BAUM-BOUND: Panthers, Jackets face off for 5A title

The Benton Panthers and Sheridan Yellowjackets will have a rematch for the state championship, albeit four years later. The Jackets held on to defeat the Panthers 10-9 in the 2015 state title game.
Since 2015, Sheridan has made it to at least the semifinals, including also winning the 2017 state title, while Benton fell in the quarterfinals in 2016, lost in the semis in 2017 and defeated the Yellowjackets in the semifinals last year in finishing runner-up at state with a 4-0 loss to Greenwood at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
“In 2015, we didn’t play our best game and came up one run short. Last year, we played great baseball, we just faced a pitcher that’s the No. 2 starter for the No. 4 team in the nation right now,” Benton Coach Mark Balisterri said of Arkansas freshman Connor Noland. “This year I don’t think there’s a guy like him. The kid from Sheridan is really good, don’t get me wrong, but I think it’s somebody we can get to if we stay patient and do what we’ve got to do.”
Benton and Sheridan meet up once again on Friday in the 5A State Tournament championship at now Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
“Being able to get back in back-to-back years is tough for any team to do,” Balisterri said. “I’m proud of our guys. It’s something that we’ve become accustomed to the past five years. We haven’t won a state championship in 10 years (an 8-5 win over Searcy in 2009) and we’ve been back three times since then and we need to win it. We need to go up there and take care of business. It’s our time to win the state championship. We just got to go up there and do it. Nobody is going to give it to you.
Read the rest in Thursday's The Saline Courier.