Three O's repeat as first-team all-state

Though the 2011 season didn't end with as much fan fair and a state championship as did 2010, the Concordia Orioles still earned postseason recognition.

Three of the Orioles' players earned all-state first-team status, with two others making the second team.

The Orioles, who finished 20-5 and with a No. 6 ranking in the final state poll, placed senior pitcher Carter Brown and outfielders Drew Smith, a senior, and junior Collin Werths on the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association's first-team all-state grid.

Brown also was a first-team pitcher last year and was honorable mention in 2009. Smith earned first-team status last year as an infielder. Werths also was a first-teamer as an outfielder last year.

Making the grade for second-team status were sophomore catcher Hayden Brown and senior shortstop Tyler Tolias as an infielder. Both Brown and Tolias were honorable-mention selections at the same positions in 2010.

Santa Fe, which lost in the Class 1, District 15 championship game to the Orioles, also placed three players on the all-state lists.

Sophomore Andrew Curry was voted to the second team as a designated hitter/utility player. He was an honorable-mention selection to the all-state team as a freshman.

Junior Dalton Wilkinson was chosen as an honorable-mention infielder and freshman Keaton Graf as an honorable-mention DH/Utility player.

La Plata, which eliminated the Orioles 9-0 in the quarterfinal round of state play, went on to win the Class 1 state championship. The Bulldogs downed St. Elizabeth 9-8 in the semifinal round on June 1 and nipped Liberal 7-6 in the championship on June 2. Liberal had slipped past Oran 6-5 in the other semifinal on June 1. Oran went on to shut out St. Elizabeth 10-0 in the third-place game on June 2.

All of the Final Four games were played at Meador Park in Springfield.