The Bulldogs are back in the Final Four for the second straight season (they finished fourth last year) and the third time in six seasons, which are the only appearances in school history. South Callaway won the Class 2 state championship in 2012. ... South Callaway has rebounded nicely from a late-season "slump," when it lost three of four. But all three setbacks would all be considered quality losses --- to Fatima, Hickman and Fulton. The Bulldogs avenged the loss to Fatima with a 5-2 victory over the Comets in the district title game. ... Pitching wins championships --- the Bulldogs have allowed just nine runs in their last five games since the start of district play, and five of those came in a 6-5 win over Mountain Grove in the sectionals. ...

Despite only getting three hits, South Callaway rolled over Strafford 8-1 to advance to the semifinals. ... State rankings certainly haven't meant much in Class 3 this season. While the Bulldogs have been either No. 1 or 2 all season, Knob Noster (the Panthers) are the only other ranked team to make it to the Final Four --- and they're in a three-way tie for 10th. ... The path to the Final Four for the Panthers included wins over fourth-ranked Mid-Buchanan in the quarterfinals, 12-6, and defending state champion and No. 1 ranked Summit Christian in the sectionals, 3-2. ... The Panthers have won 12 of 13. ... This is Knob Noster's first trip to the Final Four.

VALLEY PARK (23-2, unranked) vs. WEST COUNTY (17-3, unranked), 4 p.m.

Despite of their impressive records, neither team is ranked. ... Valley Park, the Hawks, advanced with an 8-4 win over Palmyra in the quarterfinals, after blasting Lutheran North 17-1 in the sectionals. ... The Hawks' two losses were both by one run, to Herculaneum (8-7) and Orchard Farm (7-6). The setbacks came in back-to-back games on May 6 and May 8, after the Hawks had opened the season with 16 consecutive wins. ... This is the Hawks' sixth trip to the Final Four and they're seeking their third state championship, with the others coming in 1988 and 2003. ... West County, the Bulldogs, have scored a whopping 47 runs in its last four games, including a 15-3 rout of Portageville in the quarterfinals. ... West County has won 10 of its last 11, including a 9-7 win over Arcadia Valley --- a team that had beaten the Bulldogs 8-6 in the regular season ---- in the district semifinals. ... This is the Bulldogs' second trip to the Final Four and they're seeking their first state championship.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

THURSDAY'S GAMES

Third place, 11 a.m.

State championship, 1:30 p.m.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

HERE IS THE PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP FOR SOUTH CALLAWAY

(Stats in bold indicate team-highs)

Kaden Helsel, jr., P (.378, seven home runs, 10 doubles, 28 RBI, 46 runs, .755 slugging percentage)

Peyton Leeper, soph., SS (.473, two home runs, 14 doubles, 37 RBI, 40 runs, 14 doubles, .714 slugging)

Grayston Peneston, sr, 1B (.393, 27 RBI, 30 singles)

* Austin Loucks, soph., DH ( .325, 16 RBI)

Landon Horstman, jr., CF (.355, 20 RBI, 24 runs)

Dylan Lepper, jr., 2B (.277, 28 RBI, 27 runs)

Drake Davidson, soph, 3B (.346, 23 RBI, 23 runs)

Tyklen Salmons, soph., LF (.198, 28 runs)

Josh Johnson, jr., RF (.316, 21 RBI, 13 runs)

* Brayden Lallier, fr., C

PITCHING

Helsel (8-1, 1.69 ERA)

Peneston (8-2, 1.86 ERA, one save)

Leeper (3-1, 1.73 ERA)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

QUOTES FROM SOUTH CAL HEAD HEATH LEPPER (fourth year, 88-20)

On Knob Noster

"They're senior-heavy, they've got 10 seniors on the ball club. One of the scouting reports I've got says that's probably their biggest strengths, the way they play together, they don't get rattled and they keep each other up. Anytime you get that kind of maturity on a team, it's kind of special.

"But we're going to take the same approach we've taken all year --- we don't worry about what the other team does, we have to worry about we do. We just worry about attitude and effort, because those are the only things we can control, and we think good things will happen if we keep those two things in line to where they're supposed to be."

On the difference between last year and this year's return trip

"There's definitely a different atmosphere this year from what it was last year. We were a pretty young team last year (the Bulldogs are young this year, too --- only one senior) and there was a lot of 'We're just happy to be here.' Especially because the year before that, we'd gotten pretty close, losing in the quarterfinals. This year, the boys have already been there and they know they want more, they expect more --- and they should."

On staying focused this season

"These guys have done a good job of keeping track of the business right in front of them. They've haven't looked past anybody. We talked about our state ranking ... we didn't really care if we were first, 10th or out of the rankings. We weren't going to let that dictate how hard we worked and what our game plan was."

On being two wins away from a state championship

"People use the words redemption or unfinished business or whatever they choose to call it. But they (the players) definitely want more this go-round than they did last go-round. Just getting there was not the goal, from the beginning of the year and on. They started the season wanting to get more than they got last year, and they've done everything they've needed to do to put themselves in a position to get it. I applaud them for everything they've done, but they understand there's still work to do."