Willard wins Class 5 State Championship

The 2026 season couldn’t have ended any better for the Class 5, second ranked Willard Tigers baseball team, as they defeated Class 5, fourth ranked St. Dominic in the Class 5 state championship, 9-8 in Ozark on Saturday, June 6.

Levi Hilton got Willard started driving in Cade Hayter on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. After the Crusaders took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning, the Tigers answered back in the bottom of the inning.

Jackson Redd hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Hayter. That followed up a few batters later with a Matthew Burns single to right to drive in Ricky Riggs and Hilton to give Willard the 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers tacked on three more runs when Hayter singled to center to score Cody Rose and Jarrett McGee singled to center to drive in Kyler Adams and Hayter to increase Willards lead to 7-2.

St. Dominic added a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 7-3 but Willard answered with a two-run double by McGee in the bottom of the inning to drive in Easton Redd and Adams to make it 9-3.

The Crusaders would score five times in the top of the seventh inning but would come up short, as the Tigers would hang on for the 9-8 win and third state championship in the past six seasons.

McGee was 2-3 with a double and four RBIs and Burns ended the game 1-3 with two RBIs.

Willard reached the championship game by defeating Class 5, fifth ranked Platte County 10-0 on Friday, June 5 in Ozark.

The Tigers got on the board in the top of the first inning after Burns singled to right field to drive in Riggs. Hayter tripled in another run in the top of the second inning and then scored on a bunt single from McGee to give the Tigers an early 3-0 lead in the game.

Burns would drive in his second run of the game in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0. Willard scored five times in the top of the fourth in various ways. Tyler Davis scored on a wild pitch, Hayter and McGee scored on an error, Rose scored on a fielder’s choice and Jackson Redd would come in on an Evan Arnold single to right.

The Tigers scored their final run of the night on a bases loaded walk to J. Redd that would score Adams.

Hayter went 1-3 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI, Adams was 1-3 with a double and two run scored, Burns was 1-3 with three RBIs and Redd finished the game 1-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Hilton got the win, going five innings, allowing no runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

On their way to a state championship, the Tigers defeated top ranked Webb City, eighth ranked Marshfield (twice), fifth ranked Platte County and fourth ranked St, Dominic.

Willard finished the season with a 34-8 record.