson) entered in relief and dominated, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings. Despite 20 combined hits between both teams, Trinity’s ability to capitalize with runners on sent them to the semifinals with a 6–2 win.

Boyd County squeaked past Wolfe County in a low-scoring thriller, as ’27 Brody Biggs and ‘26 Jaden Hollon traded quality starts. Boyd scratched across the deciding run in the sixth behind a timely hit from ‘27 Alex Maynard and an RBI double from ‘26 Brayden Coleman, advancing the Lions with a 2–1 victory.

On the other side of the bracket, McCracken County defeated South Warren, riding a dominant outing from ’26 Caden Kern (John A. Logan JC), who worked six innings allowing just two unearned runs. ‘26 Jaxen Decker (Rend Lake JC) and ‘27 Camden Page led South Warren offensively with a combined three extra base hits, but McCracken’s depth prevailed in a 9–4 win.

The nightcap featured Pleasure Ridge Park against Spencer County, where ’27 Joey Dudeck delivered a big-time CG performance with a dominant 12 strikeouts. Offensively, ‘25 Brayden Bruner (Bellarmine) homered and drove in four as PRP pulled away late for a 9–2 victory. ‘25 Kaiden Fowler (Asbury) tallied the lone 2 RBI single for the Bears as they concluded a phenomenal season in their first trip to the State Tournament.

Friday afternoon brought four teams with legitimate title aspirations: Trinity, Boyd County, McCracken County, and Pleasure Ridge Park. The first semifinal saw sophomore standouts and eventual Future Games teammates ‘27 Gray Davis (Clemson) and ‘27 Grant Slater (Alabama) square off. Trinity manufactured early runs before Davis took full control, delivering a complete-game no-hitter in epic fashion, striking out nine in one of the most dominant postseason performances in recent memory. The 5–0 win sent the Shamrocks to the championship.

The nightcap was a rematch of the 2024 title game between PRP and McCracken County. ‘27 Joey Dudeck and ‘26 Joshua Penrod (John A. Logan JC) were once again excellent in their second start of the tournament, but a 2 out, 2 RBI single from ‘25 Deuce Harris broke the game open. Dudeck completed a two-hit shutout, sending PRP back to the finals for the second year in a row.

The championship matchup pitted two Louisville powerhouses against one another. Back on the mound was ‘25 Grayson Roll for the Panthers, while ‘26 Grayson Willoughby (Kentucky) was making his first start of the postseason for the Shamrocks. A battle of firepower vs craft, as Willoughby entered the game atop the KY Heat Sheet and Roll had allowed just 5 ER all season, becoming one of the most effective arms in the state. Both delivered absolute masterclasses from the mound, as seven scoreless innings passed with tension building every pitch and both starters staying in the game. PRP finally broke through in the eighth, as ‘25 Brayden Bruner (Bellarmine) and ‘26 Ravon Lee Jr. set the table for Roll to help himself out and plate the game’s first run on a backside RBI single. Three outs away from a repeat title, Roll returned to the mound before and proceeded to record the first two outs. Down to their second-to-last strike, ‘26 Nolan Hosking (Louisville) launched a 2 out, solo homer deep over the left-field wall in immaculate fashion, igniting Kentucky Proud Park into a total frenzy. In the ninth, ‘25 Colin Sander (Indiana State) was on in relief and worked a clean frame before Trinity mounted one final rally. With runners on, ‘25 Caleb Ricks (Notre Dame) delivered the game-winning hit, sending Willoughby racing home and sealing one of the most unforgettable finishes in state tournament history.

Trinity capped a remarkable season in dramatic fashion, while Pleasure Ridge Park once again showcased championship grit. From opening-round chaos to a walk-off title, the 2025 KHSAA State Tournament delivered everything the Commonwealth could ask for and more. As we head into 2026, the echoes from Lexington still remain and only garner more excitement for baseball season!

Follow us on Twitter/X: @PrepBaseballKY

Follow us on Instagram: @prepbaseballky

Follow us on Facebook: Prep Baseball KY